Google estimates that people use ten online sources before they make a decision. How many medical resources, physician websites and competitors do you think your patients view before reaching your website or social profile? If you understand the importance of healthcare marketing in LA or Scottsdale, as Quaintise clients do, then there is no doubt that your brand will be seen early in a patient’s research. With the accessibility that social media offers patients and potential patients, it’s crucial to weave not only search marketing but social media marketing into your overall healthcare marketing success strategies.
With so many consumers and patients not only depending on friend recommendations on Facebook, but basing their medical decisions on online research, healthcare marketing with SEO and Social Media strategies are absolutely paramount.
1. Have a Search Presence – According to the Pew Research Center, 75% of Americans say they perform online research on the products and services they're considering buying. When it comes to healthcare, those statistics are astonishingly higher; 80% of internet users, or 59% of U.S. adults, look online for health information.
2. Patient-Focused, Functional, Informative Websites – A strong search presence will get you far, but an equally strong website just might seal the deal for patients. A content marketing strategy will increase conversions, increase overall rankings on Google, and provide resources to patients and consumers who are in need of it. Content marketing serves many purposes, one of which is the innate ability that educational content has on going Viral. According to ClinicalAdvisor.com, studies have shown that the most successful social media plans are based on education.
Content also gives you the opportunity to establish yourself as an expert in your medical field. Because so many consumers and patients use the internet for medical research and healthcare decisions, it is the perfect opportunity to mark your practice as the most knowledgeable, compassionate, well-respected medical authority in the local area.
3. Strong and Positive Reviews - Understand that a strong brand search presence includes rankings well for local searches, but also having positive reviews on HealthGrades, Vitals, Google Places and Yelp. Healthcare marketing success in LA and Scottsdale involves a bit of reputation management to ensure those reviews are positive and leave a lasting impact when a patient and consumer is researching your practice.
See some interesting numbers from Pew –
• 34% of internet users, or 25% of U.S. adults, have read someone else’s commentary or experience about health or medical issues on an online news group, website, or blog.
• 24% of internet users, or 18% of adults, have consulted online reviews of particular drugs or medical treatments.
• 18% of internet users, or 13% of adults, have gone online to find others who might have health concerns similar to theirs. People living with chronic and rare conditions are significantly more likely to do this.
4. Have a Social Presence – Many unrealized healthcare marketing strategies in LA and Scottsdale purposely avoid social media marketing. They refuse to establish a presence on Facebook, Twitter and/or LinkedIn. They turn away from YouTube and Pinterest, missing opportunities left and right. Consumers and patients want control of their healthcare decisions. Recent research (2012 Altrarum Survey of Consumer Health Care Opinions) has shown that “Most consumers have strong preferences for active involvement in health care decisions.”
The healthcare industry must become more accessible, personable, and approachable, and there is truly no better way to give that to your patients then social media. Allow your patients ask public and private questions related to everything from your hours to making appointments. Give them educational information on conditions and illnesses that might affect them. Provide photos of your staff to cultivate that patient relationship. Encourage patients to interact and offer support for one-another.
Healthcare marketing is an every-changing field. From traditional methods such as print and radio, to innovative technologies such as mobile apps and mobile advertising, to search marketing and social media marketing, there will always be new strategies. Talk to the experts before launching any marketing techniques. Talk to the team at Quaintise today!
About the Quaintise Blog
With a wealth of knowledge and years of experience in the field of healthcare marketing, Quaintise doesn't just innately understand the trends, we set them. Quaintise team members set the bar far higher than any healthcare marketing firm in the Los Angeles or Scottsdale areas. From PR to video production to digital advertising and traditional advertising, our LA and Scottsdale offices can take your marketing to the next level. Visit our LA QDigital location at 10100 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 300, Los Angeles, California 90067, (310) 736-1752 or our main headquarters in Scottsdale at 7150 E. Camelback Road, Suite 444, Scottsdale, Arizona, 85251, (602) 910-4112.