Whether you are a central allied health practice with several professionals or a small team of a few specialists, the key to success depends on how you market your expertise to attract new patients. Maybe you’re one of the best healthcare professionals in your area, but if people don’t know about you, it will be challenging to attract new clients.
With more than 1/3rd of potential patients searching for their healthcare providers online, you cannot rely solely on word of mouth. According to a recent study, 65% of allied health practices spend at least 50% of their marketing budget on their online marketing.
Below are 15 online marketing ideas for allied health professionals that we promise will result in more prospects, more phone calls, and ultimately more patients!
1. Invest in Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization is designed to put your practice in front of people who are looking for information and who will need healthcare services sooner or later. This can mean incorporating keywords like “physiotherapy in [your location]”, “local nutritionist”, or “best occupational therapist” into your website content. For example, if someone in Orange County searches for “Physical therapist near me,” they or someone they know is in need of physical therapy.
If your website can show up in the search results when they are looking for this information, they may contact you for more information, or to book an appointment. SEO, when done well, will improve how your website shows up in organic rankings, resulting in more patients, and in a solid ROI.
2. Provide Relevant and Valuable Content
When someone lands on your webpage through a Google search, they are looking for relevant answers to their questions.
By creating great content, you can answer those questions and help build trust with your prospects. When people consume your content, they start to develop an opinion of your expertise and style. This greatly influences their decision about working with you. If your content is valuable and educational, they start to think positively about your brand.
Publish blogs on topics like ‘How to manage chronic pain at home’, ‘Dietary advice for diabetes patients’, or ‘Exercises for post-stroke recovery’. These are directly relevant to your potential patients.
3. Have a social media presence
Social media is a great way to connect and engage with your target audience. It lets you showcase your expertise and become a thought leader in your industry. By sharing valuable information and helpful content, you prove your credibility and in turn, earn more trust and business from your patients.
Share patient success stories, exercises, health tips, and other related content on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Be careful to maintain patient confidentiality.
4. Create Informative Short Videos
YouTube is the second largest search platform in the world after Google. You can create videos that answer the commonly asked questions in your industry, post them on your YouTube channel and ensure they are found by writing detailed descriptions of the video content you upload. Be sure to also embed your videos on your website and share them on all your other social media channels.
Post instructional videos for common home exercises or explain common health issues and their treatment options.
5. Collect Reviews and Showcase Them On Your Website
According to BrightLocal’s 2019 Local Consumer Review Survey, 82% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses. If you offer excellent services, your patients will be happy to review your practice. So go ahead and ask them for a Google review. You can embed your positive reviews on your website so everyone knows the great job you’re doing.
With patients’ permission, highlight their positive feedback about your services. This can include testimonies about your staff’s professionalism, the effectiveness of treatments, or your clinic’s atmosphere.
6. Increase Your Reach with PPC Advertising
PPC (pay-per-click) OR Google Ads are one of the best ways to boost your practice’s visibility online. When someone searches for “therapist near me”, the top 3 results will usually be paid ads. You can also run remarketing display ads for people who visited your website recently but did not contact you.
Bid on keywords relevant to your services, like “physiotherapy for sports injuries” or “nutritional counselling for weight loss”.
7. Email Marketing
Email marketing can help you revive old leads, generate more appointments, and acquire more patients. You can create engaging content on trending topics in the healthcare sector, write relevant facts and information, or share your personal experiences about dealing with critical cases.
Send newsletters with updates about your clinic, health advice, and patient testimonials.
8. Increase Your Presence in Health Directories
Being featured on health directories such as Healthgrades and ZocDoc can help boost your traffic and provide a citation and link for your website.
Register your clinic on platforms like Healthgrades and ZocDoc, ensuring your profile is complete and accurate.
9. Add a Live Chat Feature to your Website
Adding a live chat feature on your website can convert general inquiries into leads and provide real-time interaction with people looking for help.
This can help answer common patient inquiries like clinic operating hours, available services, or booking appointments.
10. Configure A CRM
A CRM solution can help you automate a large part of the lead conversion and nurturing process, make your client signup easy, simplify referral management, and integrate with your practice management software.
Keep track of patient records, appointments, and follow-up schedules. Also, use it to send reminders for check-ups or newsletters to patients.
11. Optimize Your Google My Business Profile
A well-optimized Google My Business profile can drive more traffic and more phone calls. It is free and easy to set up, and when done correctly, can significantly enhance your online presence.
Provide complete information about your clinic, including address, contact details, hours, services, and images. Respond promptly to reviews and queries.
12. Optimize Your Website for Mobile
Most internet searches take place on a mobile device, so it’s imperative that your website is optimized for mobile.
Ensure your website loads quickly and correctly on mobile devices, with easy navigation and readable fonts.
13. Use Webinars to Build Authority
Webinars on relevant and helpful topics enable you to establish yourself as an authority in your field.
Hold webinars on topics like ‘Managing arthritis pain’ or ‘Improving your diet for heart health’. Invite guest speakers, such as dieticians or specialist doctors, for more credibility.
14. Use Facebook Ads
With over 50 million active small business pages on Facebook, only 2.5 million of those are “active advertisers”. That means about 95% of small businesses do not use Facebook ads. This opens up huge potential for your practice to stand out online.
Promote your clinic’s services, events, or health-related information using Facebook’s precise targeting options.
15. Using LinkedIn to Generate New Inquiries
There are two important things you should do on LinkedIn. One is to make sure you have an updated personal LinkedIn profile. Second, is to have a company page for your practice.
Connect with other health professionals for referrals. Post updates about your clinic, your thoughts on new developments in your field, and share relevant articles to show your expertise.
These 15 marketing ideas for allied health professionals can seem overwhelming to implement all at once. We recommend you start by evaluating where you are at and what you are already doing well. Then create a plan to add additional marketing avenues one at a time as you are able.
If you are ready to dive in and reap the financial rewards of a full cross-platform Allied Health Marketing Plan, schedule a free consultation now with our CEO, Maggie Benson. She’ll help answer your questions and create a marketing plan for your success.Optimize Your Website for MobileUse Facebook Ads
