If you’re a doctor running a medical or aesthetic practice you have a lot on your plate. More often than not marketing is an after-thought, especially if you’ve hired an agency to handle all your marketing efforts. Then again, maybe you’re very hands-on and want to be involved in everything. Being hands-off can be a problem since you might not be aware of how things are going, and being too involved may lead to issues with time-management.
No matter where you fall on that spectrum of involvement in your practice’s marketing, there are 4 main areas where your time is most effectively spent. These are all tasks that, for the most part, you shouldn’t outsource. The good news is that, once you get the hang of it, most of these tasks shouldn’t be too time-consuming:
- Review all content published on the practice’s behalf: As the practice owner it’s your voice that’s being heard when a blog is posted, an email sent, or a social message is sent. Make sure the quality and accuracy reflects well on you and your practice. It’s the same concept as your website’s design. You want the design to reflect the aesthetic quality of your physical practice. This is the one task where you might be able to outsource to a trusted practice manager or executive on your staff who understands the procedures well and is also an excellent writer.
- Ask patients for reviews: Be active in asking every patient you or your staff sees for a review, and make sure you approach them at the most opportune time, which is when they’re happiest! Usually this is during the post-op follow up. Another highly effective tactic for generating reviews is to write the patient a thank you note. Check out this article for more details on this approach.
Answer questions on Real Self: For a plastic surgeon, I highly recommend establishing a strong presence on Real Self. Focus on answering questions and driving reviews to your page. Also, upload your before & afters to Real Self. Once you’ve got enough activity you may want to consider investing in some spotlights for additional exposure. Like #1, you might be able to outsource some of the questions, such as those about non-surgical procedures if you’re a plastic surgeon, but for the most part I recommend the doctor answering questions themselves.- Get to know your Analytics: If you’re investing in marketing or advertising it’s essential that you track ROI. The best way to do that is with Google Analytics, since you can track your website traffic down to the individual source, and in some instances, down to the keyword. You can also track website lead growth. Making sure you’re getting thorough reports from your marketing agency is the first step in avoiding getting ripped off.
The bottom line is: get active with your marketing. As the practice leader and owner you need to be aware of everything from your profit margins to your conversion rates to your fixed vs. variable costs. Yes, a COO or a practice manager can oversee the business side of things, but you still need to be aware of the practice health, particularly when it pertains to any investment you’re looking to generate ROI from, such as digital marketing.
If you’d like to learn more about how to boost your digital marketing efforts then schedule a time to chat with us. Simply leave your information here or give us a ring at 877-673-7096 x2.
