In today’s advanced world, it may seem tempting to focus all of your energy and attention on the digital side of marketing. There is no doubting that your practice’s online presence, both in search engines and on social media, is now an essential part of attracting new patients and keeping up with the competition. While digital marketing is inarguably the best way to reach a broader audience, there are still plenty of potential patients that you will miss out on if you ignore traditional marketing. Old school marketing methods shouldn’t be thrown by the wayside. Marrying your online and offline efforts will boost your visibility within your local community and help to grow your online following.
Digital marketing is certainly an essential tool but you must always account for the inevitability that some of your online audience will either scroll past your content or not even be shown the content to begin with. That’s why you need to cover your bases. Digital marketing helps you gain a broader reach but traditional assets will allow you to grab the attention of people in your own community who, for whatever reason, may be unlikely to find you online. Print marketing helps tie your real world image to your digital image. Such assets can include pamphlets, business cards, mailers, and flyers. Having a physical call-to-action in hand can leave a more lasting impression for some people and put them on the path toward taking the next step. The unique trust-building and engagement that comes with traditional marketing will add value to any marketing campaign.
When potential patients encounter the same marketing designs across all advertising efforts, brand recognition increases. Branding is an important detail that practices may overlook. People subconsciously hold onto visuals in their memory and your brand (logo, font, colors, slogan) is your calling card. Be sure to have consistent and cohesive visuals in all of your presence – both on and offline. When someone sees your trial’s name and branding in a newspaper ad, it absolutely needs to be the same on your website and social media accounts. Consistency can help your site and study stay top of mind, and can go a long way toward building trust with your audience. Do not leave room for any guess work or confusion.
It’s best to put your printed marketing assets in high-traffic areas that you know it is more likely to be seen and noticed. This requires you to call upon your knowledge of your audience and get inside the mind of a future patient. Local university? Pediatrician’s office? Clinic? When placing marketing collateral, it’s important to keep in mind the audience you’re trying to reach. Establish a positive relationship with the community in which you would like to place your marketing collateral, as it could lead to a future partnership for recruiting patients.
Don’t let anyone tell you that traditional marketing is dead. The efforts you make outside of your online strategy help to target your local community, leave more thoughtful brand recognition, and support patient recruitment. Be memorable by engaging with your audience and utilizing consistent branding in all places that your trial is present.