The Ultimate Guide to Medical Internet Marketing

The Internet can bring in a wealth of new customers to your medical (or dental) practice. It can become your dependable and reliable source for acquiring new patients.

Look, according to The Pew Research Center, 88% of US adults use the Internet. That is at least more than 280-million people!

A study by the same group back in 2013, found that 72% of US Internet users have looked online for health information within the past year. And eight in ten health-related inquiries begin at a search engine.

Also, about one in five Internet users have used online reviews in their decision making process. Actually, it is not uncommon today for people to seek reviews on particular drugs, medical treatments and other healthcare providers.

Here are some more findings from that study:

But perhaps the most significant find is that 35% of Americans have used the Internet to diagnose a medical condition. And those most likely to behave in this way have a college degree and a household income of $75,000 or more.

Once self-diagnosis is complete, these people use the Internet to seek out medical or dental treatment from a provider to treat that health condition! Wouldn’t you like to be found when they are ready to buy?

Today there are more healthcare specialized professionals because of the growth of the medical industry. Therefore, practices have to compete for patients. Gone are the days when medical marketing was considered “unethical”. Now you must market your business if you want to hit your objectives and stand out from the crowd.

Savvy medical and dental practitioners of the 21st Century have evolved their marketing strategies. Even health-related retail companies have adjusted the way they reach out to consumers.

But why do we have more medical practitioners than say…10 years ago?

Well, most people think of medicine and dentistry as “recession-proof” businesses. They believe that even when the economy is hurting and disposable incomes drop, people still need to get their medical needs addressed.

This is not necessary true and here is why:

How much of the country’s medical treatment is absolute versus elective? Dealing with absolute issues such as cancer, trauma, neurologic deterioration, and incapacitating issues are absolute. So in a sense, those are recession proof.

What about everything else?

A knee replacement, cosmetic plastic surgery, dental implants, veneers, lap band surgery, allergy shots, bunion surgery and so on, are elective quality of life treatments.

What we saw in the last recession was that these treatments are often delayed and put on hold due to financial strains unless they are absolutely necessary. Even medical conditions that people normally deal with quickly are being put aside such as cataracts.

As someone who owned and operated a medical practice during a recession, I can definitively say that healthcare is not recession proof.

Patients will often a) Wait longer to seek care b) Put off elective procedures for lengthy periods c) Raise their insurance deductibles substantially and d) Negotiate on the cost of their medical care.

We have reached a “New Normal” in healthcare as a result of the increasing specialization (or competition) and how patients view the cost of their healthcare versus the benefit.

A decade or two ago, it was almost unheard of for patients to bargain on the cost of their treatment. Now it is routine, even for insurance-covered treatments and it seems that this new normal is here to stay.

I felt weird a few years ago discussing a bill for my dog’s eye surgery. But in the past, I’ve had plenty of similar meetings with patients at my practice. From discussing treatment cost to prepayment discounts to bundling self-pay items among others that never used to happen before.

I never used to hear patients negotiate on lab work cost, back brace fees, or even the $15 cost of filling out disability paperwork. What have the likes of EBay and Craigslist done that carried over to medicine?

This new norm exists for how patients find their healthcare providers too. In truth, it is becoming somewhat commoditized. Patients now see their medical providers as businesses that compete for customers just like everyone else in free markets.

Not to mention that prospective patients now understand that they can choose their own providers. Savvy patients take time to research their options and many do not obtain a referral from their primary care doctors.

Research by the Pew Research Center confirms that 80% of all Internet users or 60% of the American public looks up health information online. On top of this, the same report showed that 18% of Internet users have gone online to look for others with similar medical conditions.

In fact, quite a few patients find their own specialist online and then ask their primary doctor for a specific referral.

Prior to the Internet, traditional marketing for a medical or dental practice involved phone books like Yellow Pages, significant word-of-mouth, doctor referrals, newspapers and magazine advertisements.

Some practices have turned to radio and television for patient acquisition, but the cost of a proper campaign can run well over $10,000 per month.

This may be worth it, depending on your goals but keep in mind that you will be reaching a large audience of people who may or might not be in your market area. These individuals may not be looking for or interested in what you are selling.

Listen, the cost of radio and television ads are high! And unless you have got numerous locations around your city or the city is small with a captive audience, a lot of people who simply do not need your services will hear or view your advertisement. Why waste those dollars?

Here is the thing, more of the general public is letting go of cable services to watch videos (or TV) online. And if Netflix is any proof, this trend will continue.

If less people are going to hear your ads and most of those individuals will not need your services, then what would your ROI be? This is just something to consider.

To succeed with traditional broadcast channels, four things need to happen. First, an individual needs to have the problem you are offering to solve. Second, that person must actually see or hear your advertisement.

Third, your ad must resonate with that person enough to generate a phone call to your business. And fourth, the person answering the phone needs to be able to convert those leads into paying customers.

The typical sales cycle for advertising is well known. A prospective customer has to see or hear your advertisement five to ten times before they decide to take action. This is why advertising on radio, television or any other successful medium for that matter, necessitates repetition!

Look, these campaigns need months of steady advertising, so that the public can begin to familiarize or recognize your brand message. A billboard may be an excellent method of advertising, especially, if your location has a high traffic count. City data can often tell you the exact number of vehicles that pass by on a daily basis. But some of the same problem seen with radio and television exists.

There will be lots of people seeing your ad who may not need your services. However, since billboard ads tend to stay up consistently, that could change if a person develops symptoms that your practice treats.

The good news is that people still drive to work and if the traffic count is sufficient, your ad will be seen. You may be surprised at the cost of a billboard advert if you haven’t checked.

One billboard on a busy street can cost $2500 or more per month. And that is just one!

Marketing can consist of an extreme amount of trial and error. This can burn through capital like you have never dreamed of. But if you start throwing money at every marketing sales representative who walks in your front door without doing your own research, results will suffer.

Early on, I tried quite a few marketing mediums and many of them failed miserably! When putting together an effective marketing campaign, the objective is to acquire new customers, while staying within the acceptable budget. In other words, obtaining a low patient acquisition cost.

It is not a good idea to throw the entire monthly budget into one medium, unless the track record for that channel is well known. If all the...