Lead Attraction and Lead Management for Dermatology Practices
Turning potential patients into actual patients is an art and a science. Gathering and analyzing data is just one part. Just as important is what you do with that information. There are a lot of tools in the marketer’s toolbox for finding viable leads, and driving them toward your practice. To be effective, though, they have to be used properly.
Attracting Leads Through Social Media
Mindfully managed social media pages offer huge potential for attracting and converting leads. Here are the general rules of play.
Consistency over quantity. Posting regularly is better than posting a lot. One or two quality posts per day is better than constantly posting random things. Sharing too much, too often is a good way to get unfollowed. You want to show up on people’s news feeds, but you don’t want to bombard them.
Post with care. Carefully curate what you share. Take time to make sure what your sharing is something that speaks to your audience. Be relevant, be interesting, be different.
Engage with people. One big goal of digital marketing is to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. You want to be the go-to person when people have questions about anything to do with dermatology. When you respond to comments and questions on social media, you get the chance to show off your knowledge and expertise. This is a critical step in building trust with potential new patients.
Take advantage of the opportunities. The problem a lot practices face when it comes to social media marketing is not being able to reach a large enough audience. Or more specifically, not reaching enough of the right audience. Targeted ads on social media help ensure your posts will be seen by more people and, most importantly, by the people who are most likely to be interested in your services.
Social media has changed the game, giving every business the opportunity to reach hundreds of thousands – even millions – of people all at once, and in real time. To harness the incredible potential this presents, consult an expert who can help you get the most out of the time and money you spend on social media marketing.
The Importance of Nurturing Your Email List
Email is still a big part of the digital marketing picture. When using email to attract and convert leads, always observe modern email etiquette.
Don’t be boring. In order to keep people from opting out, be genuine. Use language that’s real and personal. Talk about things that are happening in your local area, or offer a unique take on something related to your field.
Don’t email too often. Being allowed in people’s inbox is a privilege. If you don’t want your newsletters to be relegated to the trash folder, be discretionary about how often you send them out.
Try not to sound like a salesperson. Yes, you’re marketing. That doesn’t mean you should come across like the local mattress warehouse during a clearance sale. Experts will tell you that really good marketing doesn’t seem like marketing.
Create value around your email campaign. Make people feel like they’re getting something valuable by subscribing to your emails. Some practices do this by designing promotions that are exclusive to people on their email list.
Managing Online Reviews
If a person looks you up online and sees a bunch of bad reviews, it’s essentially a guarantee that you’ll never get any business from them. In today’s world, you really can’t ignore your online ratings and reviews. In a recent survey, 90% of people said they use online reviews to help them make purchasing decisions.
First and foremost, go claim your practice on the major online review sites (such as Yelp and Google Business). This way, you can be notified when someone posts a new review. Even more importantly you’ll be able to respond to them.
The first rule of the online review game is obvious: always provide excellent service and care to your patients. Be awesome, get awesome reviews. Of course, even if you do that, it’s inevitable that you’ll get a less-than-perfect review at some point. How you handle it is everything.
Respond quickly and professionally. Acknowledge the person’s issue and take steps to de-escalate the situation. This can be a simple apology that they were unhappy with their experience at your practice. You may want to invite them back so you can make it up to them. You can offer to contact them personally to discuss ways to make things right. Whatever you do, keep your cool. Do not, under any circumstance, be combative or snarky in response to a bad review. (It’s okay to feel like doing this, just don’t act on it).A bad review doesn’t look so bad when it’s nestled among dozens of good ones. Encourage your patients to leave positive reviews when they’re happy. You can hang up signs at your office reminding them to rate your practice online, and you can include links in follow-up emails. You may even want to offer your patients some incentive for leaving a review. This could be a small discount on their next service, a free product, or whatever works for you.
A Few Final Thoughts On Lead Attraction for Dermatologists
Automation is great, just don’t go too far. Automating parts of your lead management process can help you save time and money – and reduce your stress levels. Like most things in life, the key to effective lead management automation is to find the right balance. Automate tedious tasks, but make sure your customers know there’s a real person behind the social posts and emails.
Love the ones you’re with. While you’re working to foster those promising new leads, don’t forget about the patients you already have. It’s more expensive to attract a new patient than it is to keep an existing one. Never take the loyalty of your current patients for granted.
Keep an eye on your ROI. If you don’t have a way to see actual results from your lead management efforts, you’re swimming in circles. Keep track of what you’re getting back from your marketing and lead attraction efforts. This way, you can adjust your strategy until you see better results.
Make sure your website is optimized for lead conversion. When people visit your website, are you making it easy for them to become new patients? Make sure it’s excessively simple for people to book a consultation or contact you with questions. If your site isn’t seeing any action, it might be time for an upgrade.