Each pediatrician is different, and there different marketing strategies to highlight your best attributes.
Everyday pediatricians see their young patients for a multitude of issues. Maybe they have to remove a Crayon from a toddler’s nose or stitch up a young girl’s scraped knee from a bicycle crash. Yes, pediatricians are busy people and every doctor should aim to provide professional, effective treatment so kids can get back to being kids. However, healthcare is still a business, and even though there will always be patients to see, there are strategies pediatricians can utilize to attract new families to their office.
Branding and Advertising
Today, advertising is so much more than running an ad in the paper. Many doctors still choose to buy ads in local publications—that remains an option—but you can also buy ads on social media, send out press releases, contribute to medical journals, appear on podcasts, or invest in a flashy new sign. Each method of advertising has its pros and cons, but whether you’re a pediatrician in Winnetka or a pediatrician in Beverly Hills, the first step is to establish your pediatric office’s brand..
To discover your brand voice, consider what sets you apart from other pediatricians. Do you have more experience? Do you have a specialization? Have you been awarded “Best Pediatrician” by news outlets? Once you know how you’d like to promote your practice, you can target your advertising around that appearance.
Traditional advertising efforts have proven to be less effective than producing your own content. For instance, Paul Thomas is a pediatrician with a YouTube following of over 1 million people. His videos show some pretty graphic illnesses like Pink Eye and foot rashes, but his insight and personality built an audience. He is now semi-famous on YouTube. His channel is one example of how creating your content is more effective than buying ads, however, it takes time and effort to grow an audience, and many doctors do not have that ability. Even if your office cannot dedicate as much energy to social media accounts as Dr. Thomas, your practice shouldn’t neglect social media altogether. The majority of your patients utilize some of, if not all of, the major platforms.
It’s best to consider what is the most realistic for your time and budget, then narrow down a few types of advertising you’d like to pursue.
Engage Locally
Engaging in your community is one way to meet potential new patients face-to-face. One option is to host open house events, so parents looking for a new doc can tour your office, meet you and your staff, and determine if your practice is the right fit. Your office can offer free screenings so potential patients can give your practice a test drive. Another option is to sign up for speaking events. Through public speaking, you are getting your face and name out to the community while simultaneously building trust and authority. There are many other opportunities to engage with your community such as participating in local fairs or parades, sponsoring sports teams, or asking other local physicians for referrals.
Optimize Your Web Presence
Because so many people search for doctors online, creating a website that is optimized for Google can ensure you show up on search engines when people search phrases that are relevant to your practice. This is referred to as SEO (Search Engine Optimization). There are many different examples of how to optimize your website, such as incorporating relevant keywords onto your web pages. For instance, if you are a pediatrician in Abington or a pediatrician in Columbia, you will want to show up on the first page of Google when people search those terms.
Another aspect of SEO is to update your Google My Business listing. This will make sure your practice shows up on Google maps when people search pediatricians in your neighborhood. Other opportunities to optimize your website include incorporating clean and easily scannable design, including metadata on blog posts and pictures, and incorporating more video content.
Patient Experience
The biggest opportunity you have to market your practice is in the office. If you deliver an enjoyable patient experience from the waiting room to the parking lot, you will have encouraged your patients to suggest your practice to a friend. Word-of-mouth is the most effective marketing tool. This includes making sure scheduling runs smoothly, don’t keep them waiting too long before an exam, and listen to all their concerns while they are in the exam room. Be sure to spend the proper amount of time with each patient. Even the most effective marketing will not last long if you do not deliver the proper care, so make sure this is your first priority.
Always stay open to new opportunities to market your practice. It may be difficult to gauge what will work the best for you, but with time and persistence, your marketing efforts are sure to pay off.
