In the first and second parts of this series on marketing for bariatric clinics, we discussed how digital marketing has become an urgent necessity and not a luxury, and that the number of bariatric surgeries performed globally has reached 228,000 annually and is increasing. We also mentioned that a very large proportion of the public uses the Internet to decide whether or not they will undergo bariatric surgery, even in the older age groups, as 60% of the elderly (over 65) use the Internet to search for health-related matters, here are some statistics about patient activity on social networking websites:
- 5% of all Google searches are related to health topics.
- 83% of patients visit your website before booking an appointment.
- 41% of patients say that content posted on social media is a major reason for choosing a doctor or surgeon.
- 77% of people use mobile devices to find a doctor.
- 39% of patients use social media to get a doctor.
- 95% of Internet users search for a cure for their illness on the Internet.
- 60% of patients say they have been helped by following medical advice or health information online.
Forms of Digital Marketing
Health is one of the most important topics in people’s lives as digital marketing contributes greatly to winning patients’ trust, and facilitates the exchange of information between service providers (bariatric surgeons) and their patients. Surgeons in the bariatric field depend on patient satisfaction, not only to maintain their current patients but to earn new cases. The use of digital marketing in hospitals, clinics, and centers actually increases their number of patients, however, what are the correct methods to approach patients? Which ones are the best?
The social media platforms are different and each one of them has a different audience, but here are the most popular methods of communication that affects patients and their decisions:
1. Video Marketing:
Marketing through videos is the best way to market healthcare and to build confidence and raise awareness about the different fields of healthcare in general and bariatric surgeries in particular. YouTube has been outshining in the current period as it is not just a video site, but a search engine with more than 4 billion monthly searches on it.
Yet, video marketing remains the best and hardest marketing tool. Especially patient review videos, then videos of the doctor explaining a therapeutic service, and finally videos where the surgeon performs the procedure on camera.
Using video in digital marketing aims to combine quality and quantity – whether by videography or through motion graphic videos, where you can display a problem and its solution, or display real patient cases and their journey with you. This way you can gain the audience’s trust and confidence in you.
2. Social Media Marketing
The main reason for the spread of social media marketing is that a large number of people are now active online, and are looking for medical solutions. Obese patients search for qualified surgeons performing gastric sleeve or bypass. That’s why bariatric surgeons should not neglect digital marketing.
Digital marketing includes several methods through mobile devices. Where medical content can be marketed through search engines or social media and much more. It is an inexpensive and effective way when compared to traditional methods, you as a doctor in the healthcare field should not miss the opportunity of digital marketing.
Digital medical marketing through social media aims to reach the largest group of people and provide the appropriate solution to their problems through their phones. So, setting a marketing plan for your clinic or your center on social media and adhering to it helps you excel among your competitors, reach the largest number of potential patients, and showcase the advantages of your clinic.
Commitment to developing a marketing plan necessitates a steady publication schedule, visually appealing engagements, and responding to comments. It may seem stressful and requires work if not managed by marketing specialists, especially if everything you’ve published so far is discounts/offers on Facebook, responding to a comment, or just showing pictures of cases before and after the operation.
Do you need to look at some stats that explain the importance of social media in digital medical marketing? The following numbers illustrate that importance:
- 75% of the public use social media to search for health symptoms.
- 80% of Internet users search for health information through social media.
- 72% of internet users are active on social media.
3. Medical articles:
Medical articles are content that discusses an entire disease with its symptoms and methods of treatment and explains the methods provided by a certain healthcare provider. Articles help improve the clinic’s reputation and attract new patients. Doctors may think that there is not enough time to write and publish medical articles, however, medical marketing companies provide you with other doctors who choose a practical method and allocate the time necessary to write and review the articles. Then the doctor simply reviews and approves it for publication on his website or page and displays it to the public base, and medical articles are written in a specific style and manner that appears in the introduction to those people who are trying to find doctors online.
Here are some important benefits of writing medical articles about your clinic and medical services:
- Articles help you appear in front of patients who are looking for specialties similar to yours, where articles are written with a good marketing strategy and following search engine rules (SEO). Good articles publish content related to the services provided by the clinic or hospital on a frequent basis. This makes you appear in front of patients repeatedly during research.
Since patients always go to the results and links that appear at the top of the list, it is necessary to make an effort to appear among these results. This can only be achieved through good SEO as it is the icon of accessing your site at the forefront of the search.
- Articles display your experience and add a human character to it, where when choosing a doctor, especially bariatric surgeons, the patient needs to feel comfortable and reassured that the doctor has sufficient experience to make him more comfortable with the procedure. Your articles must be published in a way that is simple for the audience to comprehend and highlights the surgeon’s experience in the field.
- Articles help build good relationships with patients. When medical marketing relies on attractive topics and is written correctly, it increases the patient’s access to them.
Benefits of using digital marketing for bariatric and laparoscopic clinics:
Digital marketing helps you reach your target audience faster and with better results, and one of the most important advantages of digital marketing is that medical service providers can not only advertise their services, but they can also manage social media pages, interact with people, respond to comments and inquiries, and clarify multiple experiences through medical articles and medical reputation management and better brand creation.
Medical marketing is useful when trying to attract new clients as it provides an opportunity for doctors to expand their reach, and appear in the best way through social media by publishing posts full of keywords, and create marketing campaigns on the website or Facebook page.
Following this method of marketing provides the doctor with an increase in the number of patients and amazing results as the main advantages of social media for doctors is that it enables them to stay in touch with patients and reach new people interested in their specialty.
Also, digital marketing through social media is an inexpensive means compared to other types of marketing. If it is implemented correctly under the hands of an expert in the field, doctors can generate their own traffic, which ultimately helps to achieve more revenue. Feel free to choose the right place to display your services in a high-quality marketing method.
