Bud Torcom discusses ways to improve patient healthcare and the struggle of providers to think of patients as customers.
The primary goal for any healthcare provider is to care. It’s right there in the name. Improving patient health is so profoundly important that it’s understandable when providers struggle to think of patients as customers.
To be fair, doctors are often dealt a bad hand. They spend years learning to be the best physicians they can possibly be, but they receive barely any training in sales, marketing or business. The problem? This expertise is essential to the success of any clinic. If you’re the best in the world at what you do and nobody knows it, does it even matter? This is why companies market.
In truth, a robust social media presence is necessary to attract new patients. A recent study found that 57 percent of patient decisions regarding medical treatment are swayed by social media connections. The importance of social media seems to be inversely proportional to the understanding doctors have of the medium. Instead, many doctors are content to sink piles of money into ineffective billboards, radio spots and television ads.
We have worked with numerous doctors and medical practices to teach them about social media marketing — particularly on Facebook. Considering that more than 171 million Americans use Facebook at least once a month, we’re talking about more than half of the U.S. population regularly logging in to one channel. But of all the surgeons, hospitals and clinics we have consulted, we have yet to talk with one that truly understands how to use social media.
Rather than take a shotgun approach of blasting information out into the wild and hoping something hits, medical professionals should use social media to target the demographics that use their services. By adopting a more focused strategy, the healthcare field can master digital marketing and create a lead-generating machine capable of efficiently moving prospects through the sales pipeline.
Break out the scalpel
Doctors increasingly use cutting-edge machines, endoscopes and lasers to discover problems and execute precise, targeted procedures. Instead of reaching for a hatchet, they opt for the precision provided by a scalpel.
Hospital leaders must adopt a similar approach for their marketing efforts. Facebook Ads Manager (and Twitter’s similar tool) empowers you to target campaigns at people who have the same habits you see in patients. These tools can help you create targeted and triggered campaigns, which one study credits for 77 percent of marketing return on investment.
Let's say you are a bariatric surgeon looking to reach potential patients who struggle with obesity. Does it help to advertise to people who run marathons and enjoy mountain biking? Probably not. Instead, you might target people who have habits that probably make them your clientele. You could directly target individuals who show a preference for video games, fast food and Netflix bingeing, for example, while excluding individuals who frequently run, ski, bike or hike.
Retarget people who express interest
Facebook has been hailed as the most promising social advertising avenue, with a 152 percent ROI on targeted ads on the platform. With this in mind, it makes sense to spend some time perfecting your Facebook strategy.
Certain medical specialties require a more thorough sales approach than others
Use the Facebook pixel to retarget users who signal they might be interested in your practice. The pixel ensures your laser-focused ads reappear for users who actively click on them. The tool also detects people who have visited your website, so people showing interest in your hospital or clinic see your advertisements the next time they log in to Facebook.
We have worked with countless healthcare providers over the years, but not one of them was using the pixel when we first started working together. This might seem like Advertising 101 for digital marketers, but most healthcare leaders don’t have the time or training to know how to use it.
Use video to continue narrowing down your audience
Videos attract attention. Four times as many people prefer watching a video about a product rather than reading about it. This pattern is evident in healthcare, with one in eight patients watching videos on hospital websites for treatment options and testimonials.
Let’s say you offer laparoscopic banding, a treatment one surgeon in Los Angeles told me patients often consider for up to a year before pulling the trigger. I had a lap band done about a decade ago, and the procedure changed my life. That said, it took a lot of convincing before I was willing to have the surgery. Had the hospital used videos to showcase the technology and outcomes of the procedure, I might have gone for it sooner.
The best part? You don’t even have to produce the videos yourself. You can find a ton of relevant, professional videos on YouTube and then embed those videos on your Facebook page for free. Once those videos have been up for a while, dive into the Power Editor and retarget your ads to people who seem the most receptive to the content. You might target people who have signaled their interest by watching something like 90 percent of the video as opposed to 5 percent.
Convert your target audience into potential patients
Once you have targeted and retargeted your audience several times, you’re left with a bucket of prospects. Now what? Turn those Facebook users into high-quality leads. Using lead-generation tactics, you can prompt users to schedule an appointment, register for an upcoming class or submit their contact information.
After you collect this valuable information, you have to use it effectively. Amassing a large number of leads is pointless if you aren’t going to follow through on the information. At this point, you can transition from lead generation into lead management.
Show prospective customers how much you care
Healthcare providers must assure potential patients that they’ll receive supportive and effective care at all stages. A resounding 52 percent of patients choose hospitals where they will receive good customer service. Show your leads that you value them by reaching out on a routine basis. Make sure every lead receives at least four touchpoints (a phone call, an email or a postcard) over a period of weeks or even months.
These regular check-ins are hard work, but you can use a customer relationship management system to simplify the process. CRM systems can automatically let you know when to contact people, how to contact them and how many potential patients are in your pipeline. Considering that a 2017 report found that 71 percent of companies rank lead conversion as their top sales priority, it makes a lot of sense to dedicate resources to this potentially lengthy process.
Many of the tools I have mentioned can build a digital marketing machine capable of eliminating a significant amount of time and guesswork. Once they see the power of digital marketing, most healthcare providers embrace its more focused approach and never look back. Digital marketing can improve your hospital's or clinic's relationship with patients, drive demand for your services and help you reach untapped audiences.
Bud Torcom is the CEO and co-founder of Mazama Media, a marketing agency that offers high-quality digital and social media solutions for businesses. Mazama Media focuses on the individual needs and personalities of clients to create unique and engaging social media content, and the company is part of the prestigious Facebook Small Business Council. Bud is also a member of the Forbes Agency Council. Connect with Bud on LinkedIn
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