The healthcare industry has undergone a pivotal transformation in recent years, shifting from a provider-centric model to a consumer-driven market. This change has been largely sparked by the evolving expectations and needs of patients, who are now more tech-savvy and willing to take charge of their healthcare journey. Like consumers in other markets, patients demand high-quality care, transparency, convenience, and digitally advanced, personalized experiences.
As such, physicians and healthcare professionals are compelled to rethink their strategies to reach more patients in this new landscape. This is where digital marketing comes into play.
In today’s competitive healthcare industry, having a robust marketing strategy is not just an option but a necessity. With its ability to reach a wide audience, provide personalized experiences, and engage consumers in real-time, digital marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for healthcare providers.
Today, we discuss the most vital marketing strategies you should consider to increase patient volume and grow your healthcare business.
1. SEO Is Still Relevant
We’ve been reading about SEO in digital marketing for a long time, so many people might wonder if it’s still a legitimate marketing strategy. The answer is a resounding YES! Although less technical nowadays, SEO is still integral to any healthcare marketing campaign.
SEO (search engine optimization) is a fundamental digital marketing initiative that involves optimizing your website to rank higher on search engine results pages. A proper SEO campaign can increase your search visibility to potential patients, especially on a local level. In addition, SEO is a multi-tiered approach that involves website audits, keyword optimization, content marketing, technical SEO, etc.
2. Build a Healthcare Website Focused on Engaging and Educating Patients
Your healthcare website is your digital front door, the first touchpoint for many potential patients. As such, you need a high-quality website that leverages the best web design practices like fast-loading pages, visual hierarchy, intuitive menus and navigation, mobile-friendliness, etc. Otherwise, 94% of users will leave a website simply because of poor web design.
That said, most people visiting your website are looking for information. Thus, developing a website that focuses on engaging and educating patients makes sense because:
- Value-rich content establishes trust and credibility, as patients often turn to trusted sources for health information.
- It facilitates patient engagement by providing interactive features like appointment scheduling, live chats, and patient portals.
- An educational website empowers patients, encouraging them to actively participate in their health and wellness.
3. Engage With Your Patients on Social Media
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram offer many different ways to connect with your audience. Physicians and healthcare providers, in general, are perceived by the public as quick and cold.
However, when a physician takes time to communicate and authentically express their personality within a digital context, it fosters a stronger bond between the doctor, the patient, and their family. Social media excels in humanizing the healthcare experience and fostering trust and loyalty, which is vital for successful patient-doctor relationships.
4. Provide Real-World Value with Content Marketing
Content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable content to attract and engage a target audience. For healthcare businesses, this could include blog posts, articles, infographics, and videos about health tips, disease prevention, treatment options, webinars, and patient success stories.
As an example, a hospital specializing in cardiac care could publish articles on heart-healthy diets, exercises for heart patients, and the latest advancements in cardiac treatments. This educates the audience and positions the hospital as an authority in cardiac care.
5. Leverage Paid Media Advertising
PPC (pay-per-click) advertising remains one of the fastest ways to put your practice in front of potential patients. Unlike SEO, which takes about 3-6 months to yield meaningful results, PPC can provide your practice immediate visibility on search engines. For instance, a new dental clinic can use PPC ads to appear at the top of search results for keywords like “dentist near me” or “best dental clinic,” driving immediate traffic to their website.
In addition, PPC can help advertise your most popular service lines, treatments, or special offers for more exposure. Let’s say you have an outpatient for the best marijuana rehab center and get the better treatment from the center. You could run a paid search campaign for a discounted package of post-surgery rehabilitation sessions, which will more likely attract patients actively looking for such services.
6. Stay on Top of Your Campaign With Performance Monitoring and Analytics
You can’t have a successful marketing campaign without monitoring and measuring your progress. How will you know which of your marketing pieces are working or not? Performance monitoring and analytics help you stay on top of your campaign with valuable insights that guide your decision-making and improve overall performance.
Digital marketing campaigns don’t follow a “set it and forget it” principle. You must regularly review your campaign performance to identify trends, detect issues before they worsen, and make necessary adjustments. For example, if a blog post drives a lot of traffic, you might consider creating more content on that topic.
With strategies like A/B testing, competitor analysis, and monitoring KPIs, your team can refine your marketing strategies and make more informed decisions.
By implementing the strategies outlined above, healthcare businesses can effectively reach their target audience, foster stronger relationships with their patients, and ultimately grow their practice. If you need a partner for achieving your growth targets via digital marketing, Cardinal Healthcare Marketing Agency will be more than happy to help.
