Marketing is a no-brainer for companies that sell products. Verizon spends $2.5 billion a year on marketing. P&G spends $4.6 billion.
It gets a little trickier with healthcare when the product you’re selling is yourself. As the healthcare industry shifts, staying engaged with your patients outside of the practice is no longer optional. Marketing is set to make a big impact on the future of the American healthcare system.
Here are five ways to start marketing yourself today.
1. Get Social
A mere website is no longer good enough. Marketing yourself online requires a social media presence.
Facebook is the bare minimum. People rely on ratings and reviews to make every decision now. Everything from which toothbrush to buy to how to find a good chiropractor.
Sign up for Twitter and get quippy. A sense of humor goes a long way in developing a rapport before clients even step in your door.
Tweet a couple times a week about your practice and pertinent information to your field. Learn how to retweet and start reposting tweets from other local doctors and businesses. Send out a link to your blog every time you update.
Join Instagram. The image-based app makes information easy to digest and easy to remember. Use local hashtags that will put your profile on the map and in the right people’s feeds.
Instagram also lets you disseminate short videos. Let your staff show their personality or their expertise. All you need to come up with is a minute or less of content.
Some practices even use features of Instagram and Facebook to broadcast live surgeries and procedures.
2. Become the Expert
Become a familiar face in your town by being the expert interviewed by the local news.
Develop a relationship with journalists and reporters. Follow them on social media and reach out via email. Offer to write a monthly column or do Q&As.
Register with HARO (Help A Reporter Out) to pitch for source opportunities. The service connects journalists and sources in a variety of fields.
3. Use Your Reviews
The best way to market yourself is to be marketable. Focus on providing excellent care to your current patients, and then ask for feedback.
You can set up a followup request with an automatic email system. Or ask patients to fill out a written survey. Online reviews on Facebook and Yelp can provide invaluable, and free, marketing.
You can also incentivize patient referrals with thank yous, freebies, or small discounts.
4. Deliver the News
Start an email newsletter that will get you more involved in your patient’s day-to-day. Include pertinent links that will drive traffic to your site, hits to your blog, and, ultimately, clients to your practice.
Write something personal and casual. Talk about office specifics that make your practice special. Highlight good patient reviews.
Use email to remind patients of their upcoming appointments. Everyone appreciates that peace of mind.
5. Get Googled
Set up a business profile with Google My Business, Google’s free business directory.
With a simple search, people will be able to access your phone numbers, website, address, and directions-even questions and answers. You can keep your hours updated and provide promo pictures. Google also aggregates busy times and average time spent in the establishment.
It’s a great resource for potential patients.
Marketing Yourself Is Easier Than Ever
Marketing yourself is one of the necessary elements of growing your business. Social media and email newsletters are making it easier to get the word out in a personal way. Online reviews and patient referral make your practice more attractive to potential clients.
Are you looking to revamp your marketing techniques? Check out our dental marketing category for more ideas. We’ll help you with mail marketing, business cards, and even creative promotions.