Medical Marketing 101: 5 Strategies to Get More Medical Leads for Your Practice

Are you a medical professional struggling to generate more leads?

If so, you’re not alone. 61% of businesses (including medical practices) site lead generation as their biggest marketing challenge.

The days of placing an ad in the local phone book are over. For your practice to thrive, online medical lead generation is a must.

In this post, we’ll take the mystery out of medical marketing. Here are five proven ways to get more medical leads for your practice.

1. Update Your Website

Since we’re talking about website lead generation strategies, let’s start with your website.

Is it up to date, or does it look the same as it did when you designed it in 2004? It’s not enough to just have a website–it has to be aesthetically pleasing and easy to use.

Here’s another thing to keep in mind: Over 50% of all Google searches start on a mobile device. If you haven’t updated your website in years, chances are it’s not optimized for mobile use.

If you’re not already using responsive design on your website, start by updating the look of your site. That way, it will look great and be easy to navigate on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

Great Falls and Reston Family Dentistry is a great example of a well-designed website.

Once your website is up to date, it’s time to fill it with helpful content. The more information you can give potential patients about your practice, the more willing they’ll be to use your services.

At the very least, your medical website should include your contact information and details about the services you offer. But there’s plenty more you can (and should) add to your site, which we’ll get into below.

2. Focus on Local SEO

If your practice is located in New York, it won’t do you any good to get web hits from people searching in Los Angeles.

To get your site in front of the right eyes–potential patients in your locale–you need to optimize your site for local searches. How can you do this?

Start by including your physical location in common keywords. If you practice in a small town, include the name of the nearest big city. If you’re located in the city, include the neighborhood or a well-known landmark in your keywords.

Another helpful tip? On your Contact page, be sure to include a Google maps link to your location.

If you haven’t already, be sure to claim your Google My Business listing. Not only will this boost your online visibility, but it allows patients to leave reviews on your practice.

Keep in mind that not everyone will begin their search with a search engine. Some may prefer to go directly to an online medical directory. Check with local hospitals, medical associations, and insurance companies to find out what directories are available in your area.

3. Get Active on Social Media

Social media isn’t just for millennials. It’s a powerful marketing force that can drive countless new patients to your practice.

Once your website is updated and optimized for local search, it’s time to focus on social media. You don’t have to sign up for every channel out there–pick a few where you’re likely to find potential patients.

For medical lead generation, Facebook and Twitter are great channels to start with. Open accounts for your practice and use relevant hashtags to circulate your latest marketing content.

You could create health-related infographics or host a question and answer session about a common condition. The idea is to create interest in your practice and get people clicking, liking, and sharing your content.

4. Start a Blog or Vlog

One of the best ways to create great shareable content is through a blog. If you don’t already have one on your website, it’s time to add one.

Useful, unique content on your blog has the potential to go viral, which will generate many new leads for your practice. A blog offers the chance to use those keywords effectively and boosts your ranking in search engine results.

What should you blog about? Why not write answers to commonly asked questions about your field or certain medical conditions? Blogging about new diseases, treatments, and medications will also keep your website on the forefront.

Want to take things a step further? Convert your written blog to short, insightful video presentations (vlogs). Experts predict that 82% of all internet traffic will be video by 2021, so why not get a head start on your competition?

5. Encourage Patient Reviews

Did you know that 88% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation?

Word of mouth will always be a powerful marketing tool, but it’s not enough in our modern times. Even a few positive online reviews can have a powerful effect on your marketing efforts.

To get those reviews rolling, you need to offer some incentive to existing patients. You might start with a followup email thanking them for their latest visit and asking them to leave a brief review.

Sweeten the deal by offering a discount a free service on their next visit. Encourage them to leave the review on your website, Yelp, Google, or another relevant site.

The more positive reviews you get, the more medical leads you’ll generate over time. 

Getting More Medical Leads: Final Thoughts

With the right know-how, you can build an online presence that will generate plenty of new medical leads for your practice.

Use the suggestions outlined above, and you’ll soon have plenty of new patients walking through your doors.

Of course, the world of online marketing is always changing. To stay one step ahead of your competition, you’ve got to stay up on the latest marketing trends.

Click here for more great marketing information you can use to promote your practice.