BLOG

Social media isn’t just for socializing anymore. It’s an immediate way to exchange information and content in a way that, until recent years, wasn’t possible for medical practices. Not only is a social media presence a great way to showcase content, but it also gives your practice a chance to let others know what organizations you’re a part of, what news sources you follow, and what’s going on in your office that patients might be interested in.

A few years ago, when we first wrote about online physician reputation management there were fewer people writing and reading reviews, especially for physicians and other healthcare experiences. The tide has turned since then and now we're seeing that physician reviews are playing a significant role in the selection of a healthcare provider. Did you know that:

• At least 77% of patients use online reviews as their first step in finding a new doctor. - Software Advice
• 53% of providers looked at physician review websites, likely to understand their patients’ experiences and to improve their practices. - Journal of General Internal Medicine

What do you need to do for your reviews to be visible and show positive interactions with patients? 

Ever wake up in the middle of the night with a brilliant idea that you're sure will change the course of the company? Or maybe your latest stroke of genius hits you while you're doing dishes or at some other quiet moment. No matter where you're at and how brilliant we think we are when we dream up a new marketing plan, there are a few things to take a look at before you spend time and money trying to make it work. If your plan passes through each of these tests that means you're likely to be ready to get to work!

If you’re considering testimonials or physician bios, video is a great way to go. You can really give your viewers a feel for the practice and the doctor’s personal style. Remember that the quality of the content will leave a lasting impression on potential patients.

Before adding videos to your website or social media, there are a few key things you’ll need to do to prepare and execute the project a way that will make it as easy as possible for you and will help produce the best result for a great video. Here are 5 things to remember:

You may have heard that Growth-Driven Design is a new and better build and grow your website, turning the web into a greater source of new patients. The concept makes a lot of sense when you're trying to use your website as more than just a brochure.  The Growth-Driven Design process will actually help you bring in more visitors, engage them and ultimately help the practice meet its goals for patient growth.

We meet with a lot of oncology practices from all over the country and we have been asked on numerous occasions, "Why would I need marketing for my referral-based practice? I don't need a website to get new patients because I get my patients from referrals."  And we understand why they're asking the question, but there are several valid reasons that you should be sure you have a great looking and informative website for your medical practice.

Updated: December 5, 2017

Doctors and practice managers ask us if we think they should have a blog.  They have some logical questions that are important to address so that it's clear why and how to have a blog for a medical practice. Questions include:

• Why should our medical practice blog?

• What should doctors talk about in blogs? And what shouldn’t they?

• Are there any downsides to blogging?

• Is blogging something you’d recommend as part of practice marketing?

With today’s healthcare environment reducing the number of possible referral relationships between physicians it’s important to do something that makes you stand out to not only to colleagues who can refer patients to you, but also to the patients who are being referred.

Marketing to Doctors: New Approaches That Work

Traditionally, over the past 50 years, doctors have developed personal relationships with other physicians through conferences, pharma-sponsored dinners, educational events and even some recreational activities. There was little need for marketing to physicians outside of this.

With more pharma restrictions on how they can spend marketing dollars, and more doctors staying close to home to work in their practices, it seems there are fewer opportunities to create those face-to-face interactions that traditionally resulted in more patients being referred. 

So what is a doctor to do? You need those relationships – especially if you have a specialty practice.