2020 has started as a unique year. For the first time in many decades, the healthcare industry will lead the world’s recovery into restoring normalcy. Searches related to health were already number 3 on Google’s most-searched list and there is no reason to deny that its frequency is only going to increase. Before 2020 struck, 94% of all patients were already reading online reviews while selecting a doctor and a clinic. 77% were on Google researching hospitals and 88% were making appointments over their mobile phones. The COVID-19 situation will reinforce all these as patients are sure to engage more online before actually visiting a professional.
As already evident, your digital marketing strategy will determine your conversion. If you want these targeted searchers to become your patients and take your world-class services, you will need to get your word out over platforms where people are actually spending their time. Throughout 2020 and 2021, a few strategies are bound to work. And that is where your focus must lie.
Local + Global SEO
Search Engine Optimization allows your website to rank in search engines and show up when people search for a particular healthcare need. The first thing to do is to create a quick list of keywords that reflect your hospital’s services and follow all SEO steps as suggested by an digital marketing expert.
Google My Business allows you to further improve your visibility in Google search results and maps. For instance, a search for the “best heart clinic near me” returns a map on Google with nearby clinic locations and three top results with contacts right under it. This is achieved via local SEO
Similarly, you will also want to rank at the top in the organic section. That involves the global SEO strategy. SEO still brings the most targeted visitors to websites and this is where you must start. Mobile users shouldn’t be forgotten.Maximum people use mobile devices for these searches. It’s a must to have a mobile-friendly site that is easily displayed and navigable to make people stay on your site.
Content Marketing
Along with the 77% of patients who are researching hospitals on Google, 44% do them via their smartphones. And during that research phase, they are typically checking out your expertise and services. An experienced digital marketing company will fill your site with meaningful content. Content that benefits the customer.
Blogs, eBooks, whitepapers, animations and infographics – all help your visitors to gain knowledge and make informed decisions. Content marketing closely complements SEO and establishes your authority as the best healthcare service provider in that locality.
Use content to enegage the patients. Make them feel that the hospital or clinic is not always a scary place to visit. Apollo Hospital organized a quiz competition on Twitter and received a lot of engagement.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing and healthcare are a powerful combination. With over a billion users on Facebook and 800 million on Instagram, social media can be your treasure trove. The sheer number of engagement opportunities that are on offer makes social media the most effective of all digital marketing strategies. Social networks are important health information source, and not just for millennials. Approximately 90% of older adults use social media to seek and share health information
As doctors, you can conduct live sessions and answer patient questions to gather trust. As hospitals, you can gain reference through your employee posts and customer feedback. You can also use the power of stories and targeted ads to increase your followers and ultimately convert them to your regular patients.
Use social media to showcase your facility, the safey measures and the state of art equipment used. Offer followers health tips. Expert health tips are one of the most liked and shared social media posts.
Many people now get their news from social media rather than from newspapers. This makes social platforms a key place to share breaking health information.
Influencer Marketing
Expert talk always pulls crowd. Exprerts and Influencers today have the capacity of connecting with millions of people. Get in touch with medical bloggers or some famous doctor.
This can be a way to start expert influencer marketing. For example, if a known ENT doctor talks about respiratory healthcare in this COVID 19 times and any hospital shares that video on social media channels then millions of people will definitely watch it.
Another form of influencer marketing is using celebrities. if you are have a skin clinic and any known local or celebrity inlfluencer visits the clinic and makes post about the same in her social handle it gains million sviews. The clinic website too can accumulate many referrals. Guest blogging is a secret strategy where the influencer introduces the doctor/clinic expert and the latter then goes on to address a patient’s pain-point or talks how that particular doctor ot clinic helped them.
Websites like Quora and Medium are also fascinating spaces to gain outreach and educate patients so that your brand clicks on their minds when the need for a service arises.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most authentic digital marketing strategy and is also one of the most effective ways to convey the message to the audience. Sending emails which latest news, website blog content or any other recent information of the hospital always works.
Sending the content via emails provides a personal touch to the audience and many prefer reading it. As per a survey most consider an email from any reputed company as authentic. Also keeping a call-to-action button can be a helpful component to get leads.
Healthcare and digital marketing are closely related. Healthcare is becoming more of a collaboration between doctors and consumers, which is why digital marketing has become the most effective way to grow healthcare brands and increase sales.
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