What Are The Biggest Marketing Mistakes That Healthcare Providers Should Avoid?
Are you having issues bringing more patients into your practice without blowing past your marketing budget? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! In this blog post, we’ll discuss six of the biggest mistakes that healthcare providers make when building their marketing plans.
1. Relying Mostly On Referrals And Failing To Develop A Marketing Plan
Referrals are an excellent way to bring in new patients – but they shouldn’t be your only method of bringing in more patients. We've written an entire blog post about this which you can read here, if you like.
But the main takeaway is that referrals can go away if a practice switches ownerships, a doctor retires, or if they find another practice where they prefer to refer patients. If you don’t have your own marketing plan to pick up the slack, this could leave your practice between a rock and a hard place.
2. Exclusively Using Traditional Marketing Methods
While we mostly focus on digital media, Incept Health recognizes that traditional marketing can be very useful for doctors and healthcare providers. Things like print ads, radio spots, TV commercials, and billboards help bring more patients into your practice.
But traditional marketing is more powerful when combined with digital marketing. When combined, digital and traditional marketing are more than the sum of their parts – they reinforce each other and help you bring in more patients.
3. Having A Limited Online Presence And/Or Social Media Presence
If you want to bring more patients into your practice, creating a professional, SEO-friendly website is an absolute must. A fast, responsive, and well-optimized website helps you rank higher in search engines like Google and makes your practice more appealing to patients.
Also, you should maintain some kind of social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and similar platforms. These social platforms help potential patients find even more useful information about your practice – and can also function as a search engine in their own right.
4. Failing To Advertise To The Right Audience
Along with choosing the right marketing strategy, you’ll want to make sure you’re targeting the right audience. For example, a physical therapist may want to sponsor a local high school sporting event – or use social media to target people in the area who are active in sports like cycling, running, basketball, and so on.
In contrast, an oncologist would be better off advertising to older individuals. Targeting older individuals with Facebook ads or putting flyers out at a local senior care facility could both be good options.
Digital marketing is fantastic when it comes to finding your audience. With digital tools, it’s a lot easier to target individual people based on their age, interests, income levels, and other information. Then, you can use the results to make further refinements to both digital and traditional marketing efforts.
5. Ignoring Patient Reviews and Online Reputation Management
In today's digital world, online reviews play a significant role in a patient's decision to choose a healthcare provider. Potential patients often read reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, or Healthgrades before booking an appointment. Ignoring this aspect of your online presence can be detrimental.
Healthcare providers should actively encourage satisfied patients to leave positive reviews. Responding to reviews – both good and bad – is equally crucial. Acknowledge positive feedback with gratitude and professionally address negative reviews to show potential patients that you care about their experience. By doing so, you not only build trust but also improve your local SEO ranking, making your practice more discoverable online.
Remember, ignoring online reputation management is equivalent to leaving your practice’s image up to chance. Staying on top of managing your reputation ensures your practice remains attractive to new patients while retaining current ones.
6. Underestimating the Importance of Patient Education
Many healthcare providers miss a perfect opportunity to engage with patients by neglecting patient education. People often turn to the internet for health-related information, and practices that provide accessible, accurate, and helpful content establish themselves as trusted authorities in their field.
Consider adding a blog section to your website with topics relevant to your specialties. Share actionable tips, answer frequently asked questions, or provide updates on healthcare trends. This not only helps patients but also boosts your website’s SEO by increasing traffic and dwell time.
Beyond blog posts, creating informative content for social media platforms can significantly enhance your digital marketing strategy. Share short videos, infographics, or carousel posts that explain procedures, preventive measures, or lifestyle tips. When patients feel more informed, they are likelier to choose your practice for their care needs.
Need To Develop A Better Marketing Strategy? Contact Incept Health!
At Incept Health, we help medical practices of all types and sizes bring in more patients and grow sustainably. We’re digital marketing experts, and we can help you avoid these four common mistakes – and plenty of others. For more info, schedule a free consultation with one of our team members today.