When was the last time you had a patient that was referred to your healthcare center by a friend or family member?
If it was recent, then you know just how great it feels to know that your practice is doing something right. If it’s been a while, don’t worry; we’re going to show you how to get those amazing recommendations. Whichever camp you’re in, just know that you can never have too many referrals and that there are always ways to boost your word-of-mouth marketing, especially in this new digital age of smart phones and social media.
Bring in more patients than ever before with these 5 easy and foolproof strategies:
- Talk To Your Patients
It might sound ridiculously simple, but it’s effective. All it takes is a few minutes after seeing a patient to ask how their visit was and to let them know you’re always looking for referrals. Most people still think that it’s difficult to get a doctor’s appointment within a reasonable timeframe, especially for new patients. So, give them a great visit and remind them that your door is always open for their family and friends. No strategy is easier or more effective.
- Train Your Staff To Be Friendly
Again, it’s a tiny change that yields huge results. No one will refer friends or family to an office, clinic, or practice if the staff is rude or unwelcoming. The last thing people want to deal with when they’re feeling under the weather is unkind staff, nurses, or physicians. Make sure you routinely chat with your staff so that they have clear expectations for their interactions with patients.
- Set Up Chatbots On Your Website
Utilizing chatbots on your website or your Facebook ads means that you’ll never miss a chance to answer a question or schedule an appointment for potential patients. These round-the-clock automated chatbots give your patients the chance the interact with your brand no matter the time or day, giving you a leg up on competitors who are only available for questions or scheduling during office open hours.
- Host Events
No information spreads faster than free events! Consider hosting an open house with snacks and small freebies like keychains or stress balls. While you’re at it, don’t forget to charm the kiddos! Having a cute mascot or kid-friendly games are great ways to show your community that you’re the best choice for families.
- Provide Incentives
If you’re offering free flu shots or discounted sports physicals, you need to sing it from the rooftops! Okay, that might be a bit much, but you should definitely spread that information far and wide across your social media channels. This gives potential new patients an incentive to come in and see how your clinic or center fares against your neighborhood competitors.
These strategies might seem easy enough on their own, but don’t forget that you need to launch all 5 to be effective.
If employing all 5 strategies seems like a lot of work, that’s because it is! It takes an entire team of experts to execute these strategies, so we recommend trusting the team at Valynt Digital to create a new digital marketing strategy. Having a team of experts on your side guarantees that you’ll bring in more patients than ever before.
Contact Valynt Digital, your proactive partners in digital marketing dedicated to your success, to get started.