How to Plan a Marketing Strategy for Your Hospital
In today’s competitive world, even hospital need to be on top of trends to win over their competition. Your expertise alone won’t fill your schedule if people don’t know about your hospital and location. That might not be enough to keep them coming in. Nowadays, people do a lot of research on the internet before making even a small, unimportant decision, so, needless to say, decisions regarding their health get special attention. If you want to convince them that they will be in good hands in your hospital, you have to devote some attention to marketing strategy for your hospital yourself in the best way possible.
When coming up with a marketing strategy for a hospital, you have to make sure that you have SMART goals. Do you want to raise awareness about your hospital? Or is your focus boosting your image and establishing yourself as an industry expert? Be purposeful when choosing what to spend on, since inconsistent marketing strategy for your hospital will make it difficult to see just what works for you and what is a waste of resources. Know exactly what you offer and to whom, and it will be easier to find the channels where you can reach the people you are relevant to. Here are a few marketing strategies you should consider in 2021 to give a boost to your hospital.
Boost your website
Today, it should go without question that your hospital has a modern, well-functioning website. However, giving your website a boost can make a big difference in a world where people use the internet for almost everything. With the right tweaks, your website can not only acquire a better position among Google search results, but it can also become a reliable information source for your patients and even an effective communication channel. A compelling landing page that features video, for instance, will improve your bounce rate by keeping your visitors on your website longer, boosting your Google ranking. Making your site mobile-friendly will also earn you more traffic as most people use their mobile devices for browsing nowadays. Displaying crucial pieces of information, such as the prices of certain procedures, will also make you appear transparent in the eyes of your visitors, and they will be more likely to consult you than if they were left completely in the dark.
Be on the map
The second important step in your marketing strategy should be placing your hospital in front of your audience – with the help of Google Maps. When it comes to local searches, your hospital being visible on the map is invaluable. People use this function to find the establishment they need and get information about working hours, ways to contact the establishment, read other people’s reviews, look at photos, and plan their route. So, open a Google My Business profile as soon as possible and fill in all the required information to leverage local searches to the maximum.
Produce quality content
Another notable digital marketing tool today is content marketing. With people turning to the internet to learn about a wide variety of topics, making your website or blog their number one source of information regarding medical subjects that you are an expert in is a smart move. We previously talked about boosting your website’s search engine ranking. The good news is that content marketing also contributes to this, so it’s a win-win. But the most important benefit of writing quality articles on topics you are knowledgeable in is that builds patients’ trust in your expertise. Patients are usually interested in learning about procedures in advance and what they can expect from their visits. They are also interested in topics regarding prevention. However, reliable sources are sometimes difficult to find. Publishing trustworthy content on your page will thus keep them coming and make them stay.
Collect reviews
Reviews are almost as powerful as word-of-mouth marketing today. People trust online reviews even if they don’t personally know the people who left them, so making sure that people only say good things about you would be ideal. Evaluate your patient flow to see where you could improve their experience. Since visiting a hospital is rarely something people enjoy, providing a positive experience and making sure their anxiety is eased during their visit will make it more likely that they leave a positive review and refer you to their friends and acquaintances. Still, people easily forget to do so as they go about their lives, so try to remind them to leave a review. One good way to do so is by using automated reviews. You can ask patients to briefly rate their experience as they are leaving the establishment. With this method, those who leave high ratings will receive an e-mail reminding them to leave a written review on your site or social media page. You get to reap the benefits while also having the opportunity to work on your shortcomings by privately contacting those who left a poor review.
Ensure a modern interior
No matter what you do, it’s difficult to present an outdated interior as inviting in your marketing strategies. On the other hand, a modern interior will make your patients feel more at ease as soon as they step in since it makes the impression that your hospital keeps up with the times. To that end, evaluate your interior and see whether you need to invest in some upgrades. However, medical equipment installation is a complicated process since special considerations need to be made regarding water and electricity needs, as well as the disposal of waste. The good news is that professionals specialized in clinic fit-outs and designs, have years of experience in this area and can create the space that your hospital needs. Promoting your clinic with photos of its new look will capture the attention of your audience.
Consider advertising
Advertising was long considered an expensive marketing strategy, but the fact of the matter is that today, advertising opportunities are more widely available thanks to the internet. What’s more, you will know exactly where your money goes since targeting ensures that your ads only show up for those who are potentially interested in the first place. Pay-per-click ads also ensure that you only pay for qualified leads too. In addition, the results of online advertising are more precisely trackable, so you won’t have to keep spending if your campaign doesn’t work out. Exploring targeted Facebook and Google ads are viable marketing strategies for any hospital.
Marketing is becoming an increasingly complex task in this day and age. Don’t shy away from turning to professionals for the most effective results in areas that require a lot of attention, such as search engine optimization.
