The world of healthcare marketing is vast and wide. There are several critical areas to review in the marketing process in order to get the most out of it.

To do so, we’ll cover three of the processes to help you understand the concepts that will be important.

• Part 1 – An overall marketing plan and strategy.
• Part 2 – Online and content marketing.
• part 3 – Social Media Marketing

No one doubts that the transformation in health care delivery is changing dramatically. With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and increased cost transparency, the medical office is under more pressure to open up to clients, share practical information and closely examine treatment options.

In a detailed Bain & Company report, Front Line of Healthcare Report 2015: The Shifting US Healthcare Landscape, to better explain the magnitude of these changes in 2015, Bain & Company also conducted a national survey of 632 physicians in various specialties. as researched by 100 US hospital procurement managers.

The results were not surprising given the changes in the healthcare landscape, contrary to what the public and industry used to believe.

For a long time, conventional wisdom accepted the fact that America’s doctors contributed to spiraling health care costs. Unnecessary tests, expensive drugs, and complicated treatment added up to skyrocketing costs.

We know that now things have changed and, as such, so have marketing strategies. We discuss the steps to take when developing your overall marketing plan in light of these changes.

Get the big picture

The first thing to do is take a good look at your practice and go back to your business plan. Where do you see your business going or where do you want it to go? This will play an important role in your marketing strategy.

Gather all the previous marketing plans that you have created in the past. What worked and what didn’t work? Also, take a look at how your business has changed since two years ago. Have you joined any new professional organizations? Do you see any “seasonality” in your practice?

Create your marketing plan with these topics in mind:

• Create a marketing team in your practice. Be sure to include everyone, as your team are down-to-earth people who know what’s going on in your waiting room. Do you find out where your patients come from? How did they find you? This is critical information in building your marketing plan.

• What makes your practice different from others that offer the same services? Do you have any particular specialty? Do you offer a different approach than a standard procedure? Have you been successful at something where others have not?

• Where do you see your practice in the next few years? Like many other industries, it’s a good idea to have a long-term plan. When creating your plan, incorporate a “flow chart” of how you plan to realize this vision. Create a budget and list the tools you need to achieve this goal, such as a direct marketing campaign, graphics, copywriters, promotions.

• Line up some commitments to talk: Offer to speak at local organizations, department stores, host your own event, and be sure to have gift baskets for attendees. Talk to your colleagues in the same field and create a “speaker’s board.”

• Consider advertising local posts such as weekly newspapers, regional magazines. Also, offer to write an article about something in your specialty. In this case, write about the topic of health, not about your practice. Your name will be all the publicity you need.

• Local event support and sponsors children’s sports. Make sure you are known for being generous by donating to local needs. Are there local collections for food pantries or school supplies?

• Low income: Is there a way to support the low-income community in your area? Consider sponsoring a free medical clinic with other doctors in your community for a day. Try to have as many specialties there at the same time.

• Segment what you can do “in-house” and what you need to contract out. Plan a budget around that. What are your internal resources, such as mailing lists and brochure content?

• Ragan Healthcare Communication News, 10 steps to a successful healthcare marketing plan, we suggest you test your plan internally first. Submit a review to internal and professional stakeholders first and get some feedback before going live.

• Keep track of where your calls and new patients are coming from. It’s a good way to gauge the most effective approach.

• Make sure everyone is on board. An effective way to do this is to give everyone in your office a specific responsibility for the plan. Help in that team spirit and include everyone in the success of the project.

When you’re ready to write your marketing plan, be sure to check out our latest articles, and more importantly, contact us so we can help get you started in the right direction.