When Should Healthcare Facilities Market Themselves?

Healthcare is usually necessary for many people, so when should healthcare facilities choose marketing instead of letting people simply come to them? Discover the best times to market your healthcare facility.

1. When You Are New to the Area

Whether you have expanded to a new state or region or are a brand-new healthcare facility, you need to let people know you are here. While a few well-placed signs in the area around your new office might seem sufficient, these are not enough to help people in the area know a new healthcare option is available. Instead, you often need to turn to digital marketing to reach a wide audience.

Digital marketing offers lots of opportunities to advertise your facility. For example, you can easily create and market video advertisements on relevant platforms to let people know about your facility, along with important details like your specific medical services or values.

2. When You Have Opened a New Office

What if you are established in an area but have a new location? That can be especially helpful if your current locations are overcrowded, too far for some patients, or do not offer specific services that your new location does. Use the inspiration for why you opened a new location to guide your marketing efforts.

However, make sure to emphasize that your new facility still follows the same values your healthcare locations are known for. That way, people will understand that staff at a new location will still treat them the same as they would anywhere else.

3. When You Offer New Services

Has your healthcare facility just opened a new wing or acquired new staff who focus on a new aspect of healthcare? Make sure that more than just current patients know about this with quality marketing.

For example, you might have recently started providing a specific procedure that other healthcare facilities in your area do not offer. If so, then allow people to know about this service with marketing tools like SEO, targeted video ads, or paid ads. People who want or need this service will now know that your facility is the only one to do it, which can increase your chances of more patients.

4. When You Want to Reach More People

Even when your healthcare facility is well-established and well-known, you can always increase your presence. Perhaps you want to target a specific area or demographic. Perhaps you simply want more people to know about you. Perhaps you want to increase the foot traffic in a specific location. No matter what reason for raising awareness and reaching more people, marketing can help you.

The specific reason for your marketing campaign can guide the type of marketing you do. Local search ads can help more people know about a specific location, while tailored ads can impact a certain audience. Instead of trying to reach anyone and everyone, carefully research and prepare a marketing plan with marketing experts to ensure your campaign reaches the right people.

5. When You Want to Advertise Specific Facts

Are you the winner of a specific medical award? Perhaps your healthcare facility has been highlighted in a specific publication, has a low wait time, or has the largest number of doctors for a specific field or just across the region. All of these are reasons to advertise yourself as a quality healthcare facility worthy of your patients’ consideration and patronage.

All of these facts can support your claim and prove your adherence to quality standards and service. Prospective patients will be able to trust you will treat them well, put their needs first, and have the best training and technology. You can solidify your reputation as a well-regarded healthcare facility people can turn to.

6. When You Reach a Certain Season

Do you have lulls in the year where patient attendance is lower? Perhaps you want to emphasize services that help with seasonal health issues. For example, your healthcare facility might help with hay fever in the spring and summer or flu season in the winter. Market your healthcare facility and the ways it can help with a health issue that is prevalent during a specific season.

That way, even if you normally see a decrease in patients during a specific time, you can offset that with creative and targeted marketing. You will not have to worry about scaling back staff members or reducing hours and instead can focus on providing the best health services to those who need them most.

If you want to market your healthcare facility successfully, turn to the experts at Colormatics. We offer a wide range of medical marketing services to customize to your needs. Contact us today to go over your questions, concerns, and goals, and we will help you put together a marketing campaign that works for you.

HCP's and Marketing

Marketing a healthcare facility involves a number of unique strategies that differ from traditional business marketing because of the specific nature of healthcare services. When healthcare professionals (HCPs) are part of your facility, they can serve as a significant asset in marketing the facility. Here are a few strategies for doing so:

1. Promote Professional Expertise

The competence and expertise of your healthcare professionals is a key selling point. Highlight the qualifications, experience, and accomplishments of your HCPs on your facility's website, brochures, and other promotional materials. This can help reassure potential patients that they'll receive high-quality care.

2. Share Success Stories

Success stories can be a powerful marketing tool. When patients have positive outcomes, sharing these stories (with their consent) can help showcase the capabilities of your facility and its staff. This can also help foster an emotional connection with potential patients.

3. Provide Thought Leadership

Encourage your healthcare professionals to engage in thought leadership. This could include writing blog posts or articles, speaking at conferences, or participating in webinars or podcasts. Thought leadership can help establish your facility and its staff as authorities in their field.

4. Build Strong Relationships

Build strong relationships with other healthcare facilities and professionals in your community. This can lead to referrals, which are a powerful source of new patients. Moreover, positive word-of-mouth can boost your facility's reputation.

5. Encourage Online Reviews

Online reviews can have a significant impact on a patient's decision-making process. Encourage your satisfied patients to leave reviews on relevant platforms. Respond to negative reviews in a professional and constructive manner, which can show that you're committed to patient satisfaction.

6. Utilize Social Media

Social media can be an effective tool for marketing a healthcare facility. Post regular updates about your facility, the services you provide, and any new developments. Engage with your followers to build a community around your facility.

7. Implement a Patient-Centered Approach

A patient-centered approach can make your facility stand out. This could include providing excellent customer service, offering flexible scheduling options, and creating a comfortable, welcoming environment.

8. Leverage Digital Marketing Techniques

Invest in a strong website and utilize search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to increase your online visibility. Paid online advertising, like Google AdWords, can also be an effective way to reach a wider audience.

In conclusion, marketing a healthcare facility that includes healthcare professionals requires a mix of traditional and modern marketing strategies. The key is to highlight the strengths and capabilities of your HCPs, and to build strong relationships with both patients and other healthcare providers.

Learn more about How to Create a Successful HCP Marketing Strategy