The Three Mistakes Of Medical Marketing

Medical marketing is hard, especially if one isn't specially trained in its subtle ins-and-outs. Still, that doesn't mean that marketing is as unintelligible as postmodern literature, anyone can learn proper marketing with the proper attitude.

It just takes an openness to accept failure as a part of the learning process. Mastering medical marketing is a trial-and-error process, even for the pros, so we always encourage doctors to experiment with different ways to market their practice to achieve their ultimate goals.

That said, there are a three HUGE mistakes that we see doctors make on a daily basis. We've analyzed the way most doctors market their practices, and we've found three common mishaps that can really dampen the effectiveness of any marketing campaign.

1. Doctors who don't know what they want out of their medical marketing campaigns.
We want to make this clear: marketing is not the cure-all remedy to fix your practice. You have to isolate the results that you want. Do you want higher margins? Do you want to establish your practice as a brand? Maintain more loyalty among your patient base?

It's not always about attracting a certain amount of patients per month. There has to be an ultimate goal and focus behind each and every marketing action you take. Commissioning ads and throwing money at SEO specialists is great and all, but if you don't know what you want to get out of your marketing, you're not going get anything at all.

Medical marketing, like most things in life, needs to be galvanized in order for it to be truly effective. Social networks are great for engaging patients, digital advertising is really effective at getting your name out there, and SEM/SEO is a powerfully targeted way to tap into your local community. Using the right tools to achieve your goals is the key to successful marketing.

2. Doctors who don't sweat the small details.
Our copywriter will be the first to tell you, the small details REALLY matter.

A small error embedded in your content, differing font sizes on your website, unprofessional stock photos...all of these common oversights can cripple your branding and marketing efforts.

We are not saying that you have to constantly iron out your content to ensure its perfection. We are saying that common typos and unimaginative imagery will clog the gears of your brand.

The devil is truly in the details, so be sure to weed him out by constantly proofreading and fact-checking before putting your name behind any marketing campaign.

3. Doctors who come on too strong.
Wooing new patients is like wooing a first date. Coming off as desperate, corny, or too strong might repel potential patients from coming into your practice.

There's nothing wrong with aggressive marketing, but there is a line that separates savvy and aggressive marketing from desperate and spammy marketing.

When marketing your practice, the "less is more" philosophy really comes into play. Think of it this way: it's good to get your name out there, but it's not good to advertise yourself ad nauseum.

Put yourself in the shoes of the patient. How would you feel if you heard the same ad 5 times in the space of a 30-minute talk show? Get yourself out there, but don't come off as too strong or too desperate.