The world of healthcare marketing can be tricky to navigate. In many cases, the formula for success can vary by field, specialty, and even location. Knowing which strategies are largely unsuccessful can help you avoid unproductive marketing campaigns and pinpoint the solutions that work for your practice.
5 mistakes to avoid in healthcare marketing
Stay away from these common pitfalls in order to increase traffic to your website and your practice.
1. Generic writing
Patients seeking solutions or treatments need answers and information on specific details. Providing vague or general information in your marketing not only fails to provide potential patients with an understanding of what your practice does but also does not set you up as a professional in the field. Doing thorough research and listing exact answers can help patients find you when they encounter issues related to your field of medicine.
2. Irregular or non-existent blogging
One of the easiest ways to connect with patients outside of the office is through a blog. Less formal and typically more conversational in nature than the rest of a website, a blog can give visitors a glimpse into the brand and personality of your practice in a unique way. According to Forbes, businesses without a regular blog are not taking advantage of every tool in the box.
3. Failure to display empathy
In addition to knowing you are capable and credible, patients want to feel like you care about them. If your marketing does not have an emotional or empathetic aspect, it can come across as cold and transactional. It is called healthcare for a reason; you must communicate and demonstrate care for your patients in order to get a decent return for your marketing budget.
4. Lack of response to negative patient reviews
When patients do not have the experience they were hoping for, they will often let you know through a negative review. While this may be frustrating, it can pinpoint areas of your practice you can work to improve. Also, failing to respond quickly and professionally to negative reviews shows potential patients you are not concerned about them and have poor communication skills. Conversely, patients who receive an empathetic, timely response will often either change the review or spread the word to others your practice cares enough to attempt to resolve any issues.
5. Using medical jargon
Especially for those in a specialty field of medicine, it can be easy to use medical terms in marketing that the average person is unfamiliar with. This can prevent a large portion of the population from connecting with your message or even remembering your ads. Choose your words carefully and consider your target audience when dealing with medical PR.
Get your message across with the right healthcare marketing
Content management for healthcare can be frustrating without the proper tools. At Doctor Genius, we know you want your brand and message to stand out and be heard for the right reasons. Give us a call today to talk more about how we can create a custom solution for your practice from content marketing and digital advertising to hosting solutions and online reputation management. Your practice deserves to grow, and we can show you how.
Doctor Genius, located at 16800 Aston Street, Suite 270, Irvine, CA 92606, provides a range of services for practice success. We seek to meet our clients’ needs by providing a variety of marketing, SEO, practice optimization tools, and coaching to transform the healthcare experience. Though we work to provide the most accurate information, the content found on this website is solely intended for entertainment purposes. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that the information provided is entirely correct. You may not use the information on this site to cure, prevent, or diagnose a perceived medical issue. If you have healthcare-related needs, please speak directly to a healthcare professional. Never self-perform medical treatments discussed on this website. All images displayed are also for entertainment purposes only, and personal experiences may differ. Please note that the business tactics mentioned on this site might not be applicable to your industry or practice.
