You’re busy with the care of your patients and administrative running of your practice. I get that. I felt that way when I ran a busy practice in OB/GYN.
But did you know that marketing is simply telling people where you are located and the services that you provide. Do you really want to keep either of those components a secret? Sounds funny doesn’t it?
The easiest and most effective way to get your name out there is with content marketing, which takes many forms.
What is Content Marketing?
“content marketing’s purpose is to attract and retain customers by consistently creating and curating relevant and valuable content with the intention of changing or enhancing consumer behavior.”
In today’s world of technology, your patients are being bombarded by online medical information. They turn to websites like Mayo Clinic, WebMD or online forums to figure out what conditions their symptoms are linked to or what diagnoses mean to them . While these can be helpful, wouldn’t you like patients to get the information directly from you? Your online content helps showcase you as the authority in your field and strengthens your brand.
Forms of content marketing
Content marketing can take the form of:
- Blog posts
- Article publishing
- Case studies
- Podcasts
- Videos
- Email campaigns
- Newsletters
- Social media posts
Fresh content that shows your personality, educates and engages your viewers establishes you as a thought leader in your field. It helps you develop a relationship with your viewers and a level of trust with prospective patients. While reading your content, they are assured that you are up-to-date and provide optimal care.
Consistently updating your website with fresh content improves your Google or Bing rankings. The better your search engine rankings, the more likely patients are to find you in an online search. Let’s face it. Patients are seeking those professionals on page one of the search engines and maybe part of page two. If you are stuck on page 25, you are relegated to obscurity and you might as well not be there!
Consider creating a page for every condition you treat and every procedure you provide.
When people discover you online and get value from your content, the more likely they will be to make an appointment and visit your practice.
Content marketing differs from traditional marketing. Rather than advertising, it is being helpful, informative and engaging. Create a strategy complete with editorial calendar of events and then stick to that strategy.
Why Content Marketing is Key for Healthcare Practices
Patients see content they consider relevant, ignoring magazine and newspaper ads, and digital advertising. Patients want to see news about their health and solutions to the problems they are struggling with. Studies show with 80% of Americans searching online for medical informationand 20% of those searching for a specific doctor, it’s more crucial than ever before that your content marketing exist, be fresh and unique.
- Content marketing gives them what they’re looking for: valuable, helpful information that helps them feel comfortable coming into your office when they have been introduced by images and videos to the staff including the roles they play
- Adding content marketing to your overall marketing strategy helps your patient turn to you as the go-to expert for medical information instead of websites that may have their own agenda
- Publishing regular articles on your website establishes you as an expert in your field
- Consistently updating your website’s content increases your Google rankings which means more visibility for you and your practice
Don’t post answers to specific questions to maintain compliance with HIPAA guidelines. Encourage them to come for an in office visit where the questions or problems can be addressed in greater depth, and with more specificity to them.
How to Connect With Content Marketing
Your calendar can include social media posts, email blasts, blog posts, and other types of content you think your audience would find valuable. Information that you have posted can be utilized in a number of places and reused in article publishing, ebook creation and social media.
The WordPress Editorial Calendar plugin offers a more integrated approach, allowing you to draft articles directly on your calendar. Formulate a mission statement that defines what types of content you’ll publish and your objectives.
Idea Creation
How do you come up with ideas that patients want to hear about?
Google Keyword Planner is a great tool to help you come up with topics. Placing a generic topic in the tool generates other similar topics that people are searching for. Write a quality blog post about each one of them.
Another way to brainstorm topics is to recall questions patients have asked in your office. Frequently asked question articles would be helpful to all your patients. Once they’re written, you can refer patients to your online articles to help answer their questions.
Put out a survey to your target audience and let them tell you what they are interested in. http://www.SurveyMonkey.com is a simple way to do this and it is free to use.
Start with the number of posts that you can be consistent with and then you can add to it as it becomes easier.
Summary
Content marketing is here to stay in healthcare. If you aren’t showing up in their online searches, you can be sure another healthcare provider is.
Your content marketing strategy could be the difference between finding new patients and growing the practice or losing patients and going bankrupt. The investment you make in online content will make a difference.
Discover More About Content Marketing
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