Before we begin, let us get an answer to this question – “What is marketing for you?” Mainly the answer revolves around marketing being a strategy of selling products and services to customers.
The answer is correct but incomplete. Marketing is the process of selling your products/services by understanding your customers, building and sustaining a trustworthy relationship with them. Marketers usually miss out on the later part.
Advances in communications technology have provided consumers with a plethora of choices. Armed with smartphones and navigation skills, people will do anything to find the right physician, whether it’s checking patient reviews, browsing physicians’ websites, or reviewing patient testimonials.
As a result, acquiring new patients is more difficult than it was a year ago. And patients are very attentive to the digital “persona” that physicians present. Being a healthcare professional, you will be able to pitch your services better when you know what your patients want and how. Basically, it is just being where your patient is seeking help, and approaching them to sell your services, the way they want it. As the patients are in the digital world, you need to have a strong digital presence.
Why Do Physicians Need A Strong Online Presence?
Patient retention is the key – even a 5% increase in retention can boost profits by up to 95%. But attracting new patients is just as important because finding a physician is as easy as using a browser. Therefore, the first step is to entice potential patients to participate online.
Digital marketing is an effective tactic to use for boosting your online presence and providing healthcare services to people as and when they need. Digital healthcare marketing has many tangible benefits, and here are the best ones.
Before we get down to the reasons, let us have a look at what the key facts have to say:
– According to research conducted after the pandemic, 63% of the patients chose a physician based on their online presence
-67% of the people above the age of 60 years chose a physician based on the strength of their online presence
-90% of the respondents between the age of 18 – 24 agreed that they would trust a physician recommended by others on social media channels
-19% of smartphone users have installed at least one health-related app on their phones
-60% of the physicians accept that maintaining an online presence helps them in providing quality and timely services to the patients
-81% of the respondents will check online reviews about a physician before actually consulting him/her
The numbers speak it all and below are a few more reasons why physicians need a strong online presence:
- Better Way of Sharing Medical Information
According to the recent research after the pandemic, 9 out of 10 patients want to stay updated regarding medical conditions. And your online presence can just add to it. You can easily share medical information through blog posts, online health libraries, newsletters, patient portals, etc. This will help the patient to stay updated and make better decisions regarding their health.
- Improve Audience Reach and Service Awareness
The healthcare industry is becoming hyper-competitive. If you want to maintain a good flow of patients, it is important to publicize the services you offer. According to Google, 44% of visitors choose to book an appointment online or by calling after taking their number from websites before visiting in person.
- Enhance Patient Convenience
Being active on online platforms also helps the patients to find and reach out to you immediately and seek advice regarding any medical issue. Most patients, especially in the post-covid era prefer booking online appointments. Digital marketing practices and tools provide you and the patients easy access to the platform for online appointments making things convenient on both ends.
- Market Your Brand Easily
Websites and social media platforms are excellent cost-effective marketing tools that send information to thousands of people. Online marketing is hugely important for all businesses, including medical practices, because it has a huge influence on how people make decisions.
- Customize Marketing Strategy
Marketing isn’t just about creating engaging promotional videos and posting eye-catching advertisements. The advantage of using digital marketing for hospitals is that you can customize it to suit your needs. There are different tools and formats you can use to market your service. Content marketing, for example, is very effective in maintaining a strong online presence and keeping the audience well informed about the services you offer.
- Build Trust and Credibility
Online presence also helps in building a personal connection with your patients as you are directly in touch with them, which ultimately helps in building trust in your practice. You can also ask for their testimonials and display them on the online platforms to help other patients also trust your credibility.
- Improve Conversion Rates
Offering the expertise of your healthcare service can just be a click away for your patients. Instead of a patient having to drive to the clinic or wait for an appointment, they can book an appointment from the comfort of their own homes and even choose to have virtual consultations.
Including digital marketing in your marketing strategy is the need of the hour and the best way to enhance your online presence. With the help of the right digital solutions, you can reach more potential patients and create easy access to care.