Subject: When Compared to Other Marketing Sources, Internet Is King
The number of people that are relying on the internet for information on health-related questions, including symptoms and professionals, is growing. Eighty percent of internet users have searched for this type of information online, up from 62% in 2001.
Internet marketing has a significant advantage over traditional channels like patient referrals, radio spots and print advertisements. Here’s how.
More Affordable
When compared to advertising on the radio or television, online marketing is often a fraction of the cost. While these traditional methods often only run for a short period of time, utilizing an SEO campaign can deliver long-term results.
Easier to Measure
Are you sure your message is reaching a sufficient audience? It can be difficult to accurately measure your reach and direct sales impact when using advertising methods such as print and radio. Online marketing makes it easy to track your campaign’s progress, and even gain detailed insight into metrics like traffic growth, sales conversions and leads.
Demographic Targeting
Sure, you can gain an idea of the audience of a newspaper or radio station before placing an ad. However, online marketing campaigns can be specifically targeted to exactly the type of patients you are looking to reach. This is important for doctors specializing in particular niches, or wanting to target very specific demographics (such as people that just moved to the area).
Alter Your Strategy
Even the most thought-out marketing strategies can require some fine-tuning as you get your message right. Internet marketing gives health professionals access to analytics and tracking tools that allow them to monitor their conversion rates and tweak as necessary. If your strategy isn’t bringing in the ROI you need, you can easily alter your approach (i.e. targeting different keywords or audiences) without needing to launch an entirely new campaign.
Captures Attention More Efficiently
Today’s consumer is more likely to tune out commercials and pass over print advertisements. Rather than bombard your potential patients with traditional marketing methods that they are prone to ignoring, methods such as social media and SEO reach them in a more efficient way.
Online marketing encourages consumers to take action, whether that’s visiting your website or following your social media channels. This makes your message “stickier” and also makes it easy for them to share with their peers. Online marketing, essentially, is an easier way to carry out your patient referral program and encourage current patients to share their experiences with others.
While the best marketing approach for any practice will be multi-faceted and encompass many different methods, internet marketing should always be at the forefront. We’re currently running a survey to learn more about your practice’s print advertising habits. Would you mind filling it out for us? It will take just a few minutes, promise.
For more tips on how your practice can use digital marketing to reach a wider audience and attract new patients, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.