Why Medical Practices Must Focus on Stay-in-touch Marketing

Picture this: You have a simple, patient attractive website for your practice.  It is easy to navigate, and directs patients to do what you need them to do. You are regularly updating your blog with practical and useful content.  You have a fabulous marketing calendar and social media campaign all working hard to bring in new patients.  Sounds pretty amazing, right?

Despite accomplishing all of the above, your practice may still be missing out. When converting a prospective patient into a patient, timing is everything.  A client of mine recently said to me, “it is hard for me to market to patients because it is impossible to tell when they are going to get sick and need me.”

This is why stay-in-touch marketing vehicles (and expert help for that matter) are so important in marketing. By always being on your patients' and prospective patients' radar, you solve the problem of trying to anticipate when someone will need your practice’s services.

What is an example of a stay-in-touch marketing vehicle? It could be a weekly e-mail newsletter, it could be a direct mail campaign, it all depends on your ideal patient and where they hang out.  It is simply a way to communicate proactively with your prospective patients.  It allows you to be front-of-mind and anticipate any urgent needs they may have. 

For example, your prospective patient Sue is having allergy issues in the Spring. You sent an e-mail newsletter mid-April about your allergy testing and treatment programs.  Guess who Sue calls to set up an appointment? You got it ... you!

When you consistently stay-in-touch with your prospective patients, current patients, and referral sources, you will be on their radar when a need arises, you are establishing a know-like-trust type of relationship, and your patients will say “Hey! You’re exactly what I need!”