5 Marketing Tips to Increase Patient Volume
Hospitals and health systems are still recovering as patient volumes in some areas are still below pre-pandemic levels. Although many people have welcomed a world that is “back to normal,” there is still a portion of the patient population that is hesitant to enter a healthcare facility. Now more than ever, it’s vital that healthcare providers take their marketing to the next level to help drive patient referrals and increase traffic to their healthcare facility. We have highlighted 5 marketing tips to boost patient volume and grow your healthcare practice.
Define Who Your Patient Is
It’s more than just targeting a geographic area, get granular on who your patients really are. Understand their needs, challenges, values and demographics and tailor the messaging to mirror their interests. Putting the right message in front of the right patient increases the chances they will come to you for services.
Target Pre-Episodic Patients
Centering your marketing on a broad health concern such as heart attacks may not always hit home. Considering most people who have a heart attack didn’t know they were going to have one, the message often falls on deaf ears. Instead, focus on calling out current conditions or symptoms to determine if a patient is at risk of having a heart attack. This is more effective at capturing the attention of a potential patient than just saying we treat patients for heart attacks.
Dig into the Details for Big Results
Creating overall brand awareness is important but putting more focus on a specific service or exam will resonate more with your patient population. Highlighting a new system or the importance of a preventative exam will both educate your current patient base on services they may not have known you offer as well as open the door to new patients.
Capitalize on Frequent Flyers
Don’t forget your existing patients. When a patient is dealing with a specific health concern, be sure to provide other resources for subsequent risk factors they may face in the future.
Get Social
Let’s face it, social media has taken over. Today’s healthcare consumer jumps on social media to seek recommendations for just about everything. If you want to reach new patients, you need to have a presence on the platforms they spend their time on. Social media allows you to target a specific audience ensuring the right message is reaching the right people.
Hospitals are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to market themselves in order to stay ahead of the competition. As the healthcare landscape continues to recover, an effective marketing strategy will be critical to both patient retention and new patient growth.