Patient acquisition comprises the sum total of marketing strategies adopted by healthcare service providers to bring in new patients. Merely relying on existing patients is not a sustainable revenue model because even the most loyal patients will make appointments only when they are sick.

To create a steady flow of revenue, consistently attracting new patients is necessary. Since consumers today are most likely to search for healthcare services online, collaborating with a digital marketing agency healthcare can help businesses monetize their online presence. The three-fold approach of patient acquisition, retention, and retargeting is the foundation of a successful healthcare business. 

Inputs from a Leading Digital Marketing Agency Healthcare

In the post-Covid-19 world, healthcare providers are struggling with newfound challenges. The erstwhile conservative industry has witnessed the emergence of new-age health-tech players. With the increasing demand for affordable and accessible healthcare, even non-medical businesses are keen on wooing consumers in this segment. Opting for the best digital marketing services and liaising with an astute team is the only way ahead for healthcare businesses to ensure a steady flow of new queries and appointments.

5 Proven Digital Marketing Strategies to Boost Patient Acquisition

• Focus on Local SEO for effective Geo-Targeting

Targeting potential customers in proximity is crucial for healthcare service providers. A majority of patients tend to search for medical practitioners, hospitals, pharmacies, pathology labs, alternative medicine specialists, and so on in the vicinity. Optimizing your website with apt localized keywords, building a robust GMB (Google My Business) Profile, and embedding Google Maps in your website/blog are some crucial local SEO practices for healthcare providers. 

• Initiate Content Marketing in Sync with the Sales Funnel

The foundation of a patient-centric content marketing strategy is laid with a systematic study of the requirements, search behaviour, and purchase cycle of an average patient. Based on this study, customized content can be created for every stage of the sales funnel. Nurturing prospects down this funnel consistently and predictably enables digital marketers to facilitate robust lead generation and higher conversions.

• Well-Structured PPC Campaign to Supplement Organic SEO Efforts

Organic SEO requires months of consistent efforts and keeping track of the latest search engine updates as well as minute algorithmic changes. While this is a non-negotiable process, not all businesses in this ruthless industry have the liberty to wait for months at a stretch. Hence, every SEO campaign should have a partial investment in PPC advertising to get immediate results. Rather than bidding for keywords with a broad match, healthcare services should invest in Responsive Search Ads, steered by data-driven keyword research. Leading healthcare brands are seamlessly merging data analytics with SEO to attain phenomenal click-through rates and conversions. 

• Precision-Based/Tailored Social Media Campaigns

Many healthcare start-ups and upcoming brands end up wasting their social media efforts because of a lack of precision. Start-ups can increase their social media followership by teaming up with relevant influencers from their niche. Social media campaigns should be centred on the ICP (Ideal Client Profile) and tracked using the right metrics. Channel-wise impressions, engagement rates, social sentiment, and audience growth rate are all indicative of a vibrant social media presence. Being active and responding to queries across important healthcare forums, using engaging video marketing to attract social media users, and strategic social media ads are tried-and-tested means to acquire new patients.

• Building a User-Friendly, Mobile-Optimized Website with Clear CTAs

Every digital marketing effort boils down to the business website- its overall look, speed, credibility, responsiveness, ease of navigation, content layout, engagement, informativeness, strategic placement of CTAs, and so on. No matter how much a healthcare brand invests in local SEO, PPC ads, or social media, it is the brand’s website that eventually determines if the patient goes ahead with booking the appointment or not.

Conclusion

With rapid digitization, the healthcare industry is becoming increasingly patient-centric. The average consumer is far more vigilant, discerning, and tech-savvy than ever before. Hence, clinging to traditional marketing and not exploring digital platforms is a grave mistake that will make businesses miss out on a sizeable chunk of lucrative business opportunities. Going the extra mile to understand your patients and fulfilling their needs will not only ensure patient retention but also yield the necessary feedback and insights for tailored, niche-specific marketing messages. Collaborating with a reputed digital marketing service provider is the best way to establish a credible online presence, acquire new patients, and etch a stable revenue generation model.

Author Bio: – Prashant Shukla is heading the search operations at Techmagnate. He is a digital marketing expert with more than 9 years of experience. He is sought-after for providing exponential growth to the businesses via digital marketing.