The way to market healthcare services has drastically changed because of healthcare consumerism. Consumers today expect to have a healthcare experience as digitally advanced and innovative as services in any other industry. Therefore, health systems, hospitals, clinics, and medical practices must evolve their medical marketing strategies from time to time to meet these changing requirements to remain competitive in the market, or they can face a huge risk of falling behind.
As healthcare professionals are providing easily accessible online services that discard physical meetings, consumers no longer feel the need to visit the doctor. Instead, they are empowered to have their services done by a healthcare business that meets their expectations.
Medical marketing strategies consist of procedures for strategic outreach and communications to bring in new customers, chaperone them through their medical journey, and keep them engaged within the system, product, or service. Today, every type of healthcare business markets its product or services, including hospitals, clinics, solo practices, health plans, pharmaceuticals, and much more.
The best healthcare marketing ideas integrate multi-channel, targeted, and specific offline and online practices to drive engagement and growth, with a focus on key performance indicators and a positive return.
Thus, below are some of the most effective healthcare marketing trends that can flourish your healthcare business in 2022.
Build a responsive healthcare website
A responsive website adjusts with the size of the screen automatically making the experience the same for everyone, regardless of the device from which the site is being accessed. It is the standard website design today – something that search engines look for to determine where to rank your medical website.
Google is concerned about the user experience. As of 2020, Google committed to a mobile-first index of all websites, which includes Healthcare websites as well. This means that responsive sites are ranked higher than non-responsive sites. Thus, a responsive healthcare website will help you rank above on Google, which can result in greater traffic on the website and therefore more consumers. However, it is important to realize that even if your site is responsive, it is required to assure that your content and imagery load properly and perfectly across all types of devices.
Infographics
Infographics are some of the essentials in medical marketing strategies. Use it to educate your patients on relevant topics and present your business as the go-to resource for the service or product.
Regardless of where you post, your content should be able to answer common questions your audience have about your procedures and treatments. Infographics eases your way to explain complex topics and makes it understandable for the audience. By using different types of content and including infographics, you can reach more potential customers, build brand loyalty with existing patients, and signal Google and other search engines that your content is relevant and valuable, leading to higher rankings. Read this blog and learn how to add high quality infographics in your content easily.
For example, dental service providers can use dentistry flyers to let the audience know about the procedures carried out and the available treatments. We recommend using these dentistry flyer templates on PosterMyWall to creatively design your dental content and present it to your audience.
Use SMS and messaging apps
The marketing world is noisy. There are television and radio advertisements, social media, and emails, and a lot of it just gets blocked out. But what does not? Text messages. Text messages are a medium likely to be opened within minutes of being sent out. This makes them a great mode of communication with patients on important topics such as letting them know about something time-sensitive (appointment), or a deadline for treatment (seasonal vaccination). As long as you are providing useful information, the audience would probably be happy to dish out their mobile phone numbers.
Messaging apps are also a great way to create new target lists with niche communities. For example, a group of aged patients concerned with the flu could be added to a private group on an app to provide them with weekly tips or updates. According to sources, 90% of the doctors in Brazil are already using messaging apps to directly communicate with their patients.
Engage with social media
A study states that more than 40% of people choose their healthcare provider based on the social media reputation of the business. This makes social media one of the most important healthcare marketing tools. Platforms like Instagram provide you a way to connect with your patients outside of the appointments alone. Creating content and posting it regularly across the channel helps you interact with the audience and keep them associated with your business, so when you need patients you know where to turn. Learn more about creating an irresistible social media presence of your brand here.
A Health awareness campaign is a great way to keep intact with your audience. This allows the audience to become involved and also drives traffic to your advice page or website. This clinic marketing idea is an easy way to attract attention across social media and get more likes, comments, and shares for your business. The health awareness campaign posters on PosterMyWall are recommended to use for designing creative and engaging content.
Hashtag wall campaign
A hashtag wall gathers content from multiple social media platforms that are then displayed on digital signage in the lobby of any healthcare business. These screens can be used to share important information about fundraisers and educate the audience with tips on how to maintain personal well-being. Read on to this blog post to learn how to use digital signage effectively.
Rochester Regional Health, a health service provider created a social community wall to create a digital neighborhood that spreads a spirit of kindness to everyone in the community during the coronavirus outbreak. They encouraged the community members to post and interact on a social media hashtag wall. In difficult times when people must stay in isolation, the social wall is a great way to communicate and uplift everyone’s mental health.
The regular spread of safety tips and regulations is as important as staying at home during a pandemic like Covid-19. But with physical contact not allowed, digital means of communication should be implemented. Social media posts can make the audience aware of the current situation, and they can therefore take appropriate measures to prevent getting the virus. We recommend customizing and downloading coronavirus posters from PosterMyWall to keep your community updated creatively.
Pay per click and ads
Paid advertisements always appear first in search results. Search engine optimization is an organic marketing strategy to increase the online visibility of your website. Pay-per-click or paid advertisements are target marketing that makes the website appear first in search engine results for a set of search terms.
Your return on investment is clear and defined with both SEO and PPC. Both of these marketing strategies can be used to earn a hospital or a healthcare system greater visibility online. Check out this guide to paid ads options online and start promoting your healthcare business now.
Medical marketing for clinics done right
The ideas outlined are some of the most effective medical marketing strategies in recent years. However, making a patient visit your clinic is not as easy as it sounds. Your content should demonstrate value with a clear call to action. Even if your plan is just to maintain a relationship with your audience, choosing appropriate marketing techniques is the key to success.
Whether you are looking for marketing strategies for small medical practice or you are planning to expand your clinic, implement the ideas described above, stay determined, and see the results yourself.
Senior editor at PosterMyWall.