Healthcare marketing is essential for any doctor looking to build a practice. While you probably already know the ins and outs of good customer service, it does you little good if you don’t have a constant flow of new patients to take care of. Promoting doesn’t always have to be costly, and there are plenty of ways to get patients without breaking the bank. Read on below for a few of them.
Offer Patient Financing
In a world where every penny counts, offering patient financing is a way to ensure patients can be seen for whatever ails them and a way to bring patients into your business. Offering financing not only benefits the patient, but it also benefits your bottom line as well.
Train Your Team
Your staff is going to get to interact with your patients long before you do, so you need to train them in the art of being social and customer service. Things your staff should be trained to know are listed below.
- Pricing
- Equipment that is used during procedures
- What to expect during a consult
- And any other customer service related things
Get Social
There’s no way around it, the days when word of mouth was enough to get you patients are long gone. Instead, you have to be able to get social and learn digital marketing to draw them in. Having a professional website, a well-written blog, and the ability to post on social media sites is key to bringing in patients to grow your business. Remember, there are tons of doctors out there, you have to show that you are different and better than the rest. If you’re unsure of your capabilities when it comes to marketing, there are plenty of companies out there who will take over that role for you.
Know Your Target Audience Ahead of Time
Before you decide to reach out to new patients, you need to understand who your current patients are. Finding your target audience isn’t as hard as you might think. Take a look at your office records, then take note of the following:
- Location and profession of existing patients
- Gender
- Age
- And any other identifying factors
This data will help you find the best marketing techniques to target the patients you want to bring in.
Always Follow Up with Patients
Retaining your existing patients is just as important as gaining new ones. Make sure that you follow up with your patients to ensure they are happy with the service they receive and to answer any questions they might have. Adding that personal touch of contacting them yourself will do a lot to make them feel at home and help with word of mouth marketing, which is still important even in today’s digital world.
Check Out YouTube
YouTube is a medium that is constantly getting the word out there about your practice. Ask your patients if you can post a video on YouTube with their review of your practice. Do an interview with a patient yourself and post it on Youtube with their permission of course. This shows future patients that you like to get to know your existing patients as well.
Give Quality Service/Care
Though this should be a no-brainer, it bears saying. If you want to attract new patients to your practice, then you need to give good quality service and care to the patients you already have.
These are just a few tips for bringing in patients you can follow. Remember, marketing is important but not as important as good old-fashioned patient care, and don’t you forget it.
