PatientPop, the leader in practice growth technology for healthcare providers has announced the release of their 2018 Healthcare Marketing Trends for Providers. The whitepaper outlines healthcare marketing trends providers can leverage in the new year to attract more patients and offer the best patient experience.
“Healthcare providers want to know what they can do to make sure next year is better than the last,” says Luke Kervin, PatientPop co-founder and co-CEO in a statement. “Revamping marketing strategy to include emerging healthcare marketing trends is one-way providers can set their practices up for success.”
As healthcare providers read the whitepaper, they will notice how the trends are all about providing more value to patients. “Healthcare providers should focus on ways they can deepen their relationship with patients in 2018,” says Joel Headley, PatientPop director of local SEO and marketing. “The goal is for patients to have healthcare — and their healthcare provider — top of mind.”
To that end, here are five trends healthcare marketing trends providers should know:
1. Retention Marketing
Retention marketing includes all activities designed to increase the likelihood that patients will visit your practice again and ultimately spend more money. Think of it like a patient loyalty program, says Joel Headley, PatientPop director of local SEO and marketing. Healthcare providers can increase the likelihood that patients will visit their practice again — and spend more money when they do — through retention marketing programs.
2. Wellness Content
Providers can add value to patients by creating and sharing blogs, social media posts, and videos that focus on wellness, the idea of becoming more aware of and making conscious choices toward a healthier, more fulfilling life. “What you’re trying to do is develop a relationship “
As a healthcare provider, you want to be as top of mind as a patient’s step count or calorie count.” with patients so they will – Joel Headley, PatientPop Director of Local SEO and Marketing have healthcare — and their healthcare provider — top of mind,” Headley says. “As a healthcare provider, you want to be as top of mind as a patient’s step count or calorie count, things they think about every day.
By adding value to things patients are already thinking about, you become a trusted source and a partner.” Patient education is an effective marketing technique, and video is one type of content Johnson says works especially well for healthcare providers. “You have to engage people quickly online. Being able to succinctly address a healthcare concern or discuss a trending health story in 60 seconds or less is
powerful,” he says.
3. Social Questions and Answers
Over time, patients have grown increasingly comfortable using social media to ask questions of their healthcare providers. In 2018, more healthcare providers will use social tools like Facebook’s Messenger and Google Questions & answers to reply to these questions — and subtly market their practices.Providers who use social tools like Facebook’s Messenger and Google Questions & answers can open new lines of communication with patients.
4. Targeted Advertisements
Healthcare providers can reach the exact people they want to attract to their practices using targeted advertisements on social media. Social media ads, like Facebook branded content or Twitter promoted tweets, offer one type of targeted advertisement that can be successful for healthcare providers. An OB-GYN based in Oklahoma City for example, can create a social media ad that will only be seen by women ages 18 to 65 who live in the city where their practice is located.
5. Third-Party Scheduling
According to an Accenture survey, 77% of patients think it is important to be able to book, change, or cancel appointments electronically. Many healthcare providers know this, and so they offer online scheduling on their websites.In 2018, more healthcare providers will expand their online scheduling options to include third-party platforms like Google and Yelp to increase patient satisfaction.
