Establishing a strong digital presence should be a part of every medical professional’s plan for marketing to patients online. The online patient experience is heavily influenced by ratings, reviews, and a doctor’s reputation. A great marketing plan uses strategies that make a doctor more accessible to online users, whether through social media, email, a blog, or a way for patients to make appointments through a website. The more visible you are to the enormous demographic of online patients, the more likely you are to grow your practice.
The power of presence
According to a study completed by Doctor.com, 63% of patients will gravitate toward one practice above all others if that practice’s online presence is better. That means two-thirds of potential patients could find your practice because of online reputation and appearance alone. Skimping out on a digital marketing strategy could cost you big, especially as more people use the internet to find new doctors and services.
Demographics of online patients
Perhaps you have a practice that tends to work mostly with older individuals or one gender. You may assume that older patients do not use the internet as much or that one gender is more active in scanning online reviews. However, the same Doctor.com report shows that three out of four people over the age of 60 still look at online presence for reference, and 80% of all people use the internet for healthcare purposes, regardless of gender. By analyzing the demographics of users who visit your practice’s website, you can better target the right audience for your brand.
The fundamentals of reputation
Building your online reputation is no walk in the park, but it can pay off as more new patients discover your practice through the digital door. By targeting your patient demographic and assessing the successes and failures of your marketing plan, you can boost your popularity with search engines and increase the number of people who find you every day.
Convenient online tools
Today, many people prefer making appointments and chatting with professionals online rather than in person or over the phone. Tools like website chat boxes, email subscription options, and contact pages make it easy to connect with these patients. The more tools you use on your website, the greater your online presence is likely to be.
Social media
Social media offers unlimited options for targeting key demographics. For example, Statista.com reports that the majority of Instagram users are female. Knowing this, an OB-GYN might choose to focus on uploading stories, photos, and blog posts to the platform to reach a larger female audience. Experiment with Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube to see what connects the most with your patients.
Online reviews
Never stop checking your online reviews. They could be the difference between someone choosing your practice or moving onto the next one. Addressing negative reviews politely and implementing changes show online users that you are responsive, which can garner big reputation points.
Grow your online presence
SEO for doctors is not always easy, but Doctor Genius focuses on creating a unique marketing plan for each professional. Contact us to learn how we can help you establish a positive presence.
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.
