How Healthcare Can Use Digital Marketing to Capture New Patients

Digital marketing is online marketing, from email marketing and social media ads to pay-per-click advertising. There are many differences between traditional and digital marketing, with the latter being increasingly popular.

But why is this exactly?

The way we approach marketing has evolved as the world becomes increasingly digital. That is to say, marketers have needed to adapt to technological, societal, and cultural shifts and pursue alternative ways to connect with a targeted audience.

This article looks closely at how healthcare can use digital marketing to capture new patients.

How Healthcare Can Capture New Patients with Digital Marketing

Recent studies show how the pandemic upended how people spend their time and spend more time online. According to Digital Authority Partners, every healthcare organization needs to focus on digital marketing to ensure they remain competitive and be in the same place as their prospective patients.

Let’s consider how digital marketing can help capture these patients.

1. Increased Engagement is Tied to Revenue Growth

Healthcare organizations can ignite two-way communication with future patients through digital marketing. For instance, these patients can interact with social media ads and respond in ways you cannot replicate via traditional marketing.

Marketers refer to this aspect as engagement, and according to PWC, revenue growth ties to customer engagement. In other words, engaged patients are  20%-40% more likely to make a purchase or respond to a call to action.

2. Access to a Highly Targeted Pool of Patients

Digital marketing is incredibly accurate, and the targeting capabilities can help healthcare speak directly to a specific target market segment. In addition, you can target based on a wide range of factors such as interests, demographics, and user behavior which was not possible before digital marketing came along.

Marketers can also use data and tools to re-target patients and refine targeting until the campaign produces the best possible return on investment. Therefore, a potent formula because it allows healthcare to take a calculated and purposeful approach to how they might use digital marketing to capture new patients.

3. Digital Marketing will Increase Conversion Rates

Digital marketing can significantly increase the rate of conversion with new patients. As a result, it targets the right people at the right time, which means quality leads with whom the probability of conversion is high. Digital marketing also uses a call-to-action (CTA) to help nurture these leads and compel them to respond and take the desired action.

Improve a conversion rate over time as most platforms provide access to tools that help track and monitor the relevant metrics.

4. More Trust and Authority Leads to More Patients

Authority is essential for search engine optimization and a factor that Google uses to rank websites. However, people also recognize authority practically, which is often why the most popular brands/businesses remain at the top of the pile.

Due to the severe nature of health, trust and authority are even more critical for healthcare organizations. Therefore, it’s necessary to communicate with patients in such a way that builds credibility. Digital marketing is the best way to make this authority and develop the image of a healthcare organization in the eyes of patients.

5. Stay Competitive and Present in the Mind of Patients

A report by McKinsey & Company shows how the pandemic accelerated digital transformation for all types of businesses. While much of this is because people were required to stay home, it also points to the increased use of digital technology.

Healthcare organizations must use digital marketing to stay ahead, survive, and remain in patients’ minds. With more noise and competition, digital marketing is an opportunity to keep up and stand out in an already crowded market.

6. Branding and Building a Community

Community is vital for branding and something that can produce huge dividends in the form of traffic and conversions. Increased interaction is proven to help build this community and improve future strategies using the relevant data. After all, every digital marketing strategy needs to be changed and refined.

Healthcare companies can benefit from a strong community. With easy access to a pool of new prospects, there is inevitably more traffic, leads, and potential sales. Therefore, building a meaningful community takes time, and the same is true when generating traffic through organic SEO.

7. Organic SEO to Capture Patients in the Long Term

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a big part of digital marketing and a way to generate organic traffic over time. With the right strategy, healthcare companies can create awareness and potentially convert new website visitors into new patients.

There are many elements of a successful SEO strategy. First, use the process in tandem with other types of paid marketing such as social media ads or PPC ads. Research also shows that 4 in 5 people use the internet to search for information, and 92% of these searchers will only choose results from the first page of Google.

The moral of the story is? SEO is necessary online!

Final Thoughts

The online world provides access to a near-infinite audience, and it’s a fast and affordable way to ensure a strong return on investment. There are also many ways to grow a business with digital marketing. For example, healthcare can use these strategies to capture new patients. But maybe you don’t have the time or expertise to get started?

Get in touch with one of our team at Digital Authority Partners today.