Gaining a loyal following in the medical industry is much easier said than done. Patients are inclined to go where their family and friends have gone, provided those individuals have had positive experiences. However, today’s shopper is more inclined to do their research before blindly committing to a physician. That gives you the perfect opportunity to swoop in and generate some additional business.
Boosting your patient load takes a little effort, but it’s well worth your while. Here are five ways you can attract new patients to your office. These measures will also improve your marketability to your current patients, making them that much more likely to refer your practice to others.
Build a Brand
Many doctors never take the time to consider branding their practice, while others dismiss the exercise as a gimmick that would devalue their credibility. This is a mistake. Branding is how businesses of all types reach the next level of popularity. And branding is a concept that lends itself particularly well to the medical industry.
Branding doesn’t mean revamping your practice to become more commercially appealing. It simply means focusing on what your practice does well and building your public image around those positive traits. For example, your office could brand itself as an ideal destination for elderly patients, on-the-go professionals, or children with a particular illness.
Educate Your Patients
Most people don’t even think about their doctors unless they’re sick. That’s an understandable mentality, but it’s not necessarily the correct one. You want your patients to always think about their health, even if that doesn’t mean visiting your office on a regular basis.
Talking to your patients about relevant health topics – and more importantly, helping your patients to understand why those topics are so critical – is a major way to improve both your business and your patient satisfaction. The more your patients care about thier health, the happier and healthier they’ll be. And the happier they are, the more likely they are to recommend you to their friends.
Go Online
There’s a ton of health information online, but there’s a dearth of local physicians who provide and stand by this information. By bucking this trend and establishing a solid online presence, you’ll do your community a world of good.
It’s been proven time and time again that people are more than willing to look online for answers to their health concerns. However, it’s rare that these individuals have the opportunity to talk to someone about the information they find. Providing the answers to popular health questions online can help bridge this gap, and it’ll serve as a constant stream of new patients. Creating content based around the expertise of your practice is another great way to cement your brand image in the minds of your current and future patients.
Utilize Social Media
Using social media doesn’t mean posting about what Dr. Jones had for dinner last night. It means staying in touch with patients who want to know a little more about what they can do to stay healthy. It means being available to patients who have questions between appointments. And it means sharing the best health information you can find, including the content you create.
As is the case with websites and blogging, most doctors are woefully behind the curve in this area. This means the social media landscape is yours for the taking. By using the same principles online that you use every day in your office, you’ll make yourself much more attractive to new patients.
Be the Best
At the end of the day, you only have one option if you want to expand your profile as a medical practice. You have to be the best at everything you do. All of the content you create and the social media work you do will fall flat if you can’t meet the needs of your patients.
Creating a brand gives you the opportunity to carve out your own specialized niche. Strive to be the best in that niche. Generate the best online content possible. Engage via social media to your fullest potential. Teach your patients that health doesn’t stop when they leave your office. But most of all, provide the absolute best care to your patients. If you do that, you’ll have the best of both worlds. Patients will be proud to be associated with your practice, and they’ll be happy to help you spread the word.
Are you interesting in learning more? Click the link below to download our free ebook on Healthcare Marketing Strategies.
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