Marketing Your Medical Practice (Part 2) by Nora Campbell

May 29th, 2007

1. Community Acknowledgment: Simply put –the less your presence in the community the less your business with the community. There are many ways to make your name known in the community. Join your local chamber of commerce. Also, join a community service group (i.e. Lions, Elks, Rotary, etc.). People tend to do more business with people they are familiar with. Give more people a reason to know you; it will increase your business!

2. Expanding Online: Make pertinent information about your medical practice easily accessible for your patients by creating a website for it. More and more people rely on the internet for researching doctors and medical practices. A website would allow your patients to learn more about your medical practice and learn more about a variety of different services that your medical practice offers. Also, it will make it easier for them to share information about your medical practice with friends and family.

3. News Letters: If you do not already send out news letters for your medical practice then you should certainly consider doing so. News letters are great for several reasons. The most important advantage of mailing out newsletters to your patients is contact. They allow you to stay in constant contact with your patients and create a sense of caring for your patients that will in turn help gain their loyalty.

4. Paid Advertising: This is the unthinkable for many and even thought of as tacky for some medical practices. However, paid advertising should be considered for every practice. Paid advertising can be done in a very tasteful manner and can bring in additional revenue if done properly. It allows you to reach the majority of your target patient group. Statistics show that a television is on for at least seven hours in the average United States home. Seize the opportunity!

5. Articles: Identify the magazines, newsletters, and web sites that serve your target patient group. Then write articles and submit them for publication to these various news outlets. The people who read these will be more attentive and interested in what you have to say. This will help in spreading your practice name and what it has to offer. Also, make sure your patients and prospects know of your achievements and benchmarks by placing acknowledgments and congratulations in the local newspaper and definitely in your newsletter.

6. Physician Recognition: Would you prefer to go to a physician whom is not known for his great patient care or a physician who has been publicly recognized for his high quality of care and practice standards? Obviously you would go to the physician that is known for great patient care. Patients prefer to go to someone they think will take better care of them. So, show everyone that you will take great care of them! One way to obtain such recognition is through physician quality recognition programs like the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and the Texas Council on Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke. This would be a great promotional item for your practice in all aspects of your marketing campaign.

7. Networking: It can be a hassle some times but it is a great way to obtain high references. Other physicians and nurses will not refer patients to a practice that they do not know well or a practice that keeps to itself. So, develop and maintain business relationships with physicians and nurses in hospitals and other clinics. Your practice should benefit greatly from it.

Entry Filed under: appointment reminders, lab results, collection calls, health alerts, general