Marketing your medical practice – 5 tips to get you started

Medical practices require a different level of marketing to other businesses. Customers need to fully trust you, since it’s their health and wellbeing in your hands. As such, you need to take a very particular marketing strategy. If you’re not sure where to start, consider the five tips below to up your medical marketing game.

1) Testimonials, testimonials, testimonials

Did you know that 97% of customers read reviews before making a purchase? And that’s for something as simple as buying a new toaster! In a world of scammers and dodgy businesses, customers need to know who they can trust. As a medical practice, this is even more essential. So encourage satisfied customers to provide testimonials and display them prominently on your website and in your online ads.

Note that this should be done within government and regulatory guidelines as there are certain rules around what medical practices can use.

2) Produce blog content

As a medical practice, you may not be the most SEO-savvy. If you remember anything though, it should be this: Content is King. Open up a blog section on your website and post as regularly as possible – at least once a week. Building up a stock of content will help your practice to rank above the competition is Google. Furthermore, it builds your credibility as an authority on medical matters. Try to create encyclopedic and informative blog posts which prove you are a company of experts.

3) Build a community

Modern businesses are more than just mouthpieces for their founders. With the increase in social media, customers expect to be able to have an instant and open discussion with even the largest corporations. So up your social media game and start posting content which encourages engagement. This helps your customer base to feel a part of the community, thus increasing their loyalty.

Remember: when a person comments on your Facebook post, your post will appear on the feed of their friends and family.

4) Get noticed by traditional media

Medical practices, in particular, need to be seen as an authority. Anyone can open an Instagram account, but you should aim to go beyond this. Reach out to local and national newspapers, as well as TV channels, and let them know that you’re an expert. If they put a call out for quotes for a medical news story, you should be there throwing your hat in the ring. If people notice you in the newspaper, you’ll instantly build credibility as a trusted source.

As a medical practice, your customer base may include many older people. They’ll be less likely to find you on social media, but may stumble upon you in traditional forums. So make sure you branch out to all forms of media to maximise your chances of being found.

5) Improve your website’s accessibility

If you’re not the most technologically gifted, it may be worth investing in a website builder. Given the medical nature of your industry, your customers may have poor eyesight or otherwise struggle to navigate websites. Optimise your site for accessibility so that it appeals to those who most need your services. Are you ready to grow your medical practice? Try the five marketing tips above and you may start to see potential patients lining up to use your services.