In Part 1 of 5 Seconds or Less we learned about the first of 3 critical stages in the growth of a medical practice or wellness business….FIND. When it comes to a FIND, SERVE & KEEP strategy one can not exist without the other. After the patient has been “Found” it is now time to Serve & Keep them! Let’s look at the 2nd and 3rd stages of the Find, Serve, Keep strategy.
SERVE. We are all wired to help people – medical practitioners are no exception. They want to serve their patient populations. In the digital realm improved service is just a click away.
- CRM technology to automate communication between the practice and new, existing and past patients will go a long way to improve connectivity and increase patient satisfaction levels.
- Reliable and relevant content on and off the website. This includes treatment and procedure information written in a way that is easy to understand. Also, event calendars, personnel features and media updates – anything to humanize the practice and build trust. Blogging for doctors and medical practices allows them to relate their medical services to their clients’ individual needs.
- EVERYONE loves high quality video. Your patients are no different.
KEEP. “Build it, and they will come.” Maybe true for Kevin Costner’s Field of Dreams but what happens when they come and GO?
No one wants to see a patient leave the practice. It takes so much hard work to find and serve them, losing them stinks. Sustainability and growth plans must address the issue of retention.
In digital terms, this means using automated surveys to keep the direction of the practice consistent with the needs of the patient. This should be a top priority. In the worst case you could build the wrong thing, and they won’t come at all. See above.
Professional email marketing to patients throughout the year is a great way to keep the practice in front of the patients.
And again, social media can play a role in your desire to stay connected and KEEP patients profitably.
Right now I’m guessing that you are saying to yourself, so in addition to being a great practitioner, a counselor, a healer, a manager, NOW I HAVE TO BE A DIGITAL MARKETER? !?!(*%#
And the answer is……NO. Your time is far more valuable providing quality compassionate care to your valued patients. It does not mean however that you should not be aware of the importance of these activities.
The million dollar question:
Who in the practice should ultimately be held accountable for the execution and associated ROI of your digital marketing strategy?
