There’s never been a better time for physicians wanting to grow their practice and personal brand.
Online marketing represents a tremendous opportunity to build a brand, attract new patients, and grow.
Here are three reasons why you should consider online marketing as a physician…
1). The New Patients You Want Are All Online
One of the most overlooked lessons to come out of 2020 is that people have become even more dependent on the internet than ever before. From grocery delivery to restaurant takeout, people are now thinking ”online first”, and I don’t think this mindset will go away.
Pre-2020 data tells us that almost 80% of patients were conducting an online search before scheduling an appointment with a physician. At the time of this post, the 2020 data is not yet available, but it’s probably a safe assumption that the number increased in 2020.
Regardless, if 80% of new patient opportunities are online, what is it costing you to not be in front of them?
2). Online Marketing for Physicians Is Still Relatively Untapped
While many other industries are now pretty saturated when it comes to online marketing and SEO, this is not at all true yet for physicians when it comes to local SEO. There are still many opportunities to rank on the first page of Google in most local markets for almost any specialty.
I can tell you from my own business as The Physician Marketing Coach that the interest and awareness is increasing. High-performing physicians are starting to recognize the need to create a personal online marketing platform and taking action.
There’s such a great opportunity right now to build a powerful personal brand online. I would encourage you to take action now. Those who wait or don’t recognize it will get buried in the Google search results, and it will be very difficult then to come back.
3). Online Marketing Is Cost-Effective, and a Sound Investment
The biggest hesitation I see in physicians when it comes to online marketing is cost. But the truth is, even completely outsourcing your online marketing costs less than what a half-page ad in the Yellow Pages was 15 years ago. And, I propose, a lot more effective!
Plus, when done correctly, marketing is an investment, not an expense.
Here’s a great evaluation question when considering the investment, How many new patients would this need to bring in to cover my monthly investment?
Most of the time, this makes the investment a no-brainer.
Additionally, there are other options besides full-service, including DYI, consulting, online training, and courses.
When compared to almost any other marketing platform, online comes out the most cost-effective and tends to provide the greatest returns, especially long-term.
Question: Have you committed to building a personal online-marketing platform? If not, what’s holding you back?