Here’s how to turn current patient satisfaction into one of your most valuable marketing assets.
Word-of-mouth is one of the most effective forms of marketing for medical practices, but how best to cultivate it? Because of the close relationships between doctors and patients, healthcare providers are in a unique position to benefit from customer advocacy marketing. Through a mix of old-fashioned relationship building and impactful digital channels, your existing pool of satisfied patients can actually be an incredibly valuable marketing resource.
In the internet age, patients have become more “active” than ever before — this means they’re taking it upon themselves to go online, conduct their own health-related research, and make their own decisions about treatment. Medical practices must capitalize on this trend, providing these empowered patients with genuinely insightful, high-quality content in order to capture their initial interest and ultimately secure their business.
You should regularly post blogs, helpful guides, and quick tips on your practice’s website, social media accounts, and email newsletters. This helps build credibility and trust among existing patients, which is a vital factor when it comes to peer recommendations. It also keeps patients thinking about you — if a friend asks for a referral concerning a condition that your practice specializes in, chances are you’ll be top-of-mind. It’s also helpful to have a quality body of work that someone can point to when giving a recommendation.
Encouraging satisfied patients to post reviews and testimonials on third-party review sites, your social media pages, and across their own accounts will go a long way in boosting your digital presence and general trust in your brand. Of course, you’ll want to maximize the visibility of such content by syndicating it across your practice’s official channels — i.e., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and of course your website.
At the end of the day, patients are only going to brag about your practice if you provide them with services and experiences that are actually worth bragging about. Always treat your patients with respect, listen to them to their questions and provide them with easy-to-understand answers, and make yourself (or your staff) as available as possible via email, contact submission forms, or phone in between in-office appointments.
Remember that peer-to-peer referrals are worth their weight in gold — when it comes to turning your patients into brand advocates for your medical practice, a little extra effort always goes a long way.