Marketing your practice effectively is essential to attracting new patients and developing professional relationships. As a gynecologist, you need to develop a marketing plan that establishes your goals and your audience. Are you trying to simply attract new patients, or do you also want to become a go-to expert in your community and with local media? Are you looking for patients of all ages, or focusing primarily on women dealing with menopause or young women just beginning adulthood?
The most important marketing tool is your reputation. Without strong marketing practices, however, no one will know how experienced and talented you and the employees in your practice are. Below are four ways you can tailor your marketing efforts to attract new patients and expand your business.
1. Network and Build Relationships
Reach out to other gynecologists, primary care physicians and local hospitals to build relationships with other healthcare professionals. Recommend and refer patients to other doctors, and those physicians will return the favor.
Explore ways you can become more involved with hospital programs and local organizations in areas you're passionate about. Perhaps you can lend your expertise and volunteer time to treat patients at a homeless shelter or for victims of domestic violence. Volunteer to serve on local boards or to help out at fundraisers — they don't even have to be health-related.
By giving back to the community, you will develop relationships with people who might eventually refer their friends and family members to your practice. This word-of-mouth marketing can be invaluable to your business.
2. Create a Trusting Practice
Patients no longer put up with physicians that make them wait long past their appointment time, have rude front desk employees or aren't clear about upfront costs. The good news is that 87 percent of Americans who saw a doctor in the past year said they were "carefully listened to," while 84 percent said they felt their doctor "really cared about (their) health and well-being," according to the Pew Research Center.
Your knowledge and empathy must show through in all aspects of your business — including your employees. This especially includes front desk staff, since they often make the first impression. Ensure that all your employees have been trained to properly greet and take care of patients. Go beyond being efficient and polite: Patients are often nervous before appointments, and your staff needs to show understanding and empathy.
Additionally, you should brainstorm creative ways to make your waiting room more inviting. Consider offering unique education displays, reading materials and perhaps even a play area if your patients tend to bring young children with them.
3. Marketing Your Practice Online
At the bare minimum, you must create an updated website that can be found easily in search engines. According to another Pew Research Center study, 72 percent of internet users said they looked online for health information within the past year. Seventy-seven percent of the time, that search started with a search engine such as Google, Bing or Yahoo. Consider hiring a small company or freelance website designer to maximize your site's search engine optimization (SEO). Without strong SEO, your site won't be found.
Millennials — the largest living generation — are unlikely to contact a doctor's office without first looking at the practice's website. Develop a website that is friendly to younger patients with a portal that is easy to understand and use. Younger patients also tend to avoid phone calls and voicemail, so consider how you can communicate with them through your website. Furthermore, millennials think of health in broader terms that include wellness and nutrition, a mindset you might consider adopting for your site's content.
Beyond your website, use social media, but don't dive in without clear goals and commitment. While it takes time and energy, it can pay off by showcasing your friendly staff and your expertise on critical gynecology topics. Consumers in general enjoy seeing behind-the-scenes photos and videos of businesses, and that includes their doctor's office. Post photos showing your staff at work or enjoying a co-worker's birthday. This highlights the warm, welcoming environment of your practice.
Gynecologists may want to consider becoming active on Twitter, where they can share knowledge and opinions on important healthcare issues, educate women in their community, and establish themselves as thought leaders on gynecology issues and cutting-edge equipment. Adding a blog to your website and marketing it on social media can also help you reach a new group of people in your community while building trust with current and potential patients.
Before you embrace social media, though, be sure to study social media healthcare recommendations and follow HIPAA guidelines. Always be careful to protect patients' identities and do not offer medical advice online. Establishing a few ethical ground rules is an important part of a marketing and social media plan.
4. Connect With Local Media
You can develop a strong network, showcase your expertise and attract new patients all at once by becoming a trusted source for local media. Morning news shows often look for physicians to educate viewers and comment on trending news topics. Physicians, particularly in small towns, can also reach out to local newspapers to offer to write guest columns on important health issues.
Marketing your practice doesn't need to feel overwhelming. Consider the type of practice you want to build and the message you want to send out to your community and patients, establish goals accordingly, and focus on the key areas described above. In no time at all, your efforts will have helped expand your network, attract new patients and grow your practice.
