In the past, newspaper ads, leaflets, billboards, commercials and even word of mouth would bring in a steady stream of patients. However lately you must have realized these ways have been yielding lesser return, in simpler words these ways are not as effective in bringing in patients.
Are we right? So what changed?
With the growth in the use of the internet a large chunk of people are now going online to check and know more about their health.
Rather than trusting everything, a print ad tells them or immediately reaching out for a doctor, the patients have switched to going online to look up illnesses and symptoms, know more about their local medics through online review and feedback and then decide what will be the best course of action for them to choose.
With so many users now taking advantage of the digital medium every minute of every day, digital marketing for doctors has become a medium that can’t be ignored .
Additionally, digital marketing for doctors in India is far more cost effective and generates more return on investment (ROI) than traditional marketing options.
Let’s have a walk through on 10 winning digital marketing strategies for doctors in India
1) User Friendly Website
If you want to have an online presence then the website is the first place you start. If you want to know about any business, isn’t their website the first thing you look for?
You do, right!
So that’s where you start, because that is exactly what your patients will also do. Having a website is not enough, a website that is easy to navigate for the visitor whether they are looking for information, want to book an appointment or read a blog is what makes all the difference. Keep it accurate but simple!
2) Email Marketing
Patients are always looking for opinions and information, and this is the best way to keep them updated about a range of things. How helpful will it be for them if they can get all the information in their inbox without having to look it up? Since it is coming from you they know, they can trust it. A monthly newsletter will be a good place when you are just starting internet marketing. It is also a good idea to send personalized emails and send them relevant information. This increases your brand recall every time they open your email and shows you genuinely care about their well-being.
3) Power of Social Media
Social Media is the key to promote any brand. For doctors social media is important in digital marketing because these are the platforms where you can create a good impression and get good recommendations increasing your credibility. Social Media makes it very easy for doctors to share information, give updates about the clinic and much more. According to Infographics Archive, around 60 percent of social media users are most likely to trust social media posts and activity by doctors over any other group. So being a doctor you have already fought the half battle of digital marketing
4) Produce your own videos
Doctors are busy given their hectic work schedule. But in order to have a good reputation and have a face value in the business, you have to utilize unique tactics. Making videos that are full of information. Audiences these days are engaging more with visual content so this is a great way to engage your patients. For instance a gynecologist sharing his or her knowledge with their followers. This is a little time consuming but a good tool of digital marketing that should be used.
5) Encourage your patients to write reviews
Patient reviews count for a lot in digital marketing, it aids build up trust in patients who want to approach you for the first time as it is very common for people to enquire about anything new they want to try. Most people trust online reviews as much as they would trust feedback from their family or friends. So if you are able to get feedback from your existing patients and put it on your social media and website it will help the new people’s decision making a lot easier.
Secondly, video testimonials are also a powerful method of digital marketing. If your patients are not camera shy and willing to share their experience on camera then just shoot a video and put it on your social media and website.
6) Pay Per Click Ads
Being a doctor, this is the best digital marketing method to adopt. Google’s pay-per-click advertisement enables you to display ads only to those who are using the keywords that you have targeted. This allows you to skip everyone and actually reach people who are looking for you. However in digital marketing you have to be sure and use the terminologies and search terms that your patients will use to look for you or even they might miss seeing your ads.
7) Write blogs regularly
Blogs act as a bridge between your patients and you. Publishing content on a regular basis can help in increasing volume of the patients that interact with you. Writing blogs is not about writing anything, it is about writing something related to a recent update in your expertise area that will not only make the users want to read your blog but also share it, increasing awareness. You can also share various experiences of the patients that you have come across. If you are writing about some serious disease then make sure that you make it such that the patients won’t be scared or worried after reading it, Digital marketing is all about positivity so try and end it on a happy note or something on the lines on how they can fight/prevent such diseases.
8) Local SEO and Personal branding
Digital marketing is all about being found thus having a strong local SEO is necessary, because you ultimately want people from your city to find your clinic when they are searching for it. Google My Business Page should have all your contact information along with all your reviews that will be building your personal brand all on one page. Once people have complete information about you this will increase credibility and thus ultimately bring in new patients.
9) Directory Listings
While digital marketing covers all ends it is helpful to get yourself listed in all the online local directories (Like Justdial) having done that do not forget the medical directories (Like Practo, BookofDoctors, etc). This will not only cover the 360 degree aspect of digital marketing but also make you traceable from every part of your city.
10) Event Coverage
Doctors attend various conferences but the common people have no idea what they are about. As doctors it is your responsibility to let the digital world know where you are. You can provide a proper coverage of the entire event/ conference through your social media posts or write a blog about the entire event/conference after it’s done.
With the up gradation in social media, you can also go live and give the digital world little snippets and teasers from the event or even share pictures about it. All these activities build trust and reputation And also keeps your patients updated about the new things you are learning.
A strong digital marketing strategy for a doctor is well defined when all the above factors come in proper conjuncture. Digitally marketing a hospital or a medical institution is different and branding a doctor is different. So the strategies also differ here. Therefore, with all the above pointers, if executed in a proper manner your medical practice will catch the attention of the audience and you will start receiving good leads.
Why Select DigiSWOT?
In today’s time, digital marketing for doctors has become a must. Doctors are always short of time, so hire a good digital marketing agency. DigiSWOT is good at creating online marketing strategies after extensive research for doctors. We understand your market and your target area and build digital marketing strategies accordingly. Everything we do comes from the viewpoint of a business owner. We treat your practice as our own. What do we mean?
• You get peace of mind to focus on your practice while we take care of your digital marketing.
• Updates about the progress by digital marketing.
• You have a say in all the content we post.
• Optimized marketing cost (We’ll try to get you the best result in the minimum cost possible)
You’ve been wondering how to market to increase your brand value in the digital marketing world, it’s time let experts take over. Contact us today, tell us what difficulties you are facing marketing digitally and we’ll provide you with recommendations and digital marketing solutions. Reach out to us “DigiSWOTmarketing.com ”
Comentários