Are There Any Affordable Healthcare Marketing Strategies For Startups? Check Out These 5 Ideas!

Owning your own medical practice lets you pursue your own unique vision and provide the healthcare experience you think your patients deserve. But it has its own challenges, too. Marketing, for instance!

If you’re opening a startup office, you may be wondering if it’s possible to bring in patients without breaking the bank. The answer is “yes!” Here are five affordable strategies to help you build up your patient roster for less.

1. Make Sure Your Website Is Fast, Easy To Use, And SEO-Friendly

Your website should load quickly, be easy to use, and contain all the information patients need. It should also be properly built for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). SEO helps your practice rank higher in results from search engines like Google.

Building a great website isn’t necessarily cheap, but it’s worth the investment. After all, more than 93% of “buying journeys” start online with search engines like Google – and this includes patients looking for doctors. More importantly, a poor web experience actually reduces your odds of bringing in more patients. 

According to statistics collected by Forbes, 47% of customers won’t wait more than two seconds for a website to load, 61% will leave if they can’t find the information they need within five seconds, and 88% of users won’t return to a website after a single bad experience.

2. Use Content Marketing And Social Media To Bring In Patients

Creating content about your medical specialty is a fantastic way to build up the reputation, credibility, and profile of your practice. For example, a cardiologist could produce a blog post about common risk factors for heart disease, or a dermatologist could create an email newsletter with tips about how to prevent skin cancer in the summer.

Also, content marketing helps you build your social following. It’s easy to repurpose your content for social media on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. And by making regular posts and engaging with your followers, you can build more trust and authority in your practice.

3. Encourage Patients To Leave Online Reviews

According to statistics gathered by Levo Health, 77% of people use online reviews as their first step when finding a new doctor, and consumers read an average of 10 reviews before they feel able to trust a business. So after their visit, ask if a patient will leave an honest review about their experience online! 

Patient reviews won’t cost you a thing – in fact, it’s illegal to offer incentives for positive online reviews. So when you ask patients to leave a review, don’t offer them any perks or bonuses.

4. Partner With Local Organizations Or Sponsor An Event

If you are looking to meet more members of your local community, partnering with local organizations and/or sponsoring events is an effective, low-cost way to get your practice in front of a large audience. For example, if you run a neurology practice, you could sponsor a charity 5K or a similar fundraiser for the fight against Alzheimer’s and dementia.

5. Leverage Email Marketing For Personalized Patient Outreach

Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective and impactful strategies for healthcare startups to reach and engage potential patients. With an average return on investment (ROI) of $36 for every $1 spent, it’s a strategy worth implementing.

Start by building a database of patient emails, which can include current patients, website visitors who opt into your mailing list, and individuals who sign up for events or promotions. Then, craft personalized email campaigns that resonate with their needs and interests.

For example, you could send:

• Appointment Reminders: Encourage patients to schedule regular check-ups or follow-ups.

• Health Tips and Newsletters: Share seasonal health advice, like flu prevention tips during winter or hydration tips during summer.

• Special Promotions: Offer discounts for services like annual health check-ups or free consultations for new patients.

To make your email campaigns even more effective, segment your audience based on factors like age, medical history, or geographic location. For instance, you might send reminders about pediatric care to families with young children or share information about arthritis management to older adults.

Using an email marketing platform like Mailchimp or Constant Contact can help you automate this process, track engagement, and refine your campaigns over time.

Bring In More Patients (And Spend Less Money) With Incept Health

As experts in digital marketing for medical startups, Incept Health can help you bring in more patients without overspending. Interested in learning more? Schedule a consultation with one of our team members to get started.