Around the mid-1990s the internet has vastly altered the marketing landscape. So following others, health care personals too have begin to utilize ‘healthcare digital marketing’ in their professional work. Hospitals led the way by creating websites and using a mixture of content, graphics, videos, and web-coding to let people know the services they offer.
At first the website focused more on aesthetics rather than direct response techniques. However, as the websites became more complex and marketing technology evolved, now a private physician can compete with large hospitals when reaching out to patients. By implementing an effective healthcare digital marketing strategy, even you can attract new patients, retain current ones, and improve overall customer satisfaction.
What is Healthcare digital marketing?
Healthcare digital marketing is the process of promoting your services to your potential and new clients through online platforms. The potential is quite high as approximately 88% of people look for health information online while 70% claim that they are influenced by the health information found online. Therefore, digital marketing is a great way to stay connected with your current and future patients.
Digital Marketing Techniques to expand your digital space
Digital health services allow patients to get instant response of their queries and ailments. 75% 0f respondents of a survey from Mckinsey said they would rather use digital health services. Here are few of the digital marketing techniques that can help expand your digital presence.
a) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
One key aspect of healthcare digital marketing is search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is the practice of optimizing your website’s content and structure to improve its visibility in search engine results. By ranking highly in search results, you can increase the chances that potential patients will find your business and consider it for their healthcare needs.
A few statistics that show the relevance of SEO for your online presence.
- 77% of online health seekers use Google, Bing, and other search engines to look for health-related information.
- Consumers researching physical therapists, nursing homes, and optometrists are the most likely to call healthcare providers after performing a search.
- Over 70% of searchers for health-related services click on the results listed on the first page.
b) Pay Per Click (PPC)
PPC (pay-per-click) advertising involves promoting your healthcare business on various websites and platforms, such as search engines and social media. With this type of advertising, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.
Google Adwords is one example of a PPC advertising platform, which offers display ads that appear on targeted websites based on a user’s past searches, as well as text ads that appear at the top of Google search results. By using PPC ads, you can drive targeted traffic to your online medical center and generate potential leads. Additionally, you can track the performance of your ads on each platform to determine which approaches are most effective.
Statistics to encourage you to invest in digital healthcare PPC
- Global advertising expenditure by health care companies was estimated at $36 Billion in 2020.
- For every $1.6 spent on Goggle paid ad’s have a return on $3 on average.
- 5% of the all google searches are health related.
c) Social Media Marketing
Another important aspect of healthcare digital marketing is social media. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn provide an excellent opportunity to engage with patients and promote your healthcare brand.
You can use social media to share updates, news, and educational content with your followers. You can also use social media to respond to customer inquiries and complaints, which can help improve patient satisfaction and build trust in your business.
Why should you invest in Social Media Marketing
- 60% of Social media users are more likely to trust posts shared by health professionals and doctors.
- 91% of users have said that social media communities have greatly affected their health making decisions.
d) Digital Health Content Marketing
Content marketing involves creating and sharing various types of content, such as blogs, infographics, videos, and e-books, to showcase your expertise and engage with patients. For example, if you are a pediatrician with expertise in childhood obesity, you could write blogs about topics such as nutritional diet and fitness tips.
It is important to focus on providing value to your readers rather than self-promotion, and to use language that is easy for readers to understand rather than relying on medical terms. By creating quality-rich content, you can share your expertise with the right audience and effectively communicate the solutions you can offer.
Some statistics that might interest you
- Healthcare video marketers get 66% more leads than other niches per year.
- 41% of healthcare marketers have reconfigured their content based on their experiences with the patients.
e) Email Marketing
Email marketing is an affordable way to keep in touch with your audience, provide a personalized experience, build a relationship, and remain top-of-mind with patients. To effectively use email marketing, you should segment your email subscribers based on factors such as age, interests, and health conditions.
You should also craft appealing subject lines, calls-to-action (CTAs), and user-friendly sign-up options to make your emails more effective. Automating your email marketing efforts can help you send consistent, high-quality emails without any extra effort. By using email marketing, you can attract new patients to your online medical center and retain your current patient base.
A few statistics that show the relevance of Email Marketing for your online presence.
- Email is 40 times more effective than Facebook and Twitter combined to help you attract new patients
- Every $1 spent on email marketing will have a return on $44.25 on average.
- 89% of digital health care marketers say that emails are a primary source of their lead generation.
Finally, it is important to optimize your website for mobile devices. With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets, it is essential that your website is easily accessible on these devices. This can help improve the user experience for patients and make it easier for them to find and contact your business.
What Ehsan Labs can do for you?
Having an active web presence is crucial for the success of your online healthcare services, as many patients will begin their journey with you on your website. By developing a high-quality website and implementing effective digital marketing strategies, you can provide an optimal experience for your patients. Ehsan Labs offers healthcare website development services that include features like booking functionality, payment options, and chatbot support.
Also look through our choice of best medical website design templates in WordPress to get inspiration for your new medical website.
Dr. Saad Aslam
Dr. Saad Aslam is a certified family medicine physician with over 5 years of experience in primary care. He received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Aslam has a particular interest in the use of digital technology and marketing in medicine. He has worked with several non-profit organizations to bring medical infrastructures in undeveloped areas.
