10 marketing ideas for your independent practice
10 marketing ideas for your independent practice July 30, 2018
When you set up your independent practice, you have a lot of business tasks to handle beyond the basics of caring for patients. One of those tasks has to be developing marketing ideas for your practice. Just like any other business, your practice needs the right amount and the right kind of exposure so new patients will find you. You will also want to maintain a positive image in your community and marketing can help you reach others with that message as well.
Marketing your independent practice does not require expensive advertising. Rather, follow these ten tips to promote your business and generate a professional image in your community and beyond:
- Create and maintain a polished website. Use real photos of your staff and office. Include information about your practice as well as about yourself and your staff, so new patients can get to know you.
- Create social media accounts and maintain them consistently. Post questions, trivia, or contests to generate responses. Reply promptly to any comments or questions posted on social media. Remember to maintain privacy and security around any specific patient information, however.
- Build a brand, including a logo and consistent colors. Use your brand consistently on the walls in your office, on your website, on social media, and even on business cards and letterheads. You’ll want your brand to become recognizable as a professional independent practice.
- Monitor and maintain review sites. Yes, patients review medical practices online. Sites like Yelp are consistently checked for reviews. Again, respond to both positive and negative reviews promptly and professionally and keep responses within HIPAA regulations.
- Reach out to local companies to let them know about the services your practice offers, emphasizing your convenience for their employees.
- Offer to speak to community organizations on health topics that are your specific area of expertise. These speaking opportunities should not be sales pitches but should be informative and educational.
- Alert the media if you or a member of your practice wins an award, successfully completes training or a certification program, or achieves any significant accomplishment.
- Send regular e-newsletters to your current patients, with informative and educational articles. Include a call-to-action for them to share the newsletter and refer new patients to your practice.
- Promote the fact that you use the latest technology in your practice, including electronic health records that enable you to efficiently care for and communicate with your patients.
- Market consistently. Marketing is not a one-and-done event, but rather an ongoing process to promote your services and to promote the positive image of the practice.