For a long time, the idea of a doctor promoting themselves or their practice was looked down upon by the medical community.
Even now, there is hesitation among many professionals when it comes to standing out. However, the medical profession is just that – a profession, and as such Physicians need to be able to make their services known to the public, in what is becoming a very crowded market.
Many healthcare providers simply become overwhelmed with the options available to help grow their practice. As a result, they tend to do nothing at all, leading to lackluster growth and little recognition for their hard work and dedication.
Here are 4 suggestions for standing out in the medical community:
- Set up a referral program.
A great many medical professionals have no system in place for generating and following up with referrals. The belief is that as an essential service, patients will always “be there.”
The difficulty is, the market for medical services is extremely crowded, so physicians must rely on new patients (clients) to grown their practice (business). Creating a referral and follow-up system for bringing in new patients will help spur continued growth into the future.
- Advertise online.
The idea of advertising online often appears off-putting for many medical professionals, while others consider it a time-consuming effort with very little benefit. However, online advertising is absolutely essential in this modern world. When people seek non-emergency medical attention, they don’t go for the (now nearly extinct) phone book, they look to the internet.
Advertising online allows medical professionals to specifically target people who may require their services. The precision targeting online advertising offers provides a far more efficient use of time and advertising dollars than older methods.
- Create an email newsletter.
A great many medical professionals have concerns about giving away too much free content. The fact is, there is so much content already available for free now across the internet, that the public can be badly misinformed. By creating a resource like an email newsletter, physicians can control not only ho much information is provided, but also the context in which it’s presented. Healthcare professionals have the ability to educate their readers, which helps build trust and can lead to new patients and referrals from existing ones.
- Book speaking engagements.
It can seem counterintuitive for a physician to take time away from their practice to speak at engagements, but the opposite is often true. By making themselves available and sharing their ideas with the world, medical professionals can build a solid reputation of knowledge and wisdom, as well as trust among audiences.
Especially within the context of a doctor-patient relationship, trust is absolutely essential and can lead to more consultations and referrals. Even within the medical community, public speaking helps to build awareness of your practice and credibility in the community.
In this crowded marketplace, it’s important for physicians to stand out, building credibility and trust among their patients and actively courting new ones. At one time, having a successful medical practice may have been as simple as hanging out a sign and opening the doors. However, in this modern age, people have far more choices available to them.
What do you think? Have you used any of these strategies in your practice before?
