A solid and strategic marketing plan is one part of what separates medical practices between the mediocre and the thriving. An active and engaging online presence can show that a company is relevant, up-to-date, involved, authoritative, knowledgeable and accessible. If your medical practice is struggling to retain patients or bring in new ones, it may be time to re-evaluate your marketing situation.
You’re Falling Behind the Competition
Take a look at your own social media profiles. Do a search for your practice on Google. Now do the same for each of your competitors and make note of any stark differences. Do your competitors show up on the first page of a search while you’re stuck behind on the second page? Does a similar practice in the same town have twice as many Facebook followers as you? These advantages that your competitors may have will do you no favors. If people can’t find you online or are left with the impression that your competitors are more popular, you are going to have a hard time bringing in new patients. Put time and money behind the SEO and social media of your practice and watch that gap between you and your competitors shrink!
Your Patients’ Habits are Changing
A big sign that your marketing needs reinforcements is noticeable changes in patient behaviors. Perhaps longtime, loyal patients are suddenly moving on in search of other healthcare providers. Maybe your practice typically brings in 20 new patients each month and lately it’s been down to only 4. In addition to an active social media presence, email marketing will serve you well here. Send email surveys after each appointment in an effort to gauge what is working and what can improve. Furthermore, these emails will show your patients that you take pride in the quality of the care and experience that they receive. Investing in proper email marketing will show an invaluable return in patient relationship development.
Your Content is Being Ignored
You are putting thought and effort into your marketing content. Don’t let your hard work go unnoticed. Content and engagement go hand-in-hand and make each other stronger. Ideally, you want your audience to be actively engaged with your social media posts and web content in order to build a personal relationship with your practice and establish loyalty. This keeps current patients coming back and gets potential patients in the door. Bringing in the help of a marketing agency will provide you with the outsider perspective that you may be missing. Reach out for a second opinion on your content and strategy to see where your blind spots are and fix them.
You’re Burned Out
Operating a healthcare business is hard. Maintaining successful marketing is hard. Trying to find a juggling act between the two is too much for most people. If you find yourself too busy and without the time to create assets, write for a blog, plan out posts, monitor paid ads, respond to comments, draft email campaigns and track analytics, you need to consider hiring a helping hand. Let the healthcare marketing experts manage the marketing, that way you have more time to do what you do best: run the business.
Marketing is an essential part of healthcare success both short-term and long-term. If you have identified marketing as a weak spot in your business’s overall strategy, it’s time to bring in the pros. Contact us today and learn more about how Map and Story Digital Strategies can help!