What is Content Marketing, and WHY Should Medical Professionals Like You, Even Care?
Content marketing is a proven business strategy that brings you more ideal patients, without the expense of advertising.
It helps you build trust and establish personal connections with patients - even before they come into your practice.
With content marketing, you’re providing VALUE for patients at no cost to them, in exchange for their time.
The more time they spend with your valuable content, the more they will begin to know, like, and trust you.
Content marketing amplifies your credibility, your authority,
and the desirability for you to be their healer.
According to HealthcareSuccess.com, content marketing is a natural fit for health providers.
“Among the benefits, it is a marketing tool for patient engagement, retention, branding, and professional reputation building.”
Content marketing gives your community an in-depth perspective
of how you can transform their lives for the better.
The vast majority of Americans seek their health information online.
Plus, we know people often find and choose new doctors online.
That means if you're producing valuable, medical content online, you're much more likely to garner attention and authority for you and your practice to get new patients.
83% of adult internet users search online for health information. (1)
Since COVID online content consumption has doubled to almost 7 hours a day. (2)
A consumer survey found most respondents cited "personal health" and "health of friends and family" as their biggest concerns. (3)
Medical content creation works best when you imagine
yourself in the same situation as a patient.
Potential patients want answers about their health, how to stay healthy, professional advice on living with a specific ailment, and how you have helped others with their particular problem.
The content can take many forms, as long as it provides real value for the patient
- Blogs using written articles, patient stories, videos.
- Patient Education Videos on your website and your social media.
- Email Newsletters & Patient Help Sheets
- eBooks and pdf reports
- Live events or trainings on any health condition
You need content marketing because you are a healer, not a salesman.
Your content does the selling for you!
Most of your prospects won’t be ready to buy from you the first time that they hear about your services and your practice.
People go through a buying process before committing to any purchase.
Awareness - Consideration - Decision / Buying
Awareness is where they start looking for a solution to their health problem, and who can help them.
Consideration is where they do research and compare one healer to another. Then they make a Decision, about which healer to see, and after your examination, which treatment plan to buy.
The B2B Buyer’s Journey | Source: HubSpot
Effective Content Marketing Strategies
- Create Sharable Content, so prospects can easily get 2nd opinions and forward to friends.
- Post The Latest Industry News, people expect you to know about medical break throughs and how Acupuncture helps
- Be Niche-Specific, have separate content for the problems you deal with the most.
(1) https://trialfacts.com/do-patients-search-for-online-health-information/
(2) https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/news/global-online-content-consumption-doubles-in-wake-of-covid/44130
(3) https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/consumer-goods-services/coronavirus-consumer-behavior-research
