Facebook and Twitter Dentist Marketing

As a dentist seeking more patients, you might have heard the buzz. Your neighboring dentist has a Facebook Page and a Twitter Profile. But does that get him new patients? A Facebook page or a Twitter profile is quite similar to having a website. Just by having a website, you won’t get patients. It is the case with Facebook and Twitter also. What’s the use of a website, Facebook Page or Twitter profile if your target audience in not interested in it?

A Facebook fan page, A Twitter profile and a dental website are just the basic amenities one should possess before commencing a marketing campaign. They illustrate your practice in a certain way. If you lay these platforms for prospective patients, then those visits will eventually turn into real patients.

There are some key elements that go into making a perfect Facebook Page for a Dental Practice. A result-oriented Facebook page should be:

Creatively designed.
Must possess professional and attractive photos and videos.
Easy to use and communicate.
Easy to grab and understand information.
The contact page should be in bold letters and highly visible.
Live and regularly updated.

If you have a website then it must contain an active blog segment where you discuss various dental issues with patients. But when it comes to a Facebook Page or Twitter Profile, you should have prevalent updates, information and promotions for patients.

It is paramount to understand that after having a well designed Facebook Fan Page or Twitter Profile, you should find a target audience and encourage them to visit your pages and successively call your practice. Also it is important to keep communication with them.

The ultimate goal of setting up a Facebook Fan Page or Twitter Profile is to get the prospective clients to call your dental practice and schedule an appointment. There are many techniques used to find the right audience. For instance, follow individuals on Twitter who tweet about their toothache. 

Remember: Facebook and Twitter dental marketing works only for those who are actively involved in these social media platforms. Having them just for sake of it will not produce any result.

Video Promotion for Dental Practices

It’s already a proven fact that having a strong online presence can help a dental practice immensely. But once prospective patients start visiting your site and actively seek quality dental services online, what more can you do to improvise conversions? How can you make your website attractive so that more patients will call?

When it comes to finding a good, experienced dentist online, people search extensively. They start-off with searching for a dental practice in their locality, then compare with other websites found in the results.

While the decision making process involves several factors, one common aspect of those websites which do a better job at persuading potential clients to call their office are those sites which give clients a strong reason to believe. Trust is the most important attribute of clients calling a dental practice. A website that cannot develop trust among potential clients is useless.

How can an individual develop trust for a website?

Only way you can engender faith among clients is when they know you. But in the case of online marketing, it all depends on your website’s “call to action.” That’s where a professionally made, presentation video becomes a decisive factor. Through website videos, dentists can give a fair introduction of themselves, their services, inculcate belief and provide the motivation that will help a likely patient to call their practice.

Video presentation gives your practice an edge over your competitors. If an individual seeking a dentist searches numerous dental websites and finds your website with a video, you possess a better chance he/she will call your office. One of the greatest aspects of video presentation is that it is cost-effective and result-oriented inbound marketing technique.

Social Media and Dentist Reputation

Conventionally, word of mouth has been the only source of reputation management for dentists. However, advent of the internet has changed the world of dental care industry. Though referrals and references still form a major part of client accretion, dentists should now consider taking full benefits of social media platforms. Many dentists have integrated internet in their marketing plan, still a number of them have not been able to come good with the social media terms. But not considering social media can have a negative impact on the practice’s growth. 

With social media, patients can give their reviews on a dental practice. Given its nature, both good and bad comments can spread like fire. A single negative comment can have a lasting effect on the practice’s reputation. Therefore, the challenge is how you can convert a negative review into a positive one. The following steps can assist dentists manage their online reputation:

Before commencing online reputation management, it is critical to go through all social media platforms that can be helpful to the dentistry. Some of the popular social networking websites include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace, Yelp and so on. Identifying which platforms are result-oriented can facilitate reputation management in the longer run.

After determining the possible channels, the next move is to gain some control over these mediums. Off late, Yelp has proven to be a useful social media platform. Even though it is used to search information regarding restaurants, a number of users are finding it as an effective source for quality dental services. Establishing a Yelp account is a big step towards reputation management.

When a prospective patient turns his/her attention towards your practice, the best you can do is revert to his/her comment or tweet. It is crucial to respond to every comment. By actively participating in the conversation, dentists can leave a positive impression. 

Regrettably, some dental practices suffer from negative reviews and responses. Clients remark on various aspects like costs, services, procedures, etc. The best way to rectify these negative comments is to deal with the issues individually. Make sure you clearly address their concerns and provide a different solution.

Why Dental Practices Must Write

Many dental practices have a website providing crucial information about working hours, staff members, services and address. However, not many dentists choose to write. With more patients searching the internet for quality dental services, not having a blog can bring negativity to the practice. Blogs are crucial for communicating, as they provide a direct channel between the dentist and the probable patient.

Reasons why dentists should take up blogging

A blog is a modern way of marketing, which ensures your practice receives multiple benefits. The following credits will give you a clear idea how blogging can enhance your reputation whilst increasing the number of patients:

In today’s tech savvy environment, people find the internet as their premier source of information for products, restaurants, and services. And, this includes dental practices. In fact, more individuals are performing search regarding best dental services. A blog can be an asset for dentists to share their perspective and give an initial introduction of the practice. With that early introduction, patients will have a fair idea of the practice.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the procedure of enhancing website ranking in search engine results through online and offline methods. Using SEO is valuable for websites, as it increases their ranking and subsequently the visibility. Blogging assists SEO big time, as it provides the website with new content, which is indexed by search engines easily. Furthermore, blogging also increases the back links.

Blogging is an inbound marketing strategy, which improves website traffic by attracting leads. Once visitors are drawn to your website, they will keep your practice mind when the time comes to visit a dentist. Restrict self-promotion of your content, as it might blow away the prospective patients.

Building credibility is equally important for dentists who rely heavily on referrals and patient satisfaction in order to retain old clients and generate new ones. Blogs are a great way to demonstrate reputation, showing that dentist has in-depth knowledge of his practice. By giving likely clients a positive first impression, they are more likely to visit the dental practice.

Medical Marketing with Online Videos

Struggling to attract new patients has been the feature of many medical practices. Very few practices know how to make an effective use of all the resources in a fresh, unique and pioneering way. Medical marketing using online videos can help you withstand some serious competition from other doctors and medical professionals in your area.

So why invest in developing videos? Video marketing is an efficient way to engage with old patients and simultaneously attract new ones. A short, simple and professionally created video has the power to convey your message across thousands of probable patients without spending much. Videos allow physicians to connect with prospective patients even before their visit to the clinic. Some of the key benefits associated with online video marketing include:

• Easy deliverability of your core message to probable patients.

• Affordable marketing solution that fits your budget.

• Distribution to YouTube for a broader reach and exposure.

• Easily found in leading search engines along with search engine optimization benefits.

• Drives more visitors to your medical practice website.

• Creates a positive image about your practice in prospective patients’ mind.

Whether you own a dental practice or a cardiology, following online video marketing tips will benefit you in an exponential way:

• If you have developed an e-video for your practice, don’t forget to upload it on YouTube. This may be obvious, but many healthcare professionals forget to upload their video on YouTube. Instead, they upload it on their website that targets only a handful of clients. Uploading your video on YouTube gives your practice a chance to reach millions of people.

• Social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter allow video sharing. Upload your practice’s video on these sites for fans and followers to see. In addition, your fans will be able to share your video with friends making more people aware of your practice.

• Make sure your video is not lengthy. Exaggerated video can turn off the mood of a potential client. A 30-second video is enough to explain your practice, services and even introduce yourself and supporting team to the patient.

Tips To Keep Dust Mites under Control

When it comes to allergies, dust mites are the biggest culprits. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 10% of the Americans are susceptible to dust mites and they account for at least 90% of allergy and asthma cases. Dust mites breed in high humidity regions. That is why they are prevalent when the season changes.

You cannot get rid of dust mites. They are found everywhere; inside cleanest of carpets, under the bed sheets, pillow, etc. they live in your bedding, furniture and rugs. The only thing you can do with dust mites is contain them.

Allergy medications, immunotherapy along with herbal treatment can help mange symptoms in individuals suffering allergy caused by dust mites. Here’s a dropdown on how you can reduce your daily exposure to dust mites:

• Keep humidity levels below 50% at your home, since dust mites thrive in humid conditions. Use a dehumidifier in basement and garage to achieve right temperatures.

• Don’t go for carpets. In fact, if you have one, replace it with hard floor surface like hardwood, linoleum, or tile.

• Wash your bed sheets, pillow covers in hot water regularly.

• Cover up your face if you intend to do cleaning of the house. If you do not wish to, have a person who is not allergic to dust mites or indoor allergens.

Consider replacing old furniture with leather furniture, which can be easily cleaned.

It might be tough task to keep dust mites under control, but it worth it. Your house will be cleaner and you will be less likely to suffer from runny nose, itchiness, sore throat, etc.

November Practice Marketing Tip 2012

Have you keeping a track of your website’s performance? What does it shows you? Probably, not the result you were hoping for. Something needs to be done in order to revive your website’s visibility. Search engine optimization possesses all the tools that can fulfill your desired goals, maybe to an extent. Search Engine Optimization is auto mechanic that tweaks and twitches your website to make it visibly higher in search rankings of Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

What’s more, it adds up to your practice’s credibility without having to invest a lot. SEO has taken big steps forward. SEO experts have gone from basic keyword research and site analysis to a completely new avenue of on-page and off-page optimization, social media optimization along with complete reporting and analytics.

Just think of what SEO experts can do to your website. To make it patients and referring physicians friendly, they will tweak the content, do relevant keyword research, submit links and directories, etc. The main aim of SEO is to make sure your website is listed as high as possible in the first few pages of search results on major search engines.

If you want to create a solid platform and cement a place in the healthcare industry, you will need the tools that search engine optimization offers. Its demand has risen considerably in the past few years because of fierce competition in the medical profession. Keep one thing in mind: only an SEO service provider can rightly guide you through the process.

Success is what every medical practitioner seeks. With success comes credibility and higher returns. Acceptance of SEO as a part of your practice’s success will benefit you, even in the longer run. 

Combine eMedia and Traditional Marketing Strategies

Ever since the inception of internet, doctors have realized it is their best bet to attract new patients. Most of the physicians are now marketing their practice on the internet. They believe it’s the right way to go. To be fair to them, I think in order to be a successful physician, one need to have an online presence.

This however, does not mean that physicians have to abandon traditional marketing strategies. Why would you, when you can get a number of patients through those channels. The trick lies in how well you blend eMedia and traditional marketing strategies.

Emedia marketing strategies comprise a web page, search engine optimization, social media, writing articles and blogs etc. Besides, they form an integral part of driving patients straight to your website. However, never forget what conventional strategies like print advertising, brochures, pamphlets, tele-communication can to for your practice.

Physicians choosing emedia marketing strategies only will miss some great opportunities to woo the patients and vice-versa. While results may take a while with emedia marketing strategies, traditional marketing methods provide instant results.

Every physician in the healthcare industry wants as much patients as he/she can get on a daily basis. Keeping the current internet savvy scenario in the mind, one would obviously opt for emedia marketing methods. However, conventional marketing methods create an impact differently. They are largely different from emedia marketing methods.

As a physician, if you want to make the most of medical marketing, blend traditional and emedia marketing strategies. Give it some time and you will realize, you have made the right move.

4 Ways to Help Build Your Healthcare Practice Today

Not getting enough patients? Worried about your medical practice going down the hill? If you are faced by such questions, then the time has come to look for alternatives to attract new patients. Marketing is an influential way to build a medical practice. Through marketing, you can achieve your desired goals. Many physicians are using different marketing strategies to good effect in order to take their practice to the next level. Listed below are four proven ways to help build your healthcare practice:

• Imagine this! A patient walks up your clinic and your staff behaves abruptly. He’s not allowed to meet you simply because he asked too many questions. What would be his reaction? He will simply walk back wowing never to return. I hope you got my point. Your supporting staff or front desk personnel plays as much of an important role as you. Train your staff to generous with patients. Ask them to clear their doubts in a polite way. This will have a positive effect on the patient’s mind.

• Share your expertise with patients. Write articles or blogs concerning your area either in local newspapers or on the internet. This is a sure shot way to increase exposure and build your practice. Provide relevant information on healthcare tips, various diseases and treatment in your articles. Whole idea behind this exercise is to educate as many ‘would-be’ patients.

• There’s a famous quote, “Easier said than done.” Medical marketing is a tough nut to crack and sometimes it takes a toll on mind and body. To get out of this predicament, hire professionals in medical marketing. They have a clear idea of clients’ expectations. They will advise you only those strategies, which will move your practice in the forward direction.

• Build an online presence. Believe me; in the current competitive world, it is a must. Start with creating a website. Mention all the necessary information like practice’s name, address, operational hours, emergency attending (if you provide any), services and so on. While writing the content, focus on certain keywords that are commonly used by patients to find your practice.

Marketing is not a onetime effort. You have to review the results as you go along. For best results, change your approach every now and then.

2 Unique Approaches to Attract More Patients and Referrals

Patient attraction has always been number one priority for healthcare professionals. And why not, they are their only source of livelihood. It is tough being in the healthcare industry, as driving more patients to the clinic is becoming ever so intricate. Gone are those days when only traditional marketing methods would fill the appointment books. This is 21st Century and people are tech savvy. They carry internet wherever they go. From personal computers and laptops to tablets and smartphones, internet is everywhere. However, there is a twist. You cannot make your practice successful without combining both traditional and modern marketing methods. Lately, two unique approaches have come up and I want to share them.

• Pinterest has been the latest addition to the world of social media. Here you can upload your images concerning your medical practice. For example, you can create a separate board featuring “before” and “after” images of patients. That will add credibility to your work. You can pin your pictures and encourage others to pin it. Moreover, you can add a link to your website with these pins and encourage others to visit your site.

• If you don’t feel comfortable doing the marketing stuff on your own, hire the services of a reputed medical marketing agency. Professionals working in these agencies know how to build a medical practice’s reputation. They have a clear idea of what is expected from a reputed physician. From website designing to e-videos, they can handle everything allowing you to focus solely on your practice.

These two unique, fresh and proven approaches are a great way to acquire more patients. Induct them into your medical marketing campaign and you will see the difference in quick time.

Medical Marketing in Yellow Pages

When a doctor decides to step into the world of advertising, he/she often thinks of Yellow Pages as a useful tactic. Generally, the Yellow Pages are considered the second best marketing investment after the internet. A perfectly crafted advertisement in the Yellow Pages may not bring in hoards of patients, but will give your practice enough exposure to ensure a reasonable flow of patients. Let’s say, ROI should be around 3:1 rather than 20:1. That’s exceptional as compared to ROI from other marketing avenues. 

In the current scenario, patients turn to their insurance plan benefit books to find a relevant doctor, but every now and then go through the Yellow Pages as well. The patients who turn to the Yellow Pages to find a physician are new to the community, or new enough to be a first time consumer of medical care. In a society where isolation of the individual and transience of our population leaves many patients without trusted friends, patients are looking for a specialist to whom they can refer themselves.

When a patient opens a Yellow page, we have fair bit of idea, he/she is looking for physician practice, specialty, and services closer home. Patients get attracted to those advertisements, which are characterized by an image, price, working hours, etc. Knowing these factors, we can easily design an ad targeting the specific type of patients we want. Usually, there are three types of ads available:

• Regular listings: Short and simple. These are small lines that every doctor possesses. Free of cost in general listings and paid in Special listings. In addition, bold, color and extra lines attract more investment.

• Informational listings: These are the ones in column, highlighted by the boxes with expanded information and some customization available.

• Display ads: These are the best of the lot with colorful content out of the column.

There are certain things that you need to keep in mind before thinking of advertising in the Yellow Pages. Give a reason for potential patients to believe why you are an expert in your field.

Source: http://www.practicebuilders.com/

How Internet Has Influenced Doctor Marketing

The internet has developed so fast in the last few years that it has changed the way medical marketing is done. It has opened a range of avenues and become a proverbial marketing tool. Transformation from yester years’ paper files to today’s laptops, notebooks and smartphones, internet has assisted healthcare professionals all over the world in providing information to every corner of the globe.

No industry is spared from the internet revolution. Even the followers of traditional marketing methods are increasingly becoming internet-ready to meet the demands of young clients. So, what impact does internet has made on the healthcare industry? This article will explain how internet has come out as a new brand to promote medical services.

The internet started as an information and research hub. Slowly and steadily, spreading its wings, it became from an educational tool to an engine of commerce. Patients now can sit in the convenience of their home and learn about your practice and services. Chances are bright they will look forward to internet for getting information about the services. Take website for example. Doctors are now using this medium to expand their patient base. With the availability of internet, clients too search for websites that can provide relevant information related to their medical issues.

In the past, doctors used to contact patients through research and ultimately through their advertising efforts. The internet has authorized physicians with an enhanced ability to connect with patients to learn about their issues. Similarly, in the case of patients, they are now empowered to know a doctor’s practice and services in details. Additionally, they can even approach them during the “off working hours.”

Look at social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Ever since their inception, doctors have benefited immensely. Now they are connected to not only the current lot of patients, but potential ones also. They are in a position to describe their practice in a profound way. Round the clock connectivity is what these social media platforms offer and patients are happy to know doctors are taking it to their full advantage.

Hospital Marketing Ideas for Doctors

The role of creating a suitable marketing strategy and its effective execution is quintessential for a hospital, than a bank, hotel or telecom service provider. The seemingly unwanting period for a hospital where patients are less is often the result of inadequate marketing. Contrary to popular belief, marketing entangles much more than just market communication. The more comprehensive your marketing and branding, the better chance you will have in achieving desired results. Following marketing strategies will help you in attracting a new line of patients.

What does your website actually tells about your hospital? Is it a professional, attractive and organized website? Or, is it lacking something? Simply hire a professional website designer, who can redefine the look of your website to make it warmer, inviting, modern and family-oriented. Additionally, post some attractive images of your hospital to convey the right impression across the public. Your website should be such that it reflects the vision and feeling of your hospital.

Interaction with the public is of utmost importance and blogs are proving to be an invaluable tool. More and more information is propagated through doctor blogs and people are turning online to find relevant information. Easy-to-use blogs empower you to reach a wider audience. Plus, blogs have the ability to establish hospital as authorities on any given subject matter.

Email marketing has been the most effective means of marketing and hospitals are using it to good effect. If your hospital is one of those, which isn’t using email marketing for promotion, think again! Most hospitals list weekly or monthly newsletters to current and prospective patients as well as doctors. So, what is it that’s holding you back? Step on the gas and go for it.

There is a reason behind why SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has been meticulously successful since its inception. Correct combination of keyword-rich content, Meta tags, title tags, link building and submissions can fetch your hospital website an enormous amount of traffic. To get the best benefits, hire SEO experts, who thrive on the knowledge of Google’s algorithm calculations.  Keeping the integrity of your message, experts will assist your hospital management achieve outstanding results.

Apart from Search Engine Optimization, there are other methods to get to the first page of leading search engines- and one of that is- Pay-Per-Click marketing. Carefully figured-out Pay-Per-Click campaign is a sure shot way to driving huge number of internet users to your hospital website. Additionally, these campaigns require comparatively less investments as you pay only when a visitor visits your website. Multiple beneficiary Pay-Per-Click marketing stupendously boasts traffic to your website using detailed, targeted and relevant campaigns.

At the end of the day, all you want is large number of satisfied patients. Periodically, alter your hospital marketing strategies to achieve desired goals.

Marketing Ideas For Physicians

Operating a medical practice can be a money-spinning business, but when patients have lots to choose from, standing out among competitors can become a challenge. The success of your practice depends how well you bring new patients and keep the existing ones. Gone are those days where physicians could simply rely on word of mouth. Changes in demand for physician services have made a positive impact on the healthcare industry. But, why is it then physicians still rely on old, traditional form of advertising? Here’s a quick look at some of the contemporary and ethical practice marketing strategies.

1. People look forward to internet for finding information, more than ever. Each day, millions of internet users type several keywords in Google, Yahoo and Bing. An attractive website, topped with Search Engine Optimization can rake in higher volume of traffic to your website. Additionally, your website will become much more visible. Your website should convey the right message and convinces patients that you are the right doctor for their needs. Other useful information like services offered, breakthrough cases, accolades can set your website apart.

2. To position yourself as an expert in your medical practice and build trust in the minds of patients, just pen down the articles. With various free article submission sites at your service, you can publish your articles online and on the website. Since, people are internet savvy these days, this is the perfect medium to educate them and extend your patient base. Don’t forget to mention your name, office address, credentials, services and working hours in the articles.

3. Newsletters are a great way to promote your practice. Emails and e-newsletter have a tendency to generate high ROI. A nicely crafted newsletter sent once or twice a month is a great way to keep in touch with patients. Share your knowledge, expertise, experiences and latest developments at your practice. If you feel you are not good at this job, hire a professional.

4. This one sounds a bit tacky, but direct-mail marketing still works. You may be sending postcards to patients already, but what if you add an extra bit to it. Why not offer something that lures them in visiting again? If you are unsure of what to give, think of their needs. For example, a cardiologist might offer free heart checkup. You could tell them about the latest techniques you are using to improve your services.

5. Associate with different doctors to give your referrals. More often, a general doctor refers patients to a specialty doctor. Partner with a general practitioner in exchange of providing him free advertising. Moreover, you can also ask your patients to refer you to their friends and relatives.

Doctor Practice Marketing Ideas

Acquiring a steady stream of patients has always been a difficult task for doctors. Your credibility as a physician may be based on referrals, but many of the patients will come through direct marketing efforts. Doctor marketing is a continuous process and requires investment of time and logical thinking into core strategies that reach out to your target audience on a constant basis. Besides, these strategies should be measurable and able to generate high ROI.

Traditional advertising methods can show quick, positive results, but comes at an extreme cost. Today’s well-known doctors are exploring different online marketing channels to lure patients searching the internet for absolute treatment. Internet marketing including pay-per-click advertising, articles, blogs, social media and search engine optimization can help you generate a new line of patients month after month without affecting your budget. Economy is dwindling and certain equated steps can bring cheers to your face.

Generate more leads with healthcare online directory listings. Make your practice visible in front of thousands of patients looking for physicians in their area by securing a listing on a major physician directory. With the use specific online healthcare directories, your listing can be an indispensable lead generation tool that will continue to lure new patients time after time. A higher return with low costs is the essence of online directories.

Inconclusive and outdated websites very often leads potential patients to nullify your practice. Be quick-witted on your part and invest some resources in designing a good-looking, professional website that is bespoke for your practice, and; provides patients with a sneak peek into what you have to offer. It’s difficult for a doctor to design a website, therefore, hire a reputed medical marketing company that offers easy-to-use web management applications, which provides full control of the website to doctors.

Potential clients need to know why they should trust you and your services. In order to make a valuable impact, post patient testimonials and reviews on your website, blog and other pages so that prospective clients have a fair bit of idea what to expect when they visit your clinic. Before and after photos make a great way of winning a patient’s confidence. They are essential to your practice growth.

Some of the proven medical marketing ideas comprise social networking websites Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. Maintain a profile and stay active on these sites. Become a part of a community that shows interest in your services. Educate your staff how to make an effective use of social media. In the off periods, have them write blogs, comment on Facebook and tweet on Twitter. Social media platforms have the power to add credibility to your practice.
No matter how hard you try, without medical marketing you and your practice won’t survive in this tough, competitive world. The sooner you realize, the better it is!

Marketing for Doctors

A common challenge every doctor or physician faces is how to keep patients’ base strong. Doctors are realizing mere obtaining professional degree won’t help. A doctor’s practice stands to nothing if he/she is unable to get a steady stream of patients. Something other than hard work and skills is required to keep a constant flow of patients. 

That thing is MedicalMarketing. More than anything else, doctors must focus on this aspect if they want to withstand tough competition. You need to have the right marketing strategies placed at the right time to be in a win-win situation. Success of a marketing campaign for doctors depends how ethically one conveys his message. Marketing ideas discussed below will help you in designing your marketing plan.

1.       A referral system can work wonders for your practice only if patients are satisfied with your services. Referring friends and relatives to doctors has been one of the most traditional ways of marketing. In today’s technologically advanced environment, it has its own value. A positive word of mouth adds to your credibility. To ensure referrals keep coming in, reward those who have referred you. Rewards can be in the form of small gifts, free checkup for the family, discount on the bill, etc. 

2.     Modern day doctor marketing absolutely depends on strong internet presence, because that is where patients go for information. Your brand could seriously be affected with the lack of online visibility. Not having a website for your practice is probably the biggest blunder you can make as a physician. Preferably, hire a professional website designer. Use his experience and skills to design an impactful website. The website should contain high quality content with focus on providing crucial information.

3.     Information to the patients must always be given in form of specialized blogs and articles. For instance, if a doctor is a cardiologist, there should be articles explaining causes, symptoms and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. These articles help in creating more online visitors. The websites that market themselves through articles and blogs have an advantage over other healthcare sites, which are merely satisfied in explaining what a doctor offers.

4.     SEO is a term, which is doing the rounds for quite some time. SEO experts optimize your medical website in such a way that it appears higher in search engine rankings. Whether it’s Google, Yahoo or Bing, people look forward to these search engines to find relevant doctors. 

5.     Social Networking has taken the world by storm. We can hardly find an individual, especially teenagers without a Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter profile. So, why doctors are left behind? Use social media to your advantage. With social networking websites, you have a better chance of connecting with patients. Round the clock availability will only impress the patients. 

When it comes to medical marketing, you need to be patient. Don’t abandon your ideas if they do not produce desired results. If this is the case then you might be doing it the wrong way.

Internet Marketing for Physicians

Growth of the internet and immensely competitive market has made it mandatory for all businesses to create an online presence. Teenagers, adults, children, and even elderly are glued to the internet for several reasons. From movie tickets, to shopping, to reading e-books, the internet has become one solution for all. Those businesses that possess an online presence will have an edge over their competitors who do not have one.

Healthcare industry falls in that category too; it is no different from any other business. Doctors also need to have updated knowledge about their practice for current and potential patients. In a matter of few clicks, clients can gain access to chunk of information. Making inroads in the success of traditional yellow pages, phonebooks, print advertising, the internet and its users feedbacks, comments, reviews on a daily basis. Making an efficient use of it will allow physicians’ patient base to grow periodically.

Not just the basic information, but a lot is on offer for patients as well as physicians over the internet. A beautifully crafted website will make a huge difference in creating an impactful online presence. Plus, physicians will be rewarded with hoards of patients outside the clinic. A website is the perfect medium for patients to get insight of a physician, his/her practice, treatments, facilities and much more.

Doctors may take it upon themselves to design the website, but it’s cogitative to hire industry’s reputed web designer. It will have two benefits. Firstly, their valuable time will be saved. Secondly, they can allocate that saved time to find fresh, innovative internet marketing ideas. Professional website designers have in depth knowledge of website design and know how to reach clients with minimum of fuss. Remember- a website is a mirror image of a physician’s practice. So, make sure to work upon the site’s interface.

If you search around, you will find there are numerous website designers in the industry looking for an opportunity. It’s only sensible to work with those designers who have expertise in designing medical websites. They have an innate idea what clients expect from a medical website. They are better equipped to placing information properly on the site to fetch more visitors. 

Medical website designers effectively integrate salient features offering increased awareness, patient education along with the expansion of practice. However, having a website alone will not give desired results. A website is baseless without SEO. After you have crafted the website, employ the services of Search Engine Optimization specialists. With a lot in their kitty, these experts will give your website a new lease of life. 

Marketing Ideas For Dental Clinics

Dental clinics offer a comprehensive range of services like tooth whitening, fillings, root canal and so on. You may possess all the expertise of a dental industry, but patients won’t just walk-in through the door. The challenge is always there to attract people.  What prospective customers look for in a dental clinic is reliable service at reasonable rice. According to Marketing for Dental Specialists, a quarter of your marketing efforts should be focused on luring new clients. If your approach is correct, you can find new patients with a variety of ways ranging from traditional to modern marketing.

A. Patients seek satisfaction and your clinic can provide it by showing the good work. Display some of the photos on billboards with smiling customers and show the potential ones what kind of work you offer.  In addition, consider posting before and after photos of some of your remarkable achievements.

B. It’s hardly a secret that dental clinics generate business from the community. Regular feedbacks from local residents can be a powerful tool in advertising. Focus on visual media like television and print ads, so that the prospective clients get a closer look into your operations. Ask satisfied clients to share their experiences and what they think about the quality of services.

C. Motivate your clients to such an extent that they spread a positive word of mouth and put you in top reference. Many dental clinics offer incentives like gifts, prizes and rewards. For instance, if a customer refers someone who turns into a patient, you reward him with a free dental check up for the family. Some dentists go a step further and offer bigger prizes. Bring in some variation and choose what suits you the best.

D. Practice newsletters enable you to stay in touch with former and existing patients. Newsletters have the power of attracting a good amount of patients as you materialize your expertise. A brief mention of the success stories and patients’ testimonials will keep your dental clinic’s name in good reputation. Through newsletters, offer some lucrative discounts like “first 5 patients will receive a top-of-the-line power toothbrush.”

E. Like any other medical practice, dental practice too benefits from a strong online presence. Having a custom website that describes breakthrough cases, specialties, background, office address and working hours helps draw customers and lends reliability to your clinic. To cement a place in the internet world, social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter play a critical role. Encourage existing and new clients to “like” your clinic only to add credibility.

Marketing for dental clinics is crucial, but it requires total devotion and a strong bank balance. Patients will come only when you follow this phrase in the right manner- THINK WISELY, ACT SMARTLY.

Healthcare Marketing to Physicians

It’s no secret the business face of healthcare industry is now being explored more often. In the competitive scenario where holding the upper edge is the key, physicians are peeking into new ways to connect with patients. Getting a line of patients outside clinic is easy only when you fully understand the reason behind their choice. Being the best doctor has its role, but what lures patients is the effectiveness of positioning and marketing. Medical professionals and those running the healthcare industry need to know how to acquire patients and maintain steadiness. Fortunately, today’s patients are advanced and use internet to find doctors. Let’s discuss some of the aspects, which will help you in fetching a good amount of patients.

A. Email Marketing- Fast, easy, affordable to be precise. Email has become one of the most conventional forms of communication. An email contains tiny bit of information that a person seeks. So, why in earth doctors should use it. The answer is simple. Organizations or private clinics have access to email addresses of numerous doctors, professionals and even general public. Make effective use of email marketing and send tips to stay fit like bulletins to patients. Moreover, send significant information regarding new developments, health advisories and alerts to physicians. Organize your email marketing campaign in such a way that it reinforces business and practice.

B. Write, Write and Write- Marketing experts are of the opinion choosing the right words to describe an organization’s practice is essential to attract customers. Most copywriters just write for the organizations without having the knowledge of the medical care industry. In most of the cases, it backfires. For this particular reason, only those writers should be hired that focus on the medical field. The intensity of online visitors on a physician’s website can improve immensely with the help of healthcare content writing services.

C. Social Media Plan- There is enough chitchat about how today’s generation is falling into the hands of social media. Focusing on the brighter side of social media, we find patients are using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more to better educate themselves. When faced with the dilemma of a health decision, social media can provide a new passage of information. Transparency and instant feedbacks is what organizations and patients want. Social media offers just that.

D. Social Media is fine but what’s Pinterest- Pinterest is all about appealing patients with images. Pictures of your breakthrough cases, patients smiling after getting successful treatment are great to look at. Make sure to entice users to not only repin your images but also to click through the website.

What internet can do to a medical care facility, a hospital, or a physician, totally depends on how well it is used and implemented.

Doctor Practice Marketing

Dwindling economy and lack of patients, the year 2012 is bringing new challenges and creativity for marketing doctor practice. Having tough task at hands, doctors are patiently waiting for this phase to get over. Chances of success are less and this has forced doctors to come up with new medical marketing strategies. Thankfully though, today’s world is a digital one and people get acquainted to new technology pretty fast. After reading this article, you’ll get an idea how society is shifting its preference towards innovative and result oriented marketing ideas.

Smartphone and Texting

Needless to say, what iPhone and Android has done to our lives. Without these devices, most of us would suffer disability. We use them every minute, every day and for everything. From checking emails to finding information, we all have at palm of our hands. And that’s just one of the distinct reasons why you need to update your practice’ website. If you don’t have one, well, leave this article and go find some expert who can create one for you. Forget competing, your practice won’t even exist if you lack an internet presence. It was recently reported; more than 80% patients seek information online. While this data would rev you up, make sure your practice website contains all the necessary information.

Text messages have as much of a role as website. People often convey messages trough mobile messages rather than making a call. As a physician, provide the best treatment and care to the patients. Satisfying them will do a world of good to your practice. Furthermore, text messages will act as a referral system with more and more individuals recognizing your specialty. 

Ever growing Social Media

Believe me, it’s not going anywhere. According to the latest report released by Pew Internet & Life Project, more than 45% of adults have used social media to gather information regarding physicians and healthcare professionals. So, what are you waiting for. Get your social media profile listed in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Yelp, MySpace and even Pinterest. At the current rate, these numbers are sure to follow only one direction.

Traditional Advertising Still Alive

Yes, that customary and conventional print advertising is still used by physicians. Many doctors would differ on this, but print ads have evolved with time. Now, it’s not just the case of displaying a phone number or television commercials. Almost every other physician is starting to add respective components like website URL, promotional offers, Facebook or Twitter profile link and much more. What does this implies? It means that if you are going to invest in print advertising, you need to be more innovative with the ideas. It might be a hassle, but it justifies its worthiness with positive outcomes.

Having the knowledge of what’s beneficial and what’s not, it’s up to you to stick with the marketing plan that follows the current trend. Your focus should be to create a congruent plan, which is void of repetition.