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How Doctors Can Inspire Confidence With Their Online Marketing Posted by Tyson Downs on 1/19/15 5:54 AM
An informed medical professional is traditionally perceived by patients as trustworthy. Today, a doctor also relies on web presence to cultivate confidence. This post will help you become a thought leader, apply good web design techniques, and give you tips for effective social media and doctor SEO (search engine optimization).
Become a Thought Leader
Being a thought leader means showcasing medical expertise and applying that skill to your patients or community. A blog on your website can be a great stepping stone to becoming a thought leader. Posts that outline common conditions can alleviate patient fears. A patient that saves a few bucks on his or her co-pay and a trip to the doctor because of your advice becomes a patient for life. Inform readers on research trends and innovative, relevant medical advances.
Thought leaders are more than simply knowledgeable. They expand their influence by helping others around them. Think about ways to apply your skills meaningfully. Can you offer training or seminars to your community? What about fundraising for research or education? Consider sharing knowledge with your peers. Look for opportunities to act as a medical expert, supporting other professionals in lectures and presentations.
Established field professionals find that learning how to gather and dispense relevant information increases business. New patients, network contacts, and career opportunities open themselves up with exposure and recognition.
Web design is also important. A clean, well-organized website makes a reader more likely to stay on your page. Avoid annoying ads such as pop-ups (or eliminate ads altogether). Don't send unsolicited emails. Offer users an opportunity to subscribe, and make unsubscribing simple. It’s common to find fraud and trickery on the internet. A clean site reflects professionalism, and this in turn builds trust. Cultivate a place where honesty and integrity prevail. A site without clutter is the first step.
Utilize Smart Social Media
One of the ways to increase web presence is through social media. This can be tricky. There is a fine line between selling and providing useful information. Internet users hate spam. Spam refers to sending unsolicited messages, ads, or any recurring post or email your followers don't find useful. If your post contains obscure information or uses heavy industry-specific jargon, readers will likely consider that spam.
Overzealous self-promotion can also be negative. Oversaturating your Twitter account and Facebook feed with self-promotional content can result in people hiding your posts, or worse, removing themselves as followers or friends.
Follow the 1:3 rule. For every technical or self-promotional piece that comes to mind, opt for three other ways to write about what readers might find interesting and helpful. Save the heavy jargon and knowledge for professional journals.
Expand Your Presence with SEO for Medical Professionals
SEO is the practice of using searchable keywords in your posts. This can be done through your blog, or in less obvious ways – such as responding to crowd-sourced reviews like Yelp. The following are helpful tips on successfully using keywords to attract users to your blog or website:
Avoid repetition. Google will lower your website's search results for keyword oversaturation. This kind of writing also comes across as desperate, and users can sense that desperation.
Keep them on your site. Attracting lots of users isn't helpful if they leave your website immediately. Focus on finding new web users and customers who can benefit from your knowledge.
Consider keywords that attract targeted viewers. Doctors with private practices may want to include cityspecific keywords like "Buffalo, NY."
Include multiple social media platforms. Patients will follow a professional on and off a website. If your site doesn't have what they’re looking for, perhaps your Twitter posts do.
Occasionally check links. Websites periodically get removed or addresses change. Clicking on a link only to receive an error message is unprofessional and discouraging.
Edit and re-edit your website content. Spelling and grammar errors come off as sloppy and can heavily undermine credibility.
Address user concerns. If a patient makes a comment about a problem on your website or elsewhere, that’s your opportunity to respond. It shows you care. If it’s on another website, use it as an opportunity to include keywords linking back to your website.
Never get defensive. If a patient complains, arguing with them will be perceived as unprofessional and will destroy trust. Be compassionate. Respond from the heart.
Be Innovative
Find platforms to express your ideas where people will see them. The number of physicians online is increasing rapidly. Innovative ideas are being tweeted, shared, and re-blogged exponentially. Respected journals are launching forums. Message boards are springing up on popular medical sites. Plenty of opportunities exist to express your opinions and ideas; use them.
Complex ideas expressed simply have a larger chance to go viral. High exposure posts could equate to huge gains for your name recognition, the spreading of your ideas, and profitability.
Personality
The last thing to remember: be yourself. Some physicians are concerned with “sounding like a doctor.” Professionalism is demonstrated by distilling information and appearing human. This is not achieved with dense monographs and confusing jargon.
Stuffiness will alienate readers instead of attract new ones. What you have to say probably won’t be repeated. A longwinded post filled with technical terminology is also more susceptible to being picked up by someone else who does a better job approaching the subject and connecting with readers. Let your natural voice surface. Don't come across as overly formal. Include anecdotes and humor, and reference other people and sources. Turn your posts into a discussion oasis your readers will tap into when they have questions and concerns. Be their primary authoritative
source.
Transform Your Profession
Remember: creativity wins the day. While medical professionals are celebrated for their advanced education and extensive expertise, turning that expertise into something patients can digest is another skill entirely. Thought leaders take the dissemination of information a step further by absorbing knowledge and communicating it in memorable ways. By applying that expertise in a communicable way through web design and social media, your ideas have the potential to shake the industry. The Definitive Guide For Healthcare Providers To Getting Online & Growing You Practice Topics: Online Marketing