To do medical marketing, it is necessary to be aware of both the public and legal limitations. Want to do medical marketing without error? Check out this post!
It is not new that the current consumer is much more demanding and tuned in than in the past. In addition, people are also more concerned about health in general.
Because of this, Google has become the first option for researching symptoms and finding experts that are well rated by others on the web.
This opens up a great opportunity for doctors to attract more patients and retain them through well-crafted marketing strategies.
But is it worth investing in medical marketing agency, or is the referral model already used enough? What are the ways to do this? What can and cannot do?
See the answer to these and other questions in this handy guide!
In this article, you will learn:
- Why investing in medical marketing is worth it
- How to do medical marketing successfully
- Four right strategies for medical marketing
- How to effectively market your medical practice via social media
- 6 mistakes to avoid in your marketing strategy
Why investing in medical marketing is worth it
For many, the good old word of mouth seems to work very well, not to mention the health insurance catalogs that provide the contact of partner doctors and guarantee a good number of consultations.
But is it worth discarding medical marketing right away? Certainly not! But you have to look beyond the obvious in this case. As well?
The goal here is not just to get more patients but to help more people. This happens in two ways.
First, producing relevant content can help many people search for information and help directly with a professional, even if it is not you.
Second, marketing well done creates a closer relationship with the public with your patients. Thus, they will have more confidence in their work and respond better to prescribed treatments and solutions.
Additionally, and naturally, to all of that, you’ll get more patients, position yourself as an authority in your area of expertise and, as a result, find even better professional opportunities.
How to do medical marketing successfully
In every marketing strategy, it is necessary to follow some basic steps, which are fundamental for success.
Set your goals
You can pursue many different goals with your marketing program, and we’ve even mentioned them here briefly.
But look again, more clearly, at some goals you can set:
- Conquer more patients;
- Loyalty with current patients;
- Establish your authority in a particular area of health or type of treatment;
- We educate society about the importance of certain activities or the dangers of a specific disease.
No matter your goals, they will define the rest of the planning actions.
Choose your strategies
There are many marketing strategies, so trying everything simultaneously can be confusing and ineffective.
Look for qualified partners
In the same way that you spent a lot of time studying medicine to take care of patients, it’s important to look for people who studied to work in marketing.
Also, a marketing strategy takes time, and you couldn’t do it without wasting a lot of time treating patients.
Therefore, choose qualified partners to put together a marketing plan according to the strategies you decide to adopt.
Follow the results
Finally, it’s important to track the progress of each marketing tactic to see if it’s having an effect or not.
In some cases, changes may be necessary for your goals to be achieved.
This is an important part of the marketing process, and the partners you hire should know how to do this.
Four right strategies for medical marketing
Marketing — especially digital — relies on various strategies to deliver returns.
But which ones fit well in medical marketing? We’ve separated just 4 to help you get off to a good start, both online and in a traditional way. See what they are:
Content marketing
Because content marketing has a very high return on investment, it is one of the primary methods of attracting people. Through content relevant to the type of person you want to reach. It will be possible to capture your target audience’s attention and assist them.
Email marketing
Email marketing is a great tool for cultivating the interest of those who have already shown interest in your content.
Through a newsletter, you can retain the public and help them in an even more personalized way, with information according to their interests.
There are at least 20 reasons to use email marketing if you still have doubts!
Conversion ready website
A well-designed, conversion-ready website should be your priority when investing in medical marketing. Because?
Unlike social networks, you can use the site to attract patients, so it is important to optimize this channel as much as possible. How?
Responsive design, a healthcare website design prepared to be used even on mobile devices, is one way. In addition, there are many other ways to optimize a site for conversion.
Visual identity
A very clear and aesthetically pleasing visual identity is important for the public to easily recognize that it is your office.
This identity must be clear in all communication channels, whether on your website and profiles on social networks or on a business card and prescription.
How to effectively market your medical practice via social media
Social networks are also part of the range of options to work your marketing well, but there are so many networks that we decided to talk about each one separately.
In addition, it is important to remember that some practices commonly used by companies on social media are not allowed in medical marketing.
Therefore, here is what you should be aware of and how to make the most of these tools without violating any laws:
First, you must avoid creating a personal profile for your medical practice. Instead, it’s appropriate to use the proprietary feature for brands and businesses, called a fan page.
This type of page offers many more resources for you to cultivate a close relationship with your patients, share relevant content and even choose the type of audience that should receive your posts.
Twitter is a dynamic social network where users share short messages, up to 140 characters, and is one of the main vehicles for broadcasting news and live news.
Some ways to use Twitter well include sharing relevant health links, sending alerts from health agencies, and highlighting the benefits of certain prevention practices.
Instagram has grown so much in reach that it is impossible to ignore its use in medical marketing. But how can it be used?
This network is more geared towards short photos and videos and has a light and fun tone. So it’s important not to take too serious a tone when using it.
The good idea is to feature photos and videos that highlight interesting facts and facts about different diseases and treatments. Try to use high-quality images that attract followers.
LinkedIn is a social network with a professional purpose. That is, you can connect with both your patients and colleagues.
So, in addition to being a marketing channel, this network is also a good place to network and promote your brand
Also, use LinkedIn to expose articles published in medical journals that show your training and professional history.
Specific networks
Some specific social networks aimed at the medical community or promoting and facilitating the relationship between doctors and patients are also relevant.
Some of these networks include:
- items: Exclusive to doctors with up-to-date CRM, professors, and medical students in institutions recognized by the MEC;
- Ology: Another unique network for doctors, it has several useful resources for everyday life and can help search for valid medical marketing strategies.
Bonus: Whatsapp
Indeed, Whatsapp is not a social network, but it is an excellent communication tool that can be used to provide personalized care to patients.
As we will see below, it is not allowed to consult or diagnose someone remotely, but the app can still be used to answer simple questions, remember procedures, send test results, etc.
6 mistakes to avoid in your marketing strategy
The Federal Council of Medicine regulates the practice of medical marketing, and it cannot simply follow what other industries do without problems.
The following 6 mistakes need to be avoided at all costs to prevent disclosure from becoming a headache:
Advertise a specialty you don’t have
In addition to being unethical, it is prohibited by the Federal Council of Medicine to advertise a specialty in that you do not have to treat patients.
This is prohibited indirectly, perhaps because it implies that it treats certain organs or patients with certain diseases.
This type of disclosure should only be done by professionals duly specialized in areas and functions recognized by the CFM.
Having your name involved in false advertising
This point is pretty obvious for any self-respecting brand, but it has even more serious implications in medical marketing.
The concept of false advertising is very broad, so you should be extra careful about what kind of brands and products you associate your name and the image of your practice with.
After all, it doesn’t matter if the initiative to make false advertising was yours. The responsibility is the same, just for allowing to be mentioned in promotions like this.
Advertise switchgear as a way to show superior capacity
Maybe you’ve made a big investment in high-quality appliances for your office while knowing that others are nowhere near as good a structure.
Your first idea could be to promote this sound system as a differential, right? But unfortunately, it turns out that this is not allowed by CFM.
A good way to indicate that it has the necessary structure would be to indicate the importance of this equipment in diagnoses and treatments through relevant content, such as blog posts addressing the subject.
View patient photos
Showing photos of patients, whether in the form of celebrities and selfies or in “Before and After” comparisons, is also a practice that goes against the regulation of medical marketing.
And in case you’re wondering, even if you have the patients’ permission, it’s still forbidden.
The idea is that patients should not be exposed to the promotion of a professional. Other means can be used for this.
Publicly disclose information that alarms society
A doctor could divulge information that causes great alarm to society, such as the threat of a new epidemic, to gain the credibility and respect of the population.
But, even if the information is scientifically proven, the correct procedure would be to urgently file the reason for the concern with the competent authorities.
Consult, diagnose or prescribe remotely
We mention how to use social networks for medical marketing, but it is essential to keep in mind that none of these channels should be used to practice medical practice.
Despite serving as communication channels and approximation with patients and other interested parties, you cannot perform diagnoses or consultations using Whatsapp.
Nothing replaces personal interaction with the patient, in a suitable environment and with the proper equipment for more detailed examinations.
See the medical advertising manual for a complete list of restrictions and rules regarding medical marketing.
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