You’ve got your clinic up and running, and now you’re looking to market it successfully.
Maybe you’ve tried your hand at different marketing strategies, perhaps you’ve seen some improvement, or you feel like you’re a bit stuck on ideas. To find out what the best channels to market your medical clinic are, read on.
You shouldn’t rely on just one form of marketing, whether word-of-mouth, online ads or social media. The more marketing pillars you have in your clinic, the better the chances of achieving your growth goals.
What is a marketing pillar?
A marketing pillar is essentially a channel through which you can generate new patient enquiries.
Some examples of traditional channels include leaflets, billboards, TV, radio adverts, etc.
On the other side, some examples of digital channels are websites, social media, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc.
The way to think about it is if you were to build a house, you would have to build a certain number of pillars for the building to stay up and be safe. The bigger the house, the higher the number of pillars.
It’s the same for your clinic! Depending on what you want to achieve and how much you want to grow your healthcare clinic, you will need multiple marketing pillars.
There are tonnes of different channels you can use to reach new patients and get them through your clinic doors.
Here we detail the top 10 ways to market your clinic, which you can implement immediately into your strategy!
#1 Website
This section is a little chunkier than the others but hang on in there, as it is one of the most important.
Your website plays a fundamental role in your marketing strategy.
You’ll want a low bounce rate on your website.
How is the bounce rate calculated?
In Universal Analytics, this was based on the percentage of visitors who entered the site and left after only viewing one page; however, in Google Analytics 4, it’s based on sessions where the users were not engaged. This means that if a visitor only viewed one page, spent less than 10 seconds on it, and didn’t convert, then it would be considered a bounce.
To find out your bounce rate in GA4, you will need to customise your reports, as it’s not as easily accessible as it was in Universal Analytics.
To keep the bounce rate low, you’ll need to keep your prospective patients interested.
So, how do you do this?
Use the following points as a checklist to ensure your website is up to date with all the relevant information.
Mobile-friendly website
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. More people will view your website from a mobile phone than a desktop or tablet.
Your website builder will allow you to view and edit your website in mobile viewing mode. Some will automatically adapt your website so it is efficient when viewed on mobile devices.
Use Google’s test to find out how mobile-friendly your site is.
Speedy website loading
An easy way to reduce your bounce rate is to get your website to load quickly. Check your website loading time here.
You may need to reduce the size or number of images or use a plugin to optimise them (depending on which platform the website has been built on) so that it can load quickly, but it will be worth it.
If a mobile site takes more than 3 seconds to load, 53% of visitors abandon the page instantly!
Quality content
Quality content posted consistently helps to attract the right visitor to your website and not only. It is also a ranking factor for Google! It’s actually the highest-ranking factor. To read more about ranking factors, click here.
You’ll want people interested in the treatments you offer, and they will need to engage with the content. That means writing quality content that will keep them on the website for longer.
This will increase the chance of conversions.
How do you write quality content?
- Write for your reader, not for you – think about the patient and what they will want to know and ask your current patients what they would be interested in learning about
- Keep your blog up to date with new content
- Make sure your website is current with easy-to-access information
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
By ranking well in search engine results, you’ll be able to increase the organic traffic that reaches your website. To do this, you don’t just need quality content; you’ll need to insert keywords throughout your site.
Using Google’s free Keyword Planner, you can find relevant keywords to help prospective patients find your website. These words should be inserted on your site in both website text and blogs; however, you don’t want this to be random and thoughtless, or Google will penalise you. Check out our blog on keywords to help you get started.
#2 Claim local listings
Set up your Google My Business account.
You’ll need to add all your clinic details, including opening times and the address. You can update this as you incorporate new treatments into your clinic and add posts to keep people updated.
Claiming your local listing will help people find you quickly and easily based on your location.
You can do the same with other search engines, such as Bing, and any directories that feature healthcare businesses.
#3 Get reviews
Social proof for your healthcare business is vital for building trust between your clinic and future patients.
- Website reviews – ask your most content patients for testimonials for your website where you should include a quote, their name, and, if possible, a photo of them. The more information, the more credible.
- Ask your patients that have completed their treatment for a quick Google review – explain that it only takes a couple of minutes and will help you reach new patients looking for the same results.
- Sign up to trusted review websites and ask patients to complete reviews there.
Click here to read more about why patient reviews are vital for your clinic and how to get more.
#4 Keep up with patient communication
Creating and maintaining a dialogue with patients is crucial to building a relationship based on trust. Patients want to know they are valued, and if you keep communicating with them, it helps them feel appreciated and lets them know you care about them.
How do you keep up with patient communication?
- Email marketing – keep your patients in the loop with new treatments or any offers with emails and newsletters. It’s a great way to stay top of mind
- Appointment reminders – let patients know when their appointments are coming up, showing that they are top of your mind before they even enter the clinic
- Send patients emails, WhatsApp and texts messages using their names – personalise these for the treatments they are interested in
- Send happy birthday texts – a small gesture like this can go a long way, and it’s something they will remember when thinking about where to go for their subsequent treatment
- Provide brochures – when they visit your clinic, make sure you have brochures or flyers with information about the treatments
- Referral scheme – get a referral scheme going to get new patients through the door and reward the patients that recommend you
#5 Social media
Almost 80% of the UK population uses social media. It is a fantastic marketing tool to reach new and current patients and generate engagement and interest.
If you haven’t set up anything, start with creating Facebook and Instagram pages. You can also delve into the world of Twitter and TikTok if you’re feeling brave.
You should post regularly on social media and include pictures you and your staff have taken at the clinic. In other words, avoid stock photos and use more personal images to help patients know what to expect.
Post about your clinic and your excellent staff, and include before and after pictures of the treatments you offer. Explain how treatments work and mention any offers you have on, but don’t talk about the price!
Provide more information and value to the treatment before you give them the price. This way, it is easier to get them to convert!
Ensure your social media pages link to your website and contain your clinic’s location.
Keep on top of comments and messages and reply! Be active – like and comment on other people’s posts within the industry.
#6 Social media marketing
Once your social media pages are set up, you can start using ads to reach a wider audience.
Using Facebook Ads Manager, you can set up an account to create, edit and optimise your Facebook ads. When setting up your ads, you’ll be able to choose a target audience which decides what type of person is shown your ad.
Although these users aren’t actively looking for the treatments you offer, they will still be the kind of person that could be interested.
To run ads on Instagram, you’ll need to convert your profile to a business account before running an ad or a promotion.
Social media advertising is a great way to expand your patient base, but it takes some tweaking to get it right. You will need to consistently optimise your ads and let them run for a few weeks to see the full effects.
Check out this blog, where you can find out which metrics to track for your Facebook ads.
#7 Google ads
If you haven’t started advertising with Google Ads, it’s about time you looked into it. Google Ads uses user intent to only show your ad to those actively searching for your treatment. This means that there is a high chance prospective patients will convert.
Once you’ve set them up from your ad account, you’ll need to optimise them. Not for the faint-hearted; you’ll need patience and skill. To help you, we’ve created blog posts explaining how to set up your Google ad and how to optimise it. Check out all of our blogs here!
#8 Invest in an advertising agency
If you’ve found pay-per-click advertising complicated (and no one would blame you, it is!), it may be time to invest in an agency that can take the weight off your shoulders, giving you more time to focus on your clinic and your patients.
Agencies will set up your ads and will optimise them to get you the best return on ad spend (ROAS). Working within the healthcare industry, it is essential to find an agency that understands and values both your needs and your prospective patients’ needs.
While agencies may have a lot of success in some areas, you may be wasting your money if they lack knowledge in your industry.
At Ignite, we specialise in healthcare advertising with years of experience. You can check out some of our client’s success stories here, or alternately book a growth call with our team to discuss how we can get you new patient enquiries.
#9 Get involved in your community
Does your community know about your business and the treatments you offer? If the answer is no, it’s time to put in some time to get better acquainted with those around you.
- Team up with other healthcare professionals in the area to recommend treatments and clinics (so long as they aren’t the competition) – referrals from other clinics are highly likely to convert
- Get involved in local events where you can meet people and network
- Support other small businesses in the area – buy coffee from the local coffee shop instead of Starbucks – you’d be surprised by the connections you can make right on your doorstep
- Attend charity events, offer a donation or get your team to sign up for a fundraiser – this doubles as a great team bonding experience too
#10 Host events and Open Days
Events and Open Days allow you to really show what you can do.
If you are offering a new treatment, refurbishing your practice, or just opening your doors, get an event in the diary.
It will give you the chance to provide prospective patients with value. You’ll be able to explain the treatments you offer and how they can be life-changing. It also gives an insight into how you work as a clinic and the type of care your patients will receive.
You can also offer exclusive discounts to those that come to your event.
Spread the word using ads! This is one of our main marketing strategies, and we have found it to be instrumental in bringing in new patient enquiries.
If you would like to learn more about how we work as a healthcare advertising agency, get in touch for a free call with our team!
