The
pandemic has changed the health experience in a way never seen before. With
social distancing, face-to-face consultations have become less frequent;
however, the search for technological solutions such as Electronic
Clinical files and Telemedicine has increased. With this new
scenario, doubt began to arise among many health professionals: how
to attract patients in this time of many challenges?
That is
also a question that we frequently receive here at Healthcare Marketing Agency. Although there is no
exact formula on what to do to attract patients, good practices will make it
easier to attract them—for example, strategies to get more out of medical
marketing and increase online visibility.
If you
got this far and the topic piqued your curiosity, we invite you to continue
reading to learn the best tips for attracting patients without seeming
invasive. Considering the health crisis, we are experiencing and the feeling of
uncertainty that it has caused, it is necessary to understand the
true human needs.
What will you find in this article?
- 1.
Understand what the current needs of patients are
- 2. Break
the ice
- 3. Make
life easier for the patient
- 4. Get
visibility on the first page of Google
- 5. Follow
the opinions of patients
- 6. Get a
professional website
- 7.
Establish alliances
- 8. Offer
online appointment booking
- 9. Show
your location on Google My Business
- 10. Carry
out quality Medical Marketing
- 11. Create
a profile on a medical portal
- 12. Invest
in a medical software specialized in the patient experience
- 13.
Maintain good communication with patients
- 14. Offer
remote care via Telemedicine
- 15. Work
with an electronic health record
Understanding
the current needs of patients is
important to identify what patients are looking for, from the types of
procedures, such as the cost of the consultation and its quality. Having access
to this information is the first step in discovering the best strategy to
attract patients.
👉 For that reason, you should not stop doing a little
market research. With this, you will be able to evaluate the viability of your
services and even highlight your strengths concerning the competition.
- Break the ice
As much
as the health sector requires years of study and various updates, it is
important to keep in mind that many patients do not feel comfortable when going
to the doctor's office. Often, this discomfort can be related to the type of
language used by the doctor. Specialist when explaining a certain diagnosis or
the level of empathy shown during the evaluation. A more humanized and quality
care is essential to build a good reputation and thus gain the trust of more
patients.
👉 To get more recognition in your area of expertise,
there is nothing better than taking advantage of social networks and
other platforms to connect with patients. Use these spaces to present who you
are as a professional and what you do best.
- Make life easier for the patient
Information
is essential when standing out in a market as competitive as the health market.
This is since patients are increasingly demanding, more digital.
As a result, they investigate more and are better informed before choosing a
specialist.
In 2022,
the Healthcare Marketing
group conducted a study that revealed what patients expect to find about a
doctor or health professional when searching the Internet. Among the basic data
that have the greatest influence when choosing a specialist are:
- Profile
picture
- Opinions
- Prices
- list of
services
- Professional
experience
👉 Be sure to provide all the basic
information they need to know. Then, take advantage of this tip
to reinforce all these points on your website or professional profile.
- Get visibility on the first page of Google.
Appearing
or not appearing on Google is no longer an option. This is a decisive factor
when it comes to attracting patients more easily.
The
most famous search engine in the world receives approximately 70,000
health-related searches every minute.
That's
a pretty high number, isn't it?
I would
dare to say that if the question is "How to attract patients
online?", the most appropriate answer would be: "Get a space on the
first page of Google."
With
the issue of competitiveness in the health area, it is essential to have that
visibility. But unfortunately, many studies have shown that most users do not
reach the second page when looking for answers to their questions or needs. And
to be honest: It's not a new thing to hear the term "Dr.
Google."
But how
do you get this space on the first page of Google so that you can be found
easily?
To
conquer your place in one of the "most popular avenues on the
internet," it will be necessary to invest in SEO ( Search Engine
Optimization or Search Engine Optimization). It is a collection of
tactics and strategies geared toward improving your website's or business's
search engine ranking.
👉 Google gives more and more important to the user
experience. So in that sense, one piece of advice would be to always include
your specialty and
location to meet the user's search intent.
- Follow the opinions of patients
The
opinions left by patients are one of the main indicators of quality for a
health professional.
They
function as social tests, factors that greatly influence the decision between
one doctor or another, especially when it comes to a specialist they do not
know.
👉 Building and caring for your online reputation is also a
way to offer patients an increasingly better and safer experience. If you want
to know how to promote the opinions and feedback of your patients, we recommend
that you read this other article: Reviews help patients choose a doctor online
- Get a professional website
A
professional website is a gateway for those who have doubts about how to
attract patients in the pandemic and, of course, when everything returns to
normal. First, however, it is important to keep it updated with all the
information about the specialist and the office so that the patient does not
leave it without first making an appointment.
- Establish alliances
Collaborations
are efficient strategies for patient acquisition, as they directly impact
online visibility and SEO. As a result, we advise you to leverage your network
of acquaintances, colleagues, and providers of medical supplies to build
alliances that allow you to optimize your visibility and that of your
website.
👉 This can be done by exchanging content, links, posts,
and even videos on professional social networks.
- Offer online appointment booking
Offering
online appointment booking is a way to deliver a more enjoyable experience,
save time, and make your schedule available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This
type of service is considered essential by digital patients.
👉 Currently, there are different tools on the market that
are dedicated to sending automatic reminders and notifications that improve
communication between the doctor's office and the patient. Therefore, it is
also a way to reduce the much-feared absenteeism because: up to 65% of patients forget the appointments they
make.
- Show your location on Google My Business
Google
My Business is a free tool, provided by Google itself, to help businesses
create local customer engagement. Being in this way is the ideal place to
concentrate users' attention if you have not yet announced your services and
your practice in the region you operate.
Having
a profile in Google My Business is a way to increase your online visibility, improve SEO and
facilitate patient searches. Through this profile, users
will be able to check the services you offer and read some ratings.
- Carry out quality Medical Marketing
With
the pandemic, many health professionals have been forced to rethink their
strategies to get closer to patients, even from a distance.
- In this
context, we could say that it is an excellent time to produce content
through your professional Social Networks. In this way, it will be present
in the daily lives of your followers/potential patients, and you will be
able to share your knowledge and experiences less traditionally. Formal.
- Create a profile on a medical portal
Creating
a profile in an online medical portal well positioned in search engines, such
as Healthcare Marketing,
will promote your visibility. In the case of Chile, the platform receives more
than 1.2 million unique monthly views and has more
than 60 thousand registered health professionals.
However, to increase the chance of being found and chosen by patients, you need
to display as much information as possible and keep your profile updated.
- Invest in a medical software specialized
in the patient experience
Have
you ever thought about having a system that allows you to book appointments
online, record electronic medical records of patients, send personalized
medical marketing campaigns, and, among many other functions, help you increase
the productivity and profitability of your practice??
A
modern and complete medical software can offer you much more and guarantee the
security you need when it comes to protecting your data and that of your
patients.
- Maintain good communication with patients
Another
important tip is to keep in touch with old and new patients. Investing time,
dedication, and improving communication channels with the public will help you
strengthen and stimulate the relationship of trust with them.
In
addition, it is also a way to guarantee patient satisfaction, increasing
the chances that they will recommend your services to family friends and even
share their experiences on the Internet so that thousands of people can refer
to them.
- Offer remote care via Telemedicine
Telemedicine
came to revolutionize the way Medicine is practiced during the pandemic, and it
will surely continue to be present after it.
A
little over a year ago, when the WHO declared the Covid-19 pandemic and then
the Government of Chile announced the beginning of the state of emergency, with
all the biosecurity measures that this entailed. At that time, many health
specialties began to see Telemedicine as an opportunity and a
solution to continue providing their services and attending to
their patients.
This
shows that thousands of patients and specialists have been able to take
advantage of the multiple benefits that this modality has offered them
- Work with an electronic health record
Electronic medical records are useful for any health specialist during the anamnesis stage. This digitized system allows for a complete record and follow-up of the patient's clinical history, enables the monitoring of the history of visits, stores files, results of laboratory tests or images, and, among many other functions, allows the professional or his assistant the option to manage the patient's financial history, from anywhere and with total security
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