In today’s fast-paced world, most communication takes place on the web. People are connected to everything via smartphones, tablets and computers. If you want to convey a message, you have to know how to reach your audience online. At Crystal Clear Digital Marketing, that is our specialty. We offer optimal strategies for social media use and how it works in conjunction with marketing. As a medical professional, there are several ways for you to make social media work to your advantage.
Why Use Social Media?
Since social media is free to use, you cannot afford not to utilize it once you discover its many benefits. In case you are concerned about HIPAA, there are plenty of ways to use social media without creating any privacy issues. Here are just a few of the many good reasons to use social media if you are a physician or run a medical practice.
You can get better reviews. According to research, 42 percent of Americans read health-related consumer reviews. Being active on social media and maintaining a good public image (as well as a personable one) boosts your ratings across several health review sites. If patients are unhappy or post a complaint, you can respond and resolve the issue. This shows that you care about patients and your reputation.
Word of mouth creates an impact. Even if the “word of mouth” phrase has shifted more towards “word of computer,” this is still an important factor for your business. According to research, 32 percent of people ask their family members and friends about their experiences with doctors and ask for recommendations. Another 29 percent talk to other patients about their experiences with certain illnesses. If patients suggest your social media pages to their friends and family members, you can build your reputation even more.
You can build meaningful relationships with patients. Using social media makes you more accessible. In a world where nearly everything is available on demand, you have to be as accessible as possible. People communicate these days differently. Not all people have the time or desire to pick up a phone or wait for a return call. They may want to send you messages with their questions on social media, because social media is a great tool for help with managing health today.
You have a competitive edge. Not all physicians realize the value of social media, and many do not have a strong online presence. You can stand above the competition by building your own brand, being an innovator and making yourself an advocate for your community. If people can see and understand your passions and contributions through what they read online, your personal brand receives a strong boost.
You have a more cost-effective marketing strategy. While paid ads and SEO are important, you should not rely solely on them for reaching a wider market. Since social media accounts are free to create, you can reach people without a big investment. You can also opt for paid ads to supplement your posts. Some social media sites provide analytic tools that help you see your reach, which types of posts garner the most engagement and how fast your follower base is growing. If you have satisfied patients, they will recommend you to their friends and family members.
Types Of Social Media
Today, there are social media sites based on the following:
- Blogs
- Videos
- Information sharing
- Written communication
Photos
Although one or two social media accounts may benefit you, having a presence across all major networks is a great solution. For example, a plastic surgeon can benefit from using a photo sharing social media platform to share before-and-after pictures of different procedures. Research shows that about 30 percent of people view pictures related to diseases or procedures online before seeking treatment.
A plastic surgeon could benefit from a video channel with demonstrations or informative videos about different procedures. Posting blogs about health tips or success stories and sharing the links to the posts using social media can boost traffic, increase revenue and draw in loyal patients.
Tips For Effective Content
Here are a few basic tips for social media posts to make them engaging:
- Focus on teaching people valuable things that they might search for with a search engine.
- Use photos, videos or other visuals whenever possible.
- Follow other medical professions and professional associations.
- Join conversations about your area of expertise to increase your visibility.
- Join groups related to your area of expertise.
- Ask other medical professionals questions to start conversations online.
- Always strive for 100 percent accuracy when posting facts.
- Make posts that encourage discussions, answers or feedback to maximize engagement.
How To Get Started
The biggest obstacle for medical professionals who want to use social media is time. Doctors are too busy helping patients, saving lives and being health advocates to spend copious amounts of time building a strong online presence. Also, family and social commitments make it hard to maintain social media accounts. Our marketing professionals understand these dilemmas that are unique to you as a physician.
Why spend the work doing it yourself when we can do it for you?
We help dentists, plastic surgeons, cardiologists, family physicians and all other types of doctors optimize their social media accounts. Our experts determine your target market and help develop strategies for reaching people. Also, we focus on engaging and retaining your current patients.
Social Media Marketing: A Holistic Approach
As our name implies, our strategies are clear, simple and concise to give you crystal-clear results. These are some of the other ways in which we help you build your brand and reputation.
Search Engine Optimization
The algorithms for search engine ranking are always changing, and keeping up with those changes can be a full-time job. We stay current with trends and know how to optimize everything from your page code to social media posts for maximum site traffic or engagement. There are many other components of successful SEO, and we will be happy to discuss them with you.
Search Engine Marketing
SEM utilizes paid advertising. You can bid on keywords related to your area of discipline. When people search those terms and other terms such as your location, you rank higher in search engines. Also, there are other types of programs that show people your ad on different sites when they search relevant terms. SEM is a great tool to use along with traditional marketing tactics.
Email Marketing
Our email marketing strategies focus on attracting new patients and maintaining your current ones. Automated emails are very effective for attracting and keeping patients with follow-ups when they contact you or after you call them back. Think of it as a way to stay in the forefront of their minds to maintain engagement.
Mobile Marketing
Mobile marketing is one of the most overlooked areas of online marketing today. However, more people use their tablets and smartphones to communicate, learn and search. If your blogs and sites are optimized for mobile platforms, you increase your potential viewers even more. We help you monitor mobile activity and develop strategies for quick conversion using the latest mobile technologies.
Blogging
Maintaining a blog and optimizing it boosts your traffic from organic searches and your keyword ranking on search engines. Also, you can make yourself an authority figure in your field of expertise. By posting useful content on a regular basis, you can gain more followers, more patients and more money. We can help you develop a strategy for creating posts that people will share across social media.
Online marketing is similar to a recipe. Each ingredient is good and has its own qualities. When one is missing, it can affect the final outcome of combining all other ingredients. If all ingredients are combined and preparation methods are followed, the outcome is good. If you use several forms of marketing but neglect social media, your overall result may not be optimal. When you combine social media marketing with SEO, email marketing and use proper techniques, you are much more likely to meet and even exceed an ideal outcome.
Since about 75 percent of medical professionals have yet to discover the full value of social media marketing and having a strong social media presence, now is the time to start building your unique brand. With innovative and knowledgeable online marketing experts on your side, you can meet your goals faster, establish yourself, strengthen your reputation or become an authority figure in your area of expertise.
