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There are almost 1 million healthcare companies in the US, making this industry a competitive market where consumers have an advantage. And most important to healthcare consumers is accessibility, convenience and a better patient experience.
Digital marketing can help healthcare companies and providers stay ahead of the competition and engage, educate and influence consumers through effective strategies that target core audiences through digital platforms such as channels social networks, user-friendly apps and a company’s website. Digital marketing can have a significant impact on primary care physician practices, as a strong online presence can engage existing patients and attract new ones.
Summer Craig, MA
Craig Group
It also allows healthcare providers to relate to patients on a more personal level. They can access information about their health conditions and treatment options from anywhere, anytime using their smartphones or computers. This increased accessibility leads to better patient engagement and satisfaction and has been shown to improve patient outcomes.
By targeting specific patient populations, healthcare companies can tailor their marketing messages and services to better meet their needs. They can increase their revenue by attracting more patients who are interested in their services, which leads to higher profitability and growth. Compared to traditional forms of advertising, such as billboards or television commercials that require a significant investment, digital marketing is relatively cheap but very effective.
The pandemic has boosted the need for digital marketing as it has put the spotlight on healthcare accessibility, with more consumers turning to digital platforms to get their medical information, schedule appointments, learn about online offers of service from a practice and even receive virtual attention. It is similar to consumers buying goods online. They want their transactions to be fast, informative and easy to use, and that’s what patients are looking for in their healthcare providers.
With increased healthcare competition and more consumers turning to digital platforms for their medical information, whether it’s online or user-friendly apps, it’s more important than ever for healthcare leaders to look at how care strategies digital healthcare can help them achieve their business goals.
Here, we’ll break down those forms of digital marketing that can help healthcare providers engage and target potential patients and how to use these specific tools.
Forms of digital marketing in healthcare
Considering that 80% of consumers have it used the internet for healthcare-related research and that 63% of respondents will choose a provider because of a strong online presenceOnline visibility is crucial for healthcare organizations to attract potential patients.
The good news is that with a few simple, focused tactics, you can make a significant difference in your digital marketing efforts:
Targeted advertising
Targeted advertising can be very effective, but providers must consider marketing compliance with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This means you can share general information about a practice, service line offerings, products, etc. However, you may mention a patient by name or disclose identifying information in your marketing materials only if they have signed HIPAA consent documents.
There are also simple but important steps to take when developing marketing materials that highlight a practice. For example, consider the photos you take of your office. Are there visible patients in the images? Can you read the name of the vial a doctor has? Any patient-specific information that is used and not first approved by the patient means that you are not in compliance with HIPAA regulations.
The best thing you can do to protect your practice and your patients is to retain a HIPAA-compliant digital marketing partner to help guide you. Provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services excellent information on the HIPAA Marketing and Privacy Rule.
While these rules may intimidate a healthcare organization from using targeted marketing, when done correctly, it allows marketing efforts to be focused on the groups of people most likely to need specific services or products. This can help avoid wasting marketing resources on people who are unlikely to seek help for the advertised health services.
Marketing in social networks
Social media marketing has emerged as a powerful tool to reach and engage with potential patients. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram provide ample opportunities for healthcare providers to share their expertise and educate people about various health issues.
For example, a dermatologist can share tips on skin care routines, recommend their favorite precautions for sunburn, and encourage people to visit their clinic for a skin checkup. By sharing relevant and engaging content, such as seasonal health messages or the latest innovations and studies, healthcare providers can establish themselves as thought leaders and build trust with current and potential patients.
In addition, social media marketing allows healthcare providers to use targeted advertising to reach specific patient demographics. For example, a fertility clinic might target its ads to women between the ages of 24 and 35 who are trying to conceive. This helps ensure that content reaches the people most likely to benefit from these services.
Whether through educational videos, blog posts, or interactive social media campaigns, healthcare providers who maximize their social media presence can create a strong online presence that attracts new patients and helps retain existing ones.
Email and SMS marketing
Email marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for keeping patients informed about their appointments and new services offered by a practice. Texting has also become a preferred medium for appointment reminders, scheduling, and follow-up surveys. By sending personalized emails or even text messages, healthcare providers can improve the patient care experience and keep patients loyal to the practice or organization.
For example, a pediatrician can use text messages to send parents reminders of upcoming appointments for their children and ask about their care for opportunities to improve their next visit.
Similarly, at the hospital level, the organization can use email marketing to inform patients of new procedures, technologies or treatments they offer. Because these updates tend to be less frequent, regular communications for timely wellness or service line information, such as tips on kid-friendly back-to-school nutritional lunch ideas or fun developmental activities for age With additional personalization by audience, such as by age group, emails can be tailored to specific patient needs to increase patient engagement.
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an effective digital marketing strategy for healthcare providers to increase their online visibility and attract potential patients. By optimizing their website for keywords related to their areas of expertise, healthcare providers can improve their search engine rankings and appear higher on search engine results pages.
For example, an orthopedic surgeon can optimize their website for the keyword “knee replacement surgery” so that they appear at the top of search engine results for that keyword. This means that when someone searches for “knee replacement surgery,” the orthopedic surgeon’s website is more likely to appear at the top of the search engine, making it easier for potential patients to find them.
Other SEO tactics include backlink strategies to acquire other websites to link to your practice website. This improves the authority and credibility of the healthcare establishment, which ultimately helps improve your website’s search engine rankings.
SEO not only improves a healthcare provider’s online visibility, but also helps attract patients who are specifically looking for the services they offer. This ensures that healthcare providers can attract highly targeted website traffic, which is more likely to convert into new patients.
Also, SEO is a long-term digital marketing strategy that pays dividends over a longer period. By continuously optimizing their website, healthcare providers can maintain their high rankings in search engine results, staying ahead of their competitors and attracting more patients over time.
Pay per click advertising
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, where advertisers pay search engine platforms like Google or Bing to show their ads at the top of search results pages, is a non-organic way to improve SEO which can pay big dividends.
For medical facilities, PPC advertising can be an effective way to increase website visitors by targeting people searching for keywords related to the facility’s services. This marketing tactic can yield immediate results, as PPC campaigns generate traffic immediately after launch.
For example, if a facility offers therapy for anxiety and depression, it can create a PPC campaign targeting people who search for “anxiety treatment near me” or “depression therapy.” This way, the facility can show you personalized ads focused on your experience in treating anxiety and depression.
conclusion
Digital marketing has become an essential tool for healthcare providers. Their primary goal is to improve patient engagement and increase visibility, which ultimately leads to an increased revenue stream. To achieve this, healthcare providers can use multiple strategies and combine different digital marketing techniques to improve overall performance metrics.
Summer Craig, MA, is founder and president of Craig Group, a technology-based sales and marketing advisory firm specializing in revenue growth for middle market portfolio companies and private equity backing. He brings a revenue-focused perspective to marketing, with experience leading digital operations and marketing teams responsible for more than $100 million in media investments. Prior to founding Craig Group, he held senior roles with GSD&M, Zenith Optimedia, Travelocity, HomeAway.com and Gulf States Toyota.
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