The healthcare industry faces its own unique opportunities and challenges when it comes to marketing. In highly populated areas, the market can be incredibly competitive with many different providers vying for the same business. Patients have a variety of options they can choose from, and practices need to position themselves as a provider of choice. Leveraging strategic marketing for medical and dental practices can increase brand awareness, grow business and revenue, and enhance reputation.
8 Ways to Improve Content Marketing for Medical and Dental Practices
Patients tend to do a lot of research before choosing a healthcare provider, which means practices need effective content marketing. Taking a robust approach and incorporating a variety of different strategies and channels can maximize reach and impact.
- Build out your website.
Your website may be one of the first places a potential or current patient lands. Make sure content is up to date and has pages for the different services, specialties, or procedures that you offer. Break down pages into key sections so visitors can quickly find the information they want.
Highlight what sets your practice or providers apart from competitors and the value you bring to patients. Is there something you do differently? Advanced technology or techniques that you use?
- Incorporate local SEO.
Make sure you are targeting appropriate audiences by integrating local keywords for SEO that will direct patients in the community to your medical or dental practice. Include your city as well as surrounding towns within your service area. It can be beneficial to develop landing pages for each one based on what a patient may search for.
- Post educational blogs.
Give patients information they can use. Write about common conditions, trends, preventive care, and general insights for overall well-being. Answer frequently asked questions, offer step-by-step guides on what to expect before, during, and after a procedure, and elaborate on different aspects of the practice and the care it provides for patients.
Position your medical or dental practice as a thought leader and a go-to resource for valuable information. Just make sure you include appropriate disclaimers as necessary.
- Share success stories and testimonials.
Ask patients for permission to share their experiences with others and the positive things they have to say. Patients often like hearing about how others were treated, their outcomes, and whether they would recommend the practice or providers. It can also be beneficial to post before-and-after stories or updates from patients who may have had an especially memorable situation.
- Create whitepapers.
Has your practice performed any case studies or research? Elaborate on your findings in a whitepaper. Demonstrate how you solved a specific problem or implemented an effective solution. This can help with marketing for your medical or dental practice and build your authority and credibility in a certain area.
- Leverage social media.
Establishing a strong online presence can help you grow and market your practice. Social media is a highly effective channel for doing so, and there are multiple platforms to choose from based on your audience and goals. Tailor your content to what your patients want and need to know.
You can be incredibly creative when it comes to infographics, videos, reminders, and other communications to capture your audience’s attention and increase engagement. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel either – you can repurpose existing content for different platforms and goals.
It’s also a great way to connect with patients by posting polls and interactive content, responding to questions or concerns, gathering feedback, and keeping your finger on the pulse of what is happening within your patient community.
- Distribute newsletters.
Get your marketing directly in front of patients by sending electronic newsletters to their emails. Have a spot on your website where they can sign up for these types of communications. Keep newsletters relevant and engaging, sharing information that will benefit patients and letting them know about projects or programs that are coming up. You can even segment your audience based on their individual preferences and interests or by specialty area.
- Review data analytics.
There are plenty of free, low-cost, and paid resources that can provide you with a wealth of information about your marketing performance. Pay attention to which campaigns have the highest click rates, which web pages are driving the most traffic, which advertisements have the best return on investment, and which initiatives are falling short of expectations. This can enable you to refine your approach, capitalize on what is working well, and make adjustments to things that are not. Take advantage of the data you have available.
Elevate Your Marketing Efforts
Is your medical or dental practice struggling with its marketing and creating content that pulls patients in and inspires them to take action? Contact the team at Grammar Chic at (803) 831-7444 to find out how we can help. We’ll work with you to refine your content marketing efforts and align approaches with your goals.
A freelance writer and journalist since 2000, Josh Hurst became a member of the Grammar Chic team in 2011. Initially serving as Associate Writer and Editor, Josh became the company’s Content Marketing Strategist in 2013. Additionally, he regularly writes about music, film, television, and literature for FLOOD Magazine and Slant Magazine.