11 Strategies To Improve New Patient Acquisition
Key takeaways
- Combine content, social media, ads, and referrals to attract patients.
- Align your digital and offline marketing efforts.
- Simplify scheduling and offer real-time support to enhance the patient experience.
- Track performance with data analytics to revise your patient acquisition efforts.
Discover patient acquisition strategies that work.
No healthcare practice can thrive without an effective approach to new patient acquisition. Make your facility and services stand out in a competitive market with strategic patient acquisition methods that leave a lasting impact.
Below, we’ll break down 11 ways to attract new patients. Once they schedule your services, you can retain them with the help of Weave’s communication platform.
1. Crafting a strong foundation for patient acquisition
Healthcare marketers always recommend having a well-defined plan in place before getting started. Your comprehensive plan should not only outline your target audience, but also tactics to reach the right demographics.
Remain consistent with your plan and try to align your marketing efforts with your patient care strategy. Both of these elements are crucial to long-term growth and success in the industry.
Don’t expect the first strategy you implement to be your only approach. Continually assess and adjust your campaigns based on overall performance and patient feedback.
2. Providing value to prospective patients with content marketing
Effective content marketing can work wonders when it comes to new patient acquisition. Provide valuable health information through digital content, including blog posts, videos, and downloadable guides. You can improve your online presence and reach patients who are seeking information about various topics, such as:
- Industry news
- Diagnosis and treatment guides
- Condition symptoms and risk factors
- General wellness tips
Remember to include clear calls to action that highlight your services. Pointing curious users to your online scheduling portal or encouraging them to call your office increases the chance of converting qualified leads.
3. Building an engaged community on social media
In today’s digital age, your marketing strategy should always incorporate sharing content on social media channels. Sites like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more are essential for fostering relationships and increasing brand awareness. When current and prospective patients find your social media accounts, they can learn new information via social media posts and directly connect with your team.
Share everything from private practice updates to testimonials and informative content on your channels. These posts should engage your audience by prompting them to ask questions and leave comments. Respond accordingly to build your connection and retain their trust.
4. Using paid digital advertising to target local patients
Social media platforms aren’t just for connecting with your existing patients. Publish digital ads to drive leads and expand your audience. You could target ads based on a user’s location, online activity, and demographics to find the right audience and generate leads.
Take advantage of paid search engine ads as well. When someone searches for a relevant term, such as “preventive care near me” or “local healthcare services,” your ad could appear at the top of the results. When combined with other patient acquisition strategies, paid ads can garner high-value patients.
5. Harnessing video for patient acquisition
Do you want to draw patients in with relatable digital marketing moves? Don’t underestimate the power of video content. Your new patient acquisition efforts can excel when you create content in video form.
Video marketing is an effective way to humanize your brand and make a lasting impression. Many providers acquire patients by publishing engaging content, such as:
- Patient success stories
- Information about their team
- Helpful content about a specific service
- Educational videos about various medical topics
Highlight videos on your websites, social channels, and even email newsletters for maximum effect. Whether you’re promoting new services or simply sharing how you met a patient’s needs, remember to include a call to action in every video.
6. Offline marketing in local patient acquisition
Creating a strong online presence with a digital marketing strategy is always wise. But it’s not the only tactic to consider. Traditional marketing campaigns can still make an impression and educate people about your brand.
Advertise your healthcare system through television, radio, and print media. You can also sponsor local events to spread the word about your services throughout the community. A simple way to acquire more patients is through hosting branded events, such as healthcare seminars or free health screenings.
Make yourself known as a trusted provider in the community by forming professional partnerships with other businesses or healthcare providers. This allows for seamless cross-promotion.
7. Optimizing your website for scheduling
An effective patient acquisition strategy always includes a thorough website evaluation. After all, the patient journey usually begins with research, and a practice’s website can provide them with the information they’re looking for. If yours isn’t user-friendly or lacks relevant information, you’ll struggle to acquire more patients.
Consider optimizing your website with the following features:
- Online scheduling: A new patient can schedule their first appointment by submitting a few online forms rather than calling the office.
- Visible contact and service information: Clearly display your hours of operation, address, and phone number, as well as the services you offer.
- Chatbots: Enhance new patient acquisition by offering 24/7 online support.
8. Networking and building partnerships
For many practices, potential patients come from other providers. If you want to get more patients, it’s time to build partnerships with local hospitals, clinics, and specialists. Offer incentives for your partnered providers to make the program a long-term success.
9. Leveraging patient referrals
It’s not just other medical professionals who can recommend your services. Patients usually value word-of-mouth referrals from their family and friends. Take it a step further by creating a referral program.
When a current patient recommends your practice to someone and they make an appointment, the referring patient could be eligible for exclusive rewards or discounts. Not only does this tactic expand your patient base, but it can also boost patient satisfaction.
Continuously promote your referral program on social channels, in emails, and even through direct mail. Have signage inside your facility that also informs people of the program.
10. Online reviews for trust
Healthcare consumers want to ensure clinicians can meet their healthcare needs before making an appointment. If they don’t receive any personal referrals, they’ll often check platforms like Google, Yelp, and Healthgrades to see if a provider has positive reviews.
Positive patient reviews highlight a provider’s trustworthiness and expertise, while negative feedback may make some reluctant to schedule an appointment. Monitor all of your patient testimonials and reviews for reputation management. The more satisfied patients you have, the more likely you are to acquire new ones.
11. Analyzing and optimizing strategies
Improving patient acquisition is usually an ongoing goal for healthcare providers. How can you tell if you need to refine your strategy so patient growth doesn’t stall? Rely on data analytics to optimize patient acquisition efforts and track your campaign’s performance.
Tools like Google Analytics and social media insights can track patient engagement. Keep an eye on certain metrics, including:
- Conversion rates
- Website traffic
- Patient demographics
Based on this data, you can adjust your strategies accordingly. For instance, if your patients’ demographics shift from primarily adults between 40 and 55 to the 25-40 age range, your marketing team can cater to the younger audience.
Remember that consumer behavior and preferences are always changing. You must adapt to connect with potential patients and meet their needs. Prioritize A/B testing for comprehensive insights into your audience’s preferences.
Brand recognition and growth are possible with the right strategy.
When it comes to new patient acquisition, many medical professionals struggle. You could grow your practice and become known throughout the community when you rely on strategic content marketing, paid ads, referral networks, and more. Incorporating both digital and traditional marketing tactics can expand your reach so that various audiences are familiar with your brand.
Weave can enhance your operations with automated reminders, online booking, and other communication tools that patients value. Request a demo today to get started.
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