To increase referrals and the number of patients coming to your healthcare practice can be challenging, however, it doesn’t require a special formula. It requires a well thought out plan and patience, and a spot of consistency. Here are 3 questions to ask yourself when developing a marketing plan for your healthcare practice.
1. Are you aware of your Patient Leakage?
The patients that come to you and are referred elsewhere, or those patients who request their medical records and then you don’t hear from them again. Do your staff track your lost patients? Do your staff ask patients why they are leaving or ask them to complete a simple questionnaire? Do they send a follow-up survey? Even though your office admins are busy, they should be keeping track of patients that leave. It’s impossible to increase your patient base if you lose one patient, or more, for every one you take in. A questionnaire or survey will not only help you track the patients who are leaving your practice, but it also will clue you into improvements you may wish to put into place. Tools like Survey Monkey can be used to send and track surveys.
2. Are People aware of your Practice?
Increasing your visibility in the local community can boost the chances of someone contacting your office for an appointment. Think outside the box here, attending non-medical meetings, local council meetings, Chamber of Commerce, neighbourhood meetings and networking events. Check out the benefits of becoming a Chamber member; for a small, annual fee you
3. Are you active on Social Media?
In 2019, it is estimated that there will be around 2.77 billion social media users around the globe, up from 2.46 billion in 2017. You’ve heard of it, but are you using it? We’re talking about Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn. If you’re not up on these newer technologies, there are many sites online that can give you the basic information you need to begin using these valuable tools. You probably have staff who’d be glad to teach you some basics, too.
For more ideas about increasing patients, tracking your referrals online instead of paper, contact us.
