2020 made the entire world go online as physical interaction has become problematic at best and dangerous at worst. Every business has had to double down on their online presence, and the same is true for the medical industry. Online marketing for doctors can be a challenge, but Crystal Clear Digital Marketing has the tools and know-how you need to succeed.
Our custom practice management software provides a complete platform and has several useful features that can make your online marketing easier. Still, there are many medical service providers who have yet to complete this important transition. It’s tempting to think that you don’t need a strong online presence. After all, everyone needs doctors, right? Consider some of the following reasons why online marketing for doctors is crucial for success in 2020 and beyond.
Why Online Marketing for Doctors Matters More Than Ever in 2020
Everyone Is Online
Between lockdowns for public health and many companies allowing their employees to work from home, people are spending a lot of time online in 2020. While we won’t know the full extent of this until some time has passed, already we know that online content consumption has doubled this year. Online activity is up across all age groups and for all kinds of activity.
When it comes to your practice, the most relevant types of activity are social media use and reading websites. In both of these categories, roughly half of all users report spending significantly more time. If you are producing quality content for your online marketing strategy, you’re more likely to be seen.
You can expect this trend to continue well into 2021 as the pandemic shows no signs of slowing down. Even with the availability of vaccines, it will be quite some time before enough people are protected. Furthermore, it’s safe to assume that people could get used to this level of online activity and keep it up even when they don’t have to. If you haven’t already started your online marketing campaigns, it’s not too late.
Your Competition Is Already Ahead
While it might not be too late to start, you definitely don’t want to be left behind. The fact is that savvy medical professionals realize that online marketing for doctors is a must. Many of them are already several steps ahead. If search results are producing more hits for your competitors than they are for your practice, it’s time to get your marketing going.
You can get an idea of where you stand by using Google My Business, Google Trends, and the useful tool Answer the Public. The latter two in particular will help you find the search terms that people are using. Then you can test those terms yourself and see where your practice ranks.
This is especially important for local searches. When someone needs medical attention right away or is looking for a certain treatment or procedure, they tend to search for nearby businesses. Using Google My Business, you can make sure your information is updated and accurate.
Catch Up With Smart Software
When we ask doctors why they haven’t implemented a solid online marketing strategy, most of them claim they just don’t have the time to do so. One of the advantages of Crystal Clear’s practice management software is that we help you automate some of your marketing tasks. You can connect your social media accounts to the Social Patient Center and automate up to 85% of your patient communication.
Using great patient management software simplifies online marketing for doctors and allows you to focus on your patients. If you’re behind the competition, get an edge with automation.
Patients Prefer Online Interaction
Telehealth services have seen massive surges in use this year. The CDC started tracking the use of telehealth visits early this year at the start of the pandemic and published its findings at the end of October. What they found was a whopping 154% increase in the number of virtual visits compared to the same time in 2019. If your practice hasn’t yet adopted this technology, you absolutely must.
Telehealth and online marketing are more connected than you might think. Consider it from the patient’s perspective. If a doctor doesn’t have much of an online presence and isn’t active on social media, how likely is it that they also provide telehealth services? And if they do, how good can they be?
By routinely uploading high-quality content as part of your online marketing strategy, you’re going to send the message that you are a tech expert and can handle virtual consultations with ease. Besides, you want your patients to meet with you virtually as much as possible since you can see more people in less time using this method. Market your telehealth services and let your patients know how they can meet with you virtually.
Data Privacy Online
Our software has a robust suite of telehealth features. Not only can you meet with patients virtually through the Social Patient Center, but they can also sign documents, pay bills, and see their records. Most importantly, our software allows you to stay compliant with HIPAA regulations while providing telehealth services.
Patients care about their data privacy and this is something you should mention in your online marketing. Given the sensitive nature of medical data, your patients want to know that their data is safe, and studies have shown this consistently. Make it a point to tell your patients about your data privacy practices and how you protect their data from breaches using high-quality software.
Even though some HIPAA rules regarding virtual interactions have been relaxed this year, you still need to use appropriate software for those interactions. All virtual consultations must be conducted using private-facing software, in other words, tools that cannot be accessed by anyone other than the two of you during the consultation. Our tools comply with these standards and we’re constantly updating our software to stay compliant with HIPAA regulations.
Customers Trust Online Reviews
Another important aspect of online marketing for doctors are reviews. More than ever, patients search for reviews online before making decisions about where to get a treatment or procedure. This is another area where the Google My Business app can help you, but you can improve your review management even further with patient management software.
Providing great service to your patients is important, but it’s even more important to let others know about your good work. If your online marketing strategy doesn’t encourage people to leave good reviews, then you are less likely to attract new clients. Furthermore, your marketing should highlight the positive reviews that you do receive. Always broadcast good news about your business.
How can you secure more reviews and let people know? It’s easy with the right tools.
Automate Reviews and Surveys
One of the features of our PM software is the ability to automate review requests. You can set it up to send your patients a review request immediately after a treatment or after several days have passed. You can customize the timeframe and the information requested according to the type of service provided, too.
You can also attach incentives to these review requests. For example, a patient could receive a discount on their next service if they complete a review. The system will automatically save that discount and apply it on the next visit without you having to press a single button.
Likewise, you can send out surveys to all of your patients at regular intervals. These are great for getting valuable customer feedback and helping you make decisions about your practice. Let your followers know about your surveys on social media too, and always post those positive reviews where they can be seen.
Online Marketing Is Easy to Track
These days, data analytics tools have become very intuitive and easy to use. When your marketing goes digital, you can take advantage of these tools and obtain more insights into how effective your marketing campaigns have been. If you’re still relying on traditional advertising through TV, radio, or physical mail, you’re missing out on a plethora of vital data.
All of your digital marketing can be tracked to determine how your customers respond. For example, if you send an email to all of your clients, you’ll know who opened it or who threw it away. You can use that data to then adjust your approach, perhaps changing the message to try and target those non-responders more effectively.
Likewise, you can track your social media activity and see which posts had more engagement. This allows you to figure out what works and what doesn’t, making your marketing more efficient. Any marketing you send through our software gets tracked automatically. You can download full reports to find out how successful your strategy is and make adjustments accordingly.
The Power to Personalize
Speaking of those adjustments, the power to personalize is one of the most potent abilities in the world of marketing. Even though customers are suspicious of big data, most surveys show that people actually prefer targeted ads that are relevant to their lives as opposed to generic messaging from a business.
Essentially, when you broadcast an ad to everyone, you’re speaking to no one. In contrast, online marketing gives you the power to tailor your messages to specific clients. This is a great way to drive engagement and bring in potential new clients.
Personalization in Practice Management Software
Crystal Clear knows how important it is to customize your content to the client. Not only can you create specific messages for your social media posts or emails, but you can also easily decide who sees them with smart filters. For instance, if you offer a service that only women would use, you can make sure you’re not mailing it to every man on your list.
You can also create custom content for each service or product you offer. Whether it’s a custom survey or personalized email, your marketing will be more effective. Since you can automate all of this, you won’t have to dedicate hours every week to your marketing strategy.
The bottom line is that your content needs to be catered in 2020 and beyond, otherwise you’ll be missing the mark more often than not.
The Choice Is Crystal Clear
Crystal Clear Digital Marketing has designed its tools with the medical industry in mind. We’re a leader in marketing for doctors precisely because we know what you need and have built a platform that provides you with a full suite of solutions. If you would like to know more about how our patient management software can help your practice to grow and flourish, then call Crystal Clear today.
