5 Effective Strategies for Healthcare Marketing

Originally published: March 30, 2022 12:38:06 PM, updated: November 19, 2022 12:00:00 AM

A thriving healthcare practice is essentially a business. It needs effective marketing strategies to attract a regular stream of new consumers to survive. However, healthcare is such a highly emotive issue that it requires sensitive handling throughout every campaign.

It's a principal reason why healthcare can be more intense and complex than any other form of marketing. Many practices have the additional challenge of a limited financial budget. Your healthcare marketing campaign should concentrate on the most effective strategies to maximize resources.

1. Building a Reliable Brand

In healthcare marketing, reputation is of paramount importance. A recent survey in a Harvard Business Review discovered that 48% of people are influenced by patients' reviews when choosing a physician for medical treatment. 88% of new patients admitted to placing equal trust in online reviews and personal recommendations.

When you are providing professional healthcare, you'll have many certificates to prove your competence. Make use of them in your promotional campaigns. Highlight your experience in carrying out various procedures and top-class medical equipment used. Every practice eventually develops its own area of expertise. Promote your business on its unique qualities.

Creating a brand that's trustworthy needs transparency and reliability. Support your claims with honest patient reviews. However, healthcare marketing can only be truly successful if your brand is one of excellence and reassurance.

2. Providing Online Information

According to a detailed study published by the American Journal of Biomedical Science and Research, omnichannel marketing in healthcare has increased significantly since 2020. It revealed that one out of three US adults searches online for information about a medical condition before seeking professional help.

The research also found that 47% of potential patients actively searched for reliable information about doctors. 38% sought credible information about healthcare centers or hospitals. There is clearly a need for your business to provide as much information as possible about your practice.

It's worth investing in your online presence. Creating an attractive website that's easy to navigate is essential. However, you need to take care with how you present a myriad of facts and descriptions. The National Library of Medicine highlights the importance of presenting accurate data and statistics.

Double-check any facts you use and always cite their sources. The language you use is also of great importance. It allows potential consumers to see that you're striving for excellence and honesty.

Written text should be friendly and reassuring, but it should be concise and easy to understand. Littering your message with additional jargon only creates confusion and diverts from your brand's image of professional reliability.

3. Benefits of Omnichannel Marketing

Single-channel healthcare marketing has often been favored by medical centers offering highly specialized treatments. These could include medical practices dealing with cancer. The American Journal of Biomedical Science and Research found that single channel marketing usually has an established network of professionals who are specialists in their field.

Accessibility has become an essential part of successful healthcare marketing. However, the study also discovered that at least 70% of healthcare practices use omnichannel services. It reflects how the majority of healthcare centers offer a general service. In this area, omnichannel marketing can be at its most effective.

As outlined above, potential healthcare consumers base their choice of medical practitioner on information they have read online. You need to assess where they have gained their knowledge. They might have searched on multiple platforms such as directories, social media, and practice reviews.

Invest in responsive technology. The development of the mobile network and smartphones has significantly affected how users locate information. Ensuring your website is mobile-friendly is an essential step. It uses advanced software that automatically restructures a website page to match the device it's being viewed on.

It means your website's orientation, layout and sizing will be precisely tailored for desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Responsive technology adds a sophisticated finishing touch to even the most professional website.

Using omnichannel marketing is an effective method of ensuring your message makes maximum impact. Make use of professional profile platforms such as Linkedin. Social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram can help with daily updates.

It's wise not to neglect traditional channels such as adverts in the local press and investing in a leaflet campaign. However, much of your marketing activity will be online. Where possible, try to include email, telephone access, and a live online chat facility.

Recommended video: Omnichannel Marketing Explained

4. The Value of SEO, Data, and Analytics

Once you have a sophisticated, responsive website full of up-to-date facts and information, your marketing strategy will need effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Your practice faces a great deal of competition. According to Statista, there are 552,310 healthcare physicians in the US. Gaining an advantage through an effective SEO strategy should be a prime concern.

By optimizing SEO, your medical center could rank on the first page of a potential consumer's search results. Interestingly, since the Fall of 2020, Google has prioritized websites geared toward mobile optimization. Using the most promising search terms within a responsive website could increase your healthcare facility's visibility.

Long-tail keywords are some of the most effective search terms. For instance, 'Urgent care near me' regularly scores almost two million hits per month. 'Walk=in clinic near me' and 'Doctors near me' are searched nearly 200,000 times every month.

Sophisticated analytics can help determine your choice of effective SEO keywords. This is particularly important if you opt for a Pay per Click (PPC) campaign. The top few results in any search are usually paid adverts. Highly detailed analytics and data help use your marketing budget wisely and target potential consumers more effectively.

5. Patient Feedback and Reputation Management

Successful healthcare marketing relies on patient reviews to provide a balanced view to new visitors. There's nothing to fear if you're confident about the superior quality of medical care and services you provide.

Always include constructive reviews on your website as it's where potential consumers will assess you're worth as a medical practitioner. A helpful strategy is to seek patients' opinions as a standard procedure—issue confidential questionnaires to discover what type of experience each patient has encountered.

Negative opinions are the most valuable for your healthcare marketing strategies. They inform you of poor-quality services and attitudes. They prevent you from making claims that can quickly be refuted. Reviews help improve the general standard of medical care facilities.

Track negative comments on social media platforms and combat them by being positive about how you're correcting any adverse issues. Speed is essential as negative comments often spiral out of control in a very short time. Show you care about patients by sending emails to ask how they are a short while after you have treated them.

Conclusion

The future of your healthcare center relies on effective marketing strategies. Before embarking on a campaign, honestly assess the type of care you provide. It helps focus on the areas where you excel and enhances your brand's reputation.

Opt for omnichannel platforms to reach the largest number of potential consumers. Invest in an advanced, responsive website that's designed for mobile optimization. Ensure your information is accurate and easy to understand. Most importantly, heed your patients' views. They can help your healthcare practice prosper.