PREVIEW Medical Practice Marketing Moves For Physician Owners Now

With the current economic uncertainty, many of your patients are more carefully watching their spend, which makes medical practice marketing that much more crucial right now. As much as you likely enjoy focusing all of your time on practicing medicine, today's economy requires a strategic shift in your marketing to maintain and grow patient volume. This article provides actionable strategies for physician-owners to execute right now, to not only sustain practice revenues, but grow them. By focusing on value, patient relationships, local SEO, and efficient marketing channels, medical practices can come out on the other side of this period even stronger.

Emphasize Value and Affordability

During an uncertain economy, patients are more conscious of their spending. Medical practices can attract and retain patients by clearly communicating transparent pricing and offering flexible payment plans. Highlighting the long-term cost savings of preventive care can also be a strong selling point. Consider offering bundled services or wellness packages at a discounted rate to provide additional value.

Communicate Transparent Pricing

Transparency in pricing builds trust with patients. Clearly display the costs of common procedures and services on your website and in your office. Provide detailed billing information and be upfront about any potential additional charges. This approach helps patients make informed decisions and reduces financial surprises.

Offer Payment Plans

Flexible payment options can make healthcare more accessible during tough economic times. Consider offering payment plans or financing options for larger medical bills. Partnering with healthcare financing companies can provide patients with manageable payment schedules, ensuring they receive the care they need without undue financial strain.

Promote Preventive Care

Emphasize the long-term cost savings associated with preventive care. Regular check-ups, screenings, and vaccinations can prevent serious health issues, reducing the need for expensive treatments later on. Educate patients on the benefits of preventive care through blog posts, email marketing, and in-office materials.

Strengthen Patient Relationships

Maintaining strong patient relationships is crucial for medical practice marketing, especially when the uncertain economy affects patient loyalty. Investing in email marketing and patient education keeps your practice top-of-mind. Personalized messaging based on visit history or care plans shows patients you value their individual needs. Sending check-in messages to inactive patients can encourage them to return for follow-up care.

Invest in Email Marketing

Email marketing is a cost-effective way to stay connected with patients. Send regular newsletters with health tips, practice updates, and special offers. Segment your email list to send targeted messages based on patient demographics, medical history, and interests. Ensure your emails are mobile-friendly and easy to read.

Personalize Patient Communication

Personalized communication can significantly improve patient engagement. Use patient data to tailor your messaging, addressing patients by name and referencing their past visits or care plans. Send birthday greetings, appointment reminders, and follow-up messages to show you care about their well-being.

Encourage Follow-Up Care

Reactivating inactive patients can boost revenue and improve patient outcomes. Send check-in messages to patients who haven't visited in a while, offering incentives for scheduling an appointment. Highlight new services or technologies that may be relevant to their health needs. Make it easy for patients to book appointments online or by phone.

Double Down on Local SEO

Local SEO is vital for medical practice marketing, particularly in an uncertain economy where patients prefer convenient, nearby options. Optimize your Google Business Profile with updated hours, services, and patient-friendly photos. Encourage satisfied patients to leave online reviews to boost your practice's reputation. Publish location-based blog posts to attract local search traffic.

Optimize Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing potential patients see when searching for medical services. Ensure your profile is complete and up-to-date with accurate information about your practice, including hours, services, address, and phone number. Add high-quality photos of your office, staff, and equipment to create a welcoming impression.

Encourage Online Reviews

Online reviews can significantly impact your practice's reputation and search rankings. Encourage satisfied patients to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, and other relevant platforms. Make it easy for patients to leave reviews by providing direct links in your email communications or on your website. Respond to reviews promptly and professionally, addressing any concerns or complaints.

Publish Location-Based Content

Creating location-based content can improve your practice's visibility in local search results. Write blog posts about health topics relevant to your community, such as seasonal allergies, local health events, or community health initiatives. Use location-specific keywords in your content to target local search queries.

Focus on High-ROI Marketing Channels

In an uncertain economy, it’s important to optimize medical practice marketing efforts by focusing on channels that offer the best return on investment. Leverage organic social media, email, and referrals instead of high-cost advertising. Track metrics closely to cut underperforming campaigns quickly. Prioritize Google Ads for high-intent keywords, such as "urgent care near me."

Leverage Organic Social Media

Organic social media can be a cost-effective way to reach potential patients. Create engaging content that educates, entertains, and informs your audience. Share health tips, practice updates, and patient testimonials. Use relevant hashtags to increase your reach and attract new followers. Consider creating a wellness Facebook Group and hosting lives for greater community engagement.

Track Marketing Metrics

Monitoring your marketing metrics is essential for optimizing your campaigns. Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, conversion rates, cost per acquisition, and return on ad spend. Use analytics tools to identify which channels and campaigns are performing well and which ones need improvement.

Prioritize High-Intent Keywords

When using Google Ads, focus on high-intent keywords that indicate a strong desire for medical services. Keywords like "urgent care near me," "best dentist in [city]," or "walk-in clinic near me" can attract patients who are actively seeking immediate care. Optimize your ad copy and landing pages to match the intent of these keywords.

Highlight Trust and Expertise

Building trust is essential in medical practice marketing, especially during an uncertain economy when patients are more selective about their healthcare providers. Share patient testimonials, case studies, or before/after stories (with permission) to showcase your practice's success. Post videos or reels with your providers answering common health questions to demonstrate your expertise. Partner with local news outlets to offer expert advice segments.

In our experience, from medical card clinics to Endocrinologists to Pediatricians and even Medtech companies, ZenChange Marketing has been able to help 100s of clients to get found. We work with conventional medical practices, as well as integrative and alternative medicine. Our team is all HIPAA-trained and certified, and we take extra care to protect you and your practice from marketing tactics that could lead to violations. This commitment to compliance and results-driven marketing has helped our clients build trust and credibility in their communities.

Share Patient Testimonials

Patient testimonials can be a powerful way to build trust and credibility. Ask satisfied patients if they would be willing to share their experiences in a testimonial. Use testimonials on your website, social media, and in your marketing materials. Ensure you obtain written consent from patients before using their testimonials. Video testimonials are ideal.

Hear what Acupuncturist Dr. Vivian Shou Litman, DOM, AP had to say about her new online presence: "I like the functionality and the look of the new site. I enjoy working with your team. They are really competent and professional. I trust ZenChange! I think the new site is going to make a big difference. I’m happy with your work."

Create Educational Videos

Videos are an engaging way to share your expertise and connect with potential patients. Create short videos with your providers answering common health questions or discussing relevant medical topics. Post these videos on your website, social media channels, and YouTube.

Partner with Local Media

Collaborating with local news outlets can increase your visibility and establish your practice as a trusted source of health information. Offer to provide expert commentary on health-related news stories or participate in Q&A segments on local TV or radio. Local newspapers often have a health corner you could write for. Hire a ghostwriter or agency like ZenChange to avoid adding more workload for yourself.

Expand Telehealth and Promote It

If offered, make telehealth services prominent on your website and ads. Emphasize convenience, safety, and affordability. Use patient stories or stats to show its success and growing demand. Telehealth is a great way to expand medical practice marketing in an uncertain economy.

Promote Telehealth Services

Telehealth can be a convenient and cost-effective option for patients, especially during economic downturns. Promote your telehealth services prominently on your website, social media, and in your marketing materials. Highlight the benefits of telehealth, such as convenience, safety, and affordability.

Share Telehealth Success Stories

Sharing patient success stories can demonstrate the value of telehealth. Ask patients who have used your telehealth services if they would be willing to share their experiences. Use these stories in your marketing materials to show how telehealth has improved patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Community Engagement

Offer free webinars, screenings, or Q&A sessions to build goodwill. Partner with local businesses for cross-promotion or co-sponsored events. Stay visible in the community—even digitally. Community engagement is a great way to expand visibility for your healthcare practice.

Offer Free Health Education

Providing free health education can build goodwill and attract new patients. Offer free webinars, workshops, or Q&A sessions on relevant health topics. Promote these events through your website, social media, and email marketing.

Partner with Local Businesses

Collaborating with local businesses can expand your reach and attract new patients. Partner with complementary businesses, such as gyms, pharmacies, or wellness centers, for cross-promotion or co-sponsored events.

Retarget and Reactivate

Use retargeting ads for website visitors who didn’t book. Launch a reactivation campaign for patients who haven’t visited in 6-12 months. Retargeting and reactivation are great ways to encourage patients and potential patients who have already shown an interest in your practice.

Implement Retargeting Ads

Retargeting ads can help you reach website visitors who didn't book an appointment. Use retargeting to show ads to these visitors on other websites and social media platforms. Remind them of the services they were interested in and encourage them to book an appointment.

Launch Reactivation Campaigns

Reactivating inactive patients can boost revenue and improve patient outcomes. Launch a reactivation campaign for patients who haven't visited in 6-12 months. Offer incentives for scheduling an appointment, such as a discount on services or a free consultation.

These days, many of your patients are likely more stressed, and at the same time, may not be taking care of themselves as well as they could. They need you now more than ever. The marketing strategy for your medical practice must focus on communicating that taking care of their health and mental wellness is an investment they should not put off. But you must also be realistic. If they have financial concerns and your protocols are not all covered by insurance, find creative ways to reduce the barriers to working with you. This is also the time to nurture your past patients. They chose you previously and are the most likely to visit again if encouraged to do so. By emphasizing value, strengthening patient relationships, focusing on local SEO, and leveraging efficient marketing channels, you can ensure your practice remains successful.

Want another set of eyes on your marketing strategy? Our team can help.