There's nothing worse than feeling like your spinning your wheels to get new patients to come through your doors. You're not alone. The #1 need of health and wellness practices is attracting qualified new patients. Don't quit on your marketing...there are LOTS of people who still need your help; they just don't know you exist!
Maybe it's time to work smarter, not harder. One of the things you can do right away is to make sure you know the 5 mistakes to avoid in health & wellness marketing.
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For short term results that don't last...drop your price. Some people will respond to a gimmicky low-price ad, but show up. And those that DO show up for the 1st appointment, are typically just looking for a quick-fix. They'll be tough to get to commit or will drop out of care after a few visits. In short, for the most part, they won't be the RIGHT kind of new patient. In the long run, it's not a good move.
If you don't have a system to find out who's checking out your website, services, or content...how can you follow up? This will make your marketing untargeted and weak. If you haven't already done so, use call-to-action (CTA) buttons on your website, blog posts, Facebook ads, and more. This way, people who want to opt in to your content will at least leave their name and email. Bing! Now you have a new patient lead to follow up with!
Websites are an important part of your marketing since they are basically the hub of the system. If you aren't sure if your website is helping or hurting you, be sure to read this article.
How many times do you think it takes for the typical person to see or hear about your practice before scheduling an appointment? Our research shows that it takes a new patient 7 times to hear or see your message before making their first appointment. Can you see how important it is to consider their journey leading up to that point?
Bottom line, many people aren't ready to become new patients right off the bat. They need to trust you and you need to build credibility. We recommend using an email follow-up campaign that can consistently send helpful and trust-building content to your new patient leads. This will help cultivate a relationship so that when the time is right, the potential patient knows where to go for help.
If you office team isn't equipped to interact with your potential new patients, there is going to be a HUGE disconnect when a someone calls or emails you. Your marketing can be dialed in, but if the message falls flat because of their first direct interaction with a team member...say goodbye for now.
Prep your team by making sure they're all on the same page. Do they know the new patient journey? Is there a clear system for how to field calls and emails from new potential patients? Also be sure to have a system for when they first come into the office for an appointment. Preparing your team is a key step in your marketing system so that what a person sees is what they get.
I bet you have files and notes on each of your patients and clients. If I were to read these notes, I would see you keeping track of where they were on each appointment, how they are responding to your care, and what changes were made. Marketing is no different!
You should know how many people open your emails, click on your Facebook ads, call in to the office, etc. This way you can make corrections along the way or implement new strategies to refine your health and wellness marketing. A good first step is to use Google analytics (free) to find out data on your website and website traffic.
While there is more to implementing an online marketing strategy, these are 5 common mistakes that health and wellness practitioners make when it comes to marketing. We know that it can get a bit overwhelming when it comes to tackling this, so we're here to help! You can give us a call at (800) 217-0584 to pick our brain or find out more.
Go team!
