When advising clients who own medical centers on their advertising strategies, it's important to build credibility, showcase expertise, and reach the right audience.
The main goal we want to achieve is to BUILD TRUST and establish CREDIBILITY with both current and future patients.
Let's explore some strategies to help medical centers achieve these goals.
1) Building trust and credibility through patient testimonials
Credibility is everything in the medical field.
Medical centers can establish trust by relying on patient testimonials. By sharing examples of how your professional staff resolved a health issue for patients and statements from relevant experts within the medical facility, you can quickly build a positive image among your audience.
Additionally, highlighting certifications, awards, and accreditations in marketing materials adds another layer of credibility. When patients see these achievements, they feel more confident in the care they will receive.
Educational content
Another key strategy is providing educational content.
In this day and age, patients often seek information before making healthcare decisions, allowing medical centers to establish themselves as trusted sources.
- Developing educational content on health issues, treatments, and preventive care is a powerful way to build credibility and connect with potential patients.
- This content can include blog posts, videos, webinars, or infographics that address common concerns or frequently asked questions.
- This provides valuable information to the public and positions the medical center as a reliable and knowledgeable authority in the field, fostering trust and strengthening its reputation.
Video marketing
Consider creating videos that offer a virtual tour of the facility, introduce the staff and doctors, or explain complex medical procedures in simple terms.
These videos can be highly effective in humanizing the brand and reducing anxiety for potential patients.
Testimonial examples
One of our clients utilized a series of patient testimonials in their marketing campaign to showcase how their dedication solved problems and improved patients' quality of life:
- One example involved a patient with dermatochalasis, or droopy eyelids, which was impairing their vision. The doctor performed an aesthetic procedure (blepharoplasty) to resolve the aesthetically and functional issue.
- Another patient, after an acute facial nerve disorder, was left with one lip thinner than the other. While this issue may not be life-threatening, it can significantly impact a patient's self-confidence and mental health. Through several treatments involving aesthetic procedures (commonly known as fillers), the doctor successfully balanced the dimensions of the patient's lips.
2) Enhancing online presence
As we already said, most people turn to the internet first, so having a strong online presence is essential.
Local SEO
Medical centers need to be easily discoverable by local patients, and that's where optimizing for local SEO comes in. This includes maintaining updated listings on platforms like Google My Business, using local keywords, and encouraging satisfied patients to leave reviews.
Note: Being visible in local search results is key to attracting nearby patients seeking medical care.
Social media engagement
Social media also plays a crucial role.
Engaging with the community through platforms like Facebook and Instagram, sharing health tips, and posting success stories helps keep the conversation going. It fosters a sense of trust and reliability.
- Running targeted ads on these platforms can further amplify the reach, helping medical centers connect with the right demographics in their area.
- Collaborating with influencers who focus on health-related topics can be especially impactful.
- Communicating special offers and discounts is also key, as these strategies often bring quick and positive results. Consider running giveaway campaigns for patients who cannot afford your services.
Responsive website
Don't forget to cover all the basics. Ensure that the medical center's website is responsive, easy to navigate, and provides all the essential information a patient might need. This includes a clear way to contact the facility, book appointments, and access the patient portal.
Best practice examples
One surgeon from a medical center we collaborated with regularly shared tips on social media about identifying skin changes, such as moles, keratosis, and other conditions.
His posts explained which moles could be harmless and which should be removed, providing educational content that helped patients better understand their skin health.
Thanks to this professional approach, the medical center's social media following grew significantly, and the community became more active and engaged.
Another client launched a comprehensive educational campaign based on a nutrition system developed by their expert staff. The campaign included:
- Blog posts: Informative articles explaining the benefits of a personalized diet plan and offering practical advice on managing dietary aspects of chronic conditions.
- Video materials: Short videos where a doctor discusses various aspects of the nutrition system, explains its science, and provides dietary tips for specific health issues.
- Social media posts: Content that includes snippets from blogs and videos, infographics, and patient testimonials.
3) Patient engagement and retention
One effective strategy is to use email marketing to maintain a connection with patients.
Email marketing
Medical centers can collect emails through their website by offering valuable resources such as health tips or e-books. From there, sending regular updates about new services, promotions, or personalized health reminders keeps patients informed and engaged.
Note: Keeping patients engaged is just as important as attracting new ones.
Partnerships and community involvement
Building partnerships with local organizations and schools or sponsoring community events is another way to build visibility and trust within the local area.
Medical centers can show their commitment to community health by participating in health fairs or charity events, boosting their reputation, and building long-term relationships with patients.
The goal is for visitors to gradually associate your clinic with ideas like 'CARE' or 'PREVENTIVE SERVICES,' increasing the likelihood that they will choose it when they need medical assistance.
An example of a good practice
Imagine your medical center partnering with local authorities or the city council to sponsor an annual "Health Fair" in the community. At this event, your team would set up a booth where doctors and staff would offer free health screenings, such as blood pressure and blood sugar checks, along with informative materials on common health issues like diabetes and heart disease.
Additional ideas
In addition to the fair, you could organize educational seminars on topics relevant to the community, such as "Healthy eating on a budget" or "Recognizing early signs of skin cancer," and provide free resources for attendees to take home. This initiative improves community access to health resources and helps build your clinic's reputation as a reliable healthcare provider.
The event also attracts local media attention, expanding your reach and reinforcing your image as a community-focused medical institution.
This type of community engagement strengthens the relationship between the medical center and local residents, increases loyalty, and potentially brings in new, long-term patients.
4) Optimizing strategies with data
Finally, making data-driven decisions is important to ensure all these strategies work effectively.
Analytics tools can track the performance of marketing campaigns and help medical centers understand patient behavior. Using this data, they can optimize their strategies, budgets, and overall approach to get the best return on investment.
Whether it's tracking the effectiveness of a social media campaign or analyzing the patient journey through the website, data provides valuable insights into what's working and what needs adjustment.
Simplified example
One of our clients faced challenges with their messaging campaign. We focused on improving communication with patients through a dedicated messaging campaign.
Initially, the average response time was 5 hours and 39 minutes, and no feedback system existed. Within a month, they successfully reduced the average response time to just 1 hour and 41 minutes.
The image shows the average response time to messages from interested patients.
The image shows the improvement in reducing the average response time to messages over a period of just one month.
This improvement in response speed brought direct, measurable results, increasing patient satisfaction and engagement.
Example: Identifying the most effective marketing channels
In collaboration with one of our clients, we tested several different marketing campaigns to determine which one(s) would be the most effective for them. We conducted various campaigns with different objectives:
- A messaging campaign
- A call campaign
- A reach campaign
After two months, we conducted an analysis and, by examining the data, determined that the messaging campaign yielded the best results. This helped the client make informed decisions about allocating their marketing resources for optimal outcomes.
Healthy strategy, healthy patients
Medical centers can effectively reach their target audience by choosing one or combining multiple strategies.
Building trust will naturally increase patient visits and satisfaction. And most importantly, keep your clients healthy.
