In light of the pandemic, telemedicine is undoubtedly on the rise. It’s been a saving grace for patients throughout the pandemic, with FSH reporting there was a 154% increase in telehealth visits during the peak of COVID-19. Medical Economics found that 51% of the respondents said they would continue using telehealth services after the pandemic subsides because they like the convenience it offers. However, 49% of the respondents said that being able to see the physician of their choice, rather than someone assigned to them, will be a deciding factor when deciding to continue with telemedicine.
As you already know, the medical industry was hit hard with patients delaying doctor visits, physicals, and canceling elective procedures. To build on the increase in popularity of telemedicine and reap the benefits for your practice, we suggest you consider the following creative marketing tactics.
As more healthcare companies develop telehealth services, your practice’s first impression should become a priority.
Knowing that 88% of consumers research a company before doing business with them, your website will typically be the first place prospective patients check. A positive impression invites further inquiry, while a negative impression can send patients straight to the competition.
Telehealth has many advantages over in-office visits, but often patients are concerned with the security and confidentiality of their healthcare and personal information. The manner in which you address this important issue should be prominently addressed on your website.
According to HIT Consultant, many telehealth platforms don't meet HIPAA requirements and lack adequate data safeguards. In 2019 alone, healthcare data breaches cost the industry over $4 billion. More reassurance can be given by following HIPAA requirements, improving identity authentication, and teaching patients more about cybersecurity.
More than half (53.6%) of the world's population is using social media and the average daily usage is around 2 hours and 25 minutes. So, it would be a mistake to underestimate the impact social media can have on your telemarketing efforts.
Social media has the power to not only establish you as a thought leader in your field of practice, but it will allow you to reach a wider audience beyond geography, connect easily with customers, and boost your relationship with clients.
Boosting local SEO can make a significant difference in getting the word out about your practice and telemedicine services.
Google My Business is a great place to start because it's free, directs customers to your physical location, and can provide potential patients with other useful information. It can also be tracked and measured. Interacting with and encouraging reviews, creating local content, using local keywords, and having an "About Us" page can also help boost local SEO.
Developing a content strategy can make a positive difference in your brand's visibility and credibility. Create content that resonates with your current and potential patients by giving them useful information on the importance of regular check-ups, cybersecurity safety, and best practices. Give them an example of what they can expect during their first visit. Be friendly, instill confidence, and be welcoming.
Sending email sequences is especially important for telehealth businesses who want to build genuine relationships with their patients over time. Consistent messaging is key to getting newcomers to book appointments. And delivering valuable email content over time with strong CTAs (what’s a CTA?) will encourage more telemedicine visits.
Potential patients might enjoy hearing from other patients that your telehealth services exceeded their expectations. Of course, sharing patient reviews on your website must be HIPAA compliant.
Consider adding HIPAA compliant videos to your website and content strategy to appeal to an audience that prefers consuming content through videos. When you combine it with great written content, videos can enhance your SEO (search engines love video/text combinations), and help you reach both readers and viewers, and more.
For inspiration, a video that answers patient FAQs might also be popular.
As more consumers turn to digital for a more convenient experience researching and finding solutions to their health problems, deploying a digital ad campaign is becoming more essential. This includes maximizing your potential with social media, pay-per-click, banner ads, content marketing, SEO, and programmatic advertising.
Learning how creative strategies can help boost telemedicine marketing is easy, but putting best practices to work can prove to be a little more challenging. Working with a trusted media partner to help develop a marketing strategy f can make a significant difference in elevating your brand's potential, and deliver your services to new and existing patients.