Digital marketing is a vital tool in helping to grow your allied health practice. If done correctly, you will be able to increase the number of people who come across your practice’s website, use this traffic to generate patient leads, and ultimately convert these leads into new patients!

Acquiring New Patients Using Digital Marketing in 3 Steps

Increase Traffic to Your Website

A well carried out digital marketing strategy has the power to increase the number of people who come across your website. Online marketing includes anything from social media marketing, blogging, pay-per-click, and Google analytics. 

It is worth putting your energy into ensuring that your allied health practice is seen, online, by as many people as possible. There are many people who are in search of healthcare solutions and services from allied health professionals. 

Because of this, Google is a good place to start. If you optimize your website for Google and implement search engine optimization strategies, you will see an increase in traffic to your website. You can also create targeted advertising campaigns on social media platforms like Facebook to increase traffic. 

Generate Patient Leads

Now that you have invested the necessary energy into Google analytics, Facebook ads, and other strategies to drive traffic to your website, you must be able to turn it into patient leads. 

To make this as easy as possible, the key is ensuring that your website’s homepage is optimised to converting this traffic into leads. A good method to use here is to add forms to your website. This way, you can contact a potential patient if they do not contact you first. 

If you want to take your lead generation to the next level, you could add a live chat on your website. Potential patients will have their queries resolved on demand, which ensures that they have a positive initial experience with your practice. 

Convert Patients 

Finally, your end-goal is to convert the leads that you have generated into patients. There are several strategies you can utilise here. Start by ensuring that you have a great website that is both aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly. Your contact details should be visible and your website should guide the visitor to take action by getting in contact with you.

Further, the content that you provide on your websites, like blog posts or videos, play a huge role in increasing patient lead conversion. Good-quality content will tell your potential patients that you can provide valuable information and it keeps them engaged. 

If you do email marketing, you should also be discerning as to who you send which content to. Every piece of content you produce will not necessarily be universally relevant. For example, you can send information about injury management software to employers who require a ‘Return to Work’ programme. 

Organise your email database in such a way that ensures your potential patients will receive information that resonates with them and relates to their situation. This will also have the effect of building a relationship. 

How Digital Marketing Can Build Relationships With Your Patients 

The crux of converting website traffic into leads and then converting those leads to patients is building a good relationship with these people. Your practice must build authentic relationships with potential patients because they want to feel heard and valued. Consistent interaction is the key to keeping them engaged and committed to your practice. 

Interact with people via social media where you can also post your high-quality, relevant content. It keeps the line of communication open with your patients and helps to build a relationship. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram create and nurture entire communities. It also allows you to listen to what your patients want and need. 

Email marketing is similar in this regard, especially if you tailor content and information to the relevant patient. If your patients feel that they are receiving correspondence that is specific to them, they will be more likely to engage with you and this will build on your relationship.

The Bottom Line

Digital marketing is an important means of gaining new patients and growing your allied health practice.  However, it is vital to keep in mind that your patients are humans who want to be valued and heard by allied health professionals. Keep the line of communication open and focus on maintaining a good relationship with all of your patients.