medical-marketing

7 Reasons Online Marketing Is The Way Forward

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With over one million doctors in the United States, there’s a lot of competition. And while physicians may be in the business of curing people, it’s still a business.

That means marketing must be part of your business. Up to 80 percent of internet users have searched for a health-related topic online. That’s up 63% since 2001.

If you’re looking to grow your healthcare business, online medical marketing should be your number one strategy. Here are seven reasons why.

1. Everyone is Searching Online

The internet isn’t just for younger generations. In 2000, 70% of those between the ages of 18 and 29 were using the internet. Now it’s 98%.

61% of those aged 30-49 in 2000 used the internet. Today in 2018 97% of those in that same age group are online.

46% of those aged 50-64 were using the internet in 2000. Now it’s 87%.

And finally, for those older than 65, the percentage has risen from 14% to 66%.

You need to fish where the fish are, even in the medical/healthcare industry. Referrals are still extremely important to grow a practice, but people usually start their search online.

2. Helps Brand Your Business

It doesn’t matter what type of business you’re in. You need to brand yourself. Having a strong online presence is an opportunity to let you and your staff shine.

Figure out what makes you different from everyone else. Brand yourself and let that brand work for you. By doing this and being ‘you’, you’ll attract the right patients and they will be more likely to stay with you for the long term.

3. Search Engine Optimization

SEO is a huge part of online marketing. Some of it costs money and some of it just takes a bit of effort, but is otherwise free.

By using the right keywords throughout your website, great content, and a few other SEO strategies, you just might find you’re ranked at the top of search engines.

Outsourcing this work usually makes sense. After all, there’s a lot to learn and tools are needed to do effective research. SEO agencies do this day in and day out, so at a minimum, you should pay for an SEO audit to learn where your gaps are. Free audits are a good start, but if you are serious about improving your SEO and being found via search, you’ll need to spend a little money.

4. Online Medical Marketing is Cost Effective

Not all marketing efforts are expensive. In fact, if the strategies you use are done correctly, you should end up with a good ROI, thanks to the new business it will bring in.

You don’t need to spend a lot to achieve those goals. Even Pay Per Click (PPC) is cost effective because you can choose how much you want to spend each day. Facebook advertising is also cost effective and really let’s you zoom in on specific demographics.

SEO may take a little longer to achieve ROI, but the over time, it too is very cost effective.

5. Easy to Spread Your Message

Back in the day, the only way to market your healthcare facility would be to take an advertisement out in the Yellow Pages. People found you only if they were searching in the right place.

With online medical marketing, it’s easier than ever to spread your message. You can send out e-newsletters to your current patients. When you make it shareable on social media, it’s an easy way for others to read your material and learn about your practice prior to even scheduling a visit.

6. Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is helpful for finding your niche audience. No matter what type of medicine you practice, not everyone needs your services. Social media marketing allows you to increase awareness and even start the vetting process for prospective patients.

Social media marketing is also something you can outsource, so you and your staff can focus on managing your current patients. Many marketing agencies, like us, are focused on the medical/healthcare industry and understand the privacy concerns associated with it.

Social media provides a channel to share your expertise and provide people with relevant and helpful information, which builds trust.

7. Builds Trust With Existing and New Patients

The number one thing doctors need to build with their patients is trust. This is true for all businesses.

Online medical marketing is a great way to spread your message. It’s a way to let your patients and potential patients know who you are as a person.

Content and information on your website are a great way to build trust with current and prospective patients. You can create pages and blog articles filled with content that is focused on services your practice provides. By building up a library of relevant information on your site and sharing it through online channels, you’ll be able to answer questions patients have, which saves both you and the patient time.

Managing your reputation online is another way to build trust, even before a person becomes a patient. Make sure you are getting and responding to online reviews. Almost everyone reads reviews online before making a decision to visit a medical professional.

Get the Right Help

You’re a physician, not a marketing professional.

Work with a marketing company who knows the medical profession. Let us help you devise an effective marketing strategy for your business.

Don’t wait until your competition beats you, contact us today.

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