4 Branding Tips for Your Medical Practice

So what is your brand - and what do you want it to be?It may seem like an unusual question for medical practice owners and managers. Isn't branding primarily for consumer goods like soda and automobiles? Does this kind of commercial notion fit in healthcare? While marketers at big companies like Coca-Cola and BMW are masters of branding, the idea of a brand applies to any organization, not just businesses pushing products.

Political parties have brands. Charities have brands. Universities have brands. Even individuals have their own brands. And whether you have set out to create one or not, your practice has one, too.

Your brand isn't just what you say your practice is about. Your brand is about your relationship with your patients, and the emotional response they have to your practice. You can influence it through branding efforts, but the patient ultimately decides his perception based on his own experience. Does the patient's perception match up with yours? That's the sort of question you should think about as you consider how to define and promote your practice brand.

Here are four ideas that can help you meet your goals for branding, while minimizing wasted time, money, and effort.