Whether you are a dentist, physician, ophthalmologist, or you are working in some other healthcare sector you know that your practice is constantly competing with other professionals in your local area especially when it comes to attracting potential patients online. How can you possibly stand out from the crowd?
When a patient doesn’t have a recommendation from a friend or a family member he/she often does research online in order to choose a medical marketing service. This often includes social media, medical forums, or simply a search engine. So, making sure your practice is listed everywhere that patients are searching for the kind of service you provide is a key to driving more traffic to your business. Studies have shown that 70% of consumers say that online feedback is the most important factor when they are deciding which practice to visit. It’s time for you to do everything you can to market your services better. This easy guide will provide all the info you need to become the most popular and trustworthy specialist in your area.
Social Media
Social media is becoming more and more popular every day and there is a lot of buzz around it. This form of marketing is truly valuable because it gives measurable visibility to your content no matter how big your organization is, and it costs almost nothing. Setting up a Facebook Page, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or even a YouTube channel is essential. Make sure you update your profiles with your original content, but the medical practice marketing agency for doctors recommends adding the content from other, well-respected, sources, as well. This way your social media will seem less promotional and more professional. Include social sharing buttons on your blog and your website so that the readers can share it on their social media. This is the best way your social channels will grow. Post your content regularly, but not too often, and always ensure it’s relevant and high quality.
Website
Creating a website that is visually appealing, simple, and effective should be one of your main marketing tactics for online communication with potential patients. The first step is to clearly define your goals and the purpose of the website for your practice so that you can build around that direction.
A good website should always:
- Contain a listing of your phone number, location, and directions
- Discuss your services
- Provide educational content
- Explain the industry and your expertise to your audience
- Provide answers to various health-related questions and concerns.
If you worry about your budget and whether you will be able to pay for the expensive process of creating a website – there are many DIY website builders available. If you would rather invest in professional help you can choose from plenty of designers or agencies.
Search Engine Optimization
If you already have a website it’s important to ensure it is search engine friendly. You can discuss this with your web designer or use a service that offers to help you with SEO. Search engine optimization consists of several key elements that ensure the search engines (e.g. Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.) rank your site for relevant keyword searches.
SEO is broken up into on-page and off-page factors at a high level. On-page factors are the ones under your control (because you own and manipulate the website), and off-page factors are external (e.g. social media or links to your website).
So, what is the right approach regarding on-page SEO? If you want to rank the right keywords you should add them to your titles and meta descriptions and, at the same time, constantly create content that includes your keywords. The title tag and meta description must be clearly defined for each page.
The title of the page that is found in search engines and at the top of a browser should accurately describe your content by using keywords in an organic way. Keep in mind the search engine algorithm. Don’t stuff the title tag with keywords, so it doesn’t seem robotic. It should be clear and readable so that the reader will be encouraged to click on the page.
So, now you may be wondering what a meta description is. It is the 2-3 sentence description below the title tag, and it is seen on the search results page. It shouldn’t be longer than 150 characters, and it must give an overview of the content and provoke a user to click and visit your webpage.
Marketing your services, especially online, is essential in the Twenty-First Century. You may be the best, most talented, and dedicated professional in the world, but if no one knows about you, you won’t be able to succeed. Follow this simple guide and try incorporating some of the advice into your marketing strategy. You will notice huge changes in just a few days and become well-known and respected in your field of work in no time.
