Digital marketing can apply to any business, even in a medical facility or private practice. In fact, any company that depends on fulfilling a customer’s needs can benefit from digital marketing. The main challenge is getting all of the software tools in one system and creating a holistic strategy that effectively utilizes those platforms.
Otherwise, you’re not really approaching medical marketing methodically and trying the spray-and-pray approach instead. Honestly, even mature businesses still don’t have a strong web presence, which creates an opportunity for medical practices to reach more potential patients. But the question remains: what exactly is digital medical marketing in the first place? Here’s a quick rundown to outline the essentials.
Online reputation management
Referrals are a primary source of leads in the medical marketing niche, even before the wave of social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn came online. So, one of the primary services digital medical marketers provide is reputation management, which requires more technical skill than you might assume.
Sometimes, patients leave rave reviews about physicians online, but the problem is that they do it on various websites and applications. From a marketing standpoint, those reviews are incredibly valuable. Reputation management allows private practices to request reviews in a HIPPA-compliant system to increase brand awareness with a strategy. After all, statistics show that about three out of four people would leave reviews if asked.
Websites designed specifically for medical practices
Not every medical website is the same, especially when it comes to capturing leads and making a business more visible online. Nowadays, people expect easy-to-use websites with simple contact forms and instructions to book an appointment or call the facility to speak with a representative. You’d be shocked to know how many practices simply don’t have any up-to-date lead capture forms, mailing lists, or the correct contact information posted.
Additionally, HIPAA requirements specify that medical-related websites must secure confidential data because this information is most valuable to hackers and scam artists. Unfortunately, it’s getting harder and harder to distinguish between scam sites and legitimate medical practices, so medical digital marketing services help facilities gain genuine credibility.
Brand awareness
Lastly, digital medical marketing involves increasing brand awareness. A medical digital marketing agency might offer things like social media copywriting or email marketing, one of the highest converting marketing channels you can use. People genuinely engage with their email, and the effect can be amplifying.
The stereotype is that doctors don’t care to build stronger personal relationships with patients, so digital marketing gives medical practices a way to take care of patients even when they aren’t sick. It could be something as simple as a happy birthday email or a quick reminder that Open Enrollment is coming up. Either way, the personal touch is what counts.
In short, those are three essential services you can expect from medical digital marketing agencies and automated platforms.
