Growth is on every medical practitioner’s mind. Not only are you looking to retain patients, patients, but attract new clientele. You’ve probably invested in advertising and branding, but what about content marketing? Content marketing converts three times as many leads as traditional marketing efforts, so if the concept is new to you, it’s worth taking a deeper dive. Here’s what you need to know.
What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a long-term strategic approach that uses content-centered campaigns such as blogs and social media to turn prospects into patients. By building up a valuable library of relevant articles, videos, social posts, and other materials, you organically optimize your website for Search Engine Optimization and elevate your brand, establishing it as an authority in your niche.
However, it’s vital to recognize that content marketing is a slow burn. One blog post or a handful of videos won’t cut it. Content marketing requires you to create high-quality content using keywords that are relevant to your niche.
How Content Marketing Helps Your Practice
Content marketing is a powerful strategy in the medical space. Not only does a well-run help your site rank highly on traditional Google search and local searches, but it also helps provide specific information to patients looking for answers to their health-related questions.
The medical space is ripe for a content marketing approach because patients rely heavily on experts for their information. The Mayo Clinic and WebMD do well for this reason.
Start by reviewing your search analytics to see what people search for when they land on your website or Google Maps listing. They might relate to specific conditions, treatments, research, or even healthcare admin. Once you have those questions and topics, you can start answering them using different types of content.
Getting Started with Content Marketing
So how do you get started? A content marketing strategy can seem daunting, but it’s important to remember that you don’t need to execute it all overnight. Some successful types of content in the healthcare space include:
- Blog posts. The cornerstone of any content strategy, these help you inform patients, share your expertise on specific topics, start a conversation, and drive SEO.
- Email. Email is a great retention tool– and can also help win over prospective patients. Share information, updates, helpful tips, and tools, and sort your list according to user type.
- Podcasts. Podcasts offer a great opportunity for experts to converse, answer questions, and be “human.” Though they take some time up-front, they perform well, especially if you push your recordings to major platforms and provide a transcript.
- Video. Videos today can range from ultra-short clips to lengthy episodes. Upload them to YouTube, social, or your website, and use them to inform patients, walk them through treatments or therapies, or visually break down hard-to-understand concepts. Offer closed captioning and multi-lingual support.
- eBooks and whitepapers. These are longer pieces of content that typically provide a strong overview of a specific topic – or sometimes a case study. eBooks are more likely to target patients, while whitepapers can be a good opportunity to reach and partner with other medical professionals.
Market from a Place You Love
Before you get started with your content marketing strategy, make sure your practice walks the walk. Ensure that you’re well located and in premises that represent you well, with long plans to be in the location you’ll be building your content marketing strategy around. After all, you want to not only convert patients – but also keep them coming back. If you’re looking to move, expand, or upgrade, talk to the medical real estate pros at Gittleson Zuppas Medical Realty. We can help you find the ideal space so that you can start building that local content strategy asap!