The medical field faces a host of unique marketing challenges. Key among them is competition, ever-changing policies and trends. These coupled with the new marketing trends make it difficult to make your practice profitable using simple old tools like flyers or word of mouth.
Over the years marketing agencies have been creating innovative marketing solutions that meet these challenges. This has seen practices acquiring new patients and making sure doctors help their patients while remaining in business.
That being said we look at some healthcare marketing challenges faced by doctors and how they can be tackled.
1. Earning trust
Medicine is the finest profession in the world but putting up a sign on your door will not bring you a flood of patients. Patients are drawn to a practitioner they know or at the very least can relate to.
How to solve this
Consider having a well-detailed website that engages your potential patients and answers all their questions. Try by all means to reach out and be part of the community you aim to be practicing in.
Medical professionals offer a very personal service and as such need to be trusted above anything else. To achieve this is hard but not impossible. Make sure that you give quality service and research on your completion to find what they offer and how your practice can do the same in a better way.
2. Government policies
Regulations and policies can be said to be one of the biggest healthcare marketing challenges. In the U.S, this presents this is the body that comes with a host of complex rules and regulations. HIPAA regulates all aspects of the industry from service delivery to sales. Marketers are restricted from using certain tools, such as remarketing ads, to safeguard users’ confidential health data.
How to solve this
The most immediate solution to have your staff always up-to-date on the HIPAA Privacy Rule in terms of how it impacts marketing. This ensures that your staff isn’t breaking regulation or worse, sharing confidential patient information.
Consider hosting a comprehensive HIPAA regulations training program. This will help to keep your team in the know of what is expected of them. Do this to keep compliance at the fingertips of your entire team.
Always manage expectations through your marketing messages. Avoid making false claims of services that you offer or the products you have.
3. Competition
One of your biggest hurdles is competition. As the medical marketing field broadens so does the number of ways this competition can get ahead of you. Online competition is now huge so there is a need to tackle this.
How to solve this
At any given time try to make your product different. Answer the following questions for your patients:
- Why is my practice better? And
- What makes you different from the rest?
Once you answer those 2 you can now position yourself a few steps ahead of the competition.
4. Getting Reviews
Online reviews have so much influence. Consumption of anything in today’s world is now dependent on whether it comes recommended or not. Some studies are bold enough to claim that if something isn’t online and well-reviewed chances are it will not realize any success.
How to solve this
To get a good review you must leave a lasting impression on your patient. It is through their good experience that they will be able to give a good and honest review.
You can make this happen by:
- Establishing better communication.
- Great web content
- Making direct requests in person with clear instructions for patients to leave online reviews.
- Engaging all reviews, thanking all positive reviews and addressing all negative ones in a professional manner.
Conclusion
Walk your patients through the process of giving quality healthcare and what it entails. Have your team be part of the material that will be reaching the patients. It should not end there, introduce your team and highlight how long they have been working, what they specialize in and how they add value to the practice.
HIPAA certified virtual teams can help you overcome these healthcare marketing challenges through outreach programs such as patient re-care and follow-ups.
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