As a healthcare private practice owner, you know that marketing is essential to maintaining and growing your patient base. But with so many different marketing strategies and so little time, it can be tough to know where to start.

That's why we've put together this blog post, which outlines 10 grassroots marketing strategies you can use to supercharge your marketing in 2024. These strategies are all relatively low-cost and easy to implement, but they can make a big difference in your bottom line.

5 Grassroots Strategies to "Maintain" Current Patients

1. Send personalized greeting cards

One of the best ways to show your patients that you care is to send them personalized greeting cards on their birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions. In a highly digital world, this is a simple but effective way to stay in touch with your patients and let them know you're thinking of them.

You can use a service like www.integrityretention.com to create personalized greeting cards for your patients. Integrity Retention offers a wide variety of card designs, and you can even customize your cards with your practice logo and contact information.

2.  Offer patient education

Patients appreciate healthcare providers who take the time to educate them about their health condition and treatment options. By offering patient education, you can help your patients make informed decisions about their healthcare. This can lead to increased patient satisfaction and loyalty.

3.  Use social media to help patients connect to your practice 

One of the best ways to keep patients aware of your practice is to post valuable content relevant to their needs and interests. This could include articles about health and wellness, tips for managing chronic conditions, or information about new treatments and procedures. You can also share patient testimonials, videos of your staff, and behind-the-scenes photos of your practice.

4.  Make it easy for patients to schedule appointments

 Patients are busy people, so it's important to make it as easy as possible for them to schedule appointments with your practice. Offer online appointment scheduling, and make sure your website and phone system are easy to use.

5.  Provide excellent customer service

Finally, one of the best ways to maintain your patient base is to provide excellent customer service. This means being responsive to patient inquiries, respecting patients' time, and providing a positive overall experience.

When patients feel like they're being valued and respected, they're more likely to stay with your practice.

5 Grassroots Strategies to "Grow" Your Practice

1.  Personalized marketing to referral offices

One of the best ways to grow your practice is to target your marketing efforts at referral offices. Referral offices are doctors' offices, hospitals, and other healthcare providers that can send you patients. You can personalize your marketing to referral offices by sending them thank-you notes and delivering holiday baskets, offering educational resources, or inviting them to lunch or dinner. 

2. Offer educational resources

Patients are likelier to choose a healthcare provider they can trust and learn from. That's why it's important to offer educational resources to your patients on your website and social media. Educational content such as blog posts, articles, e-books, and videos can increase the potential of patients finding you. You can also host educational events, such as seminars and workshops, and advertise them extensively through social media and email.

Pro-Tip - consider hosting a collaborative educational event with referral offices to share costs and improve cooperation with the office. 

3.  Get involved in social media

Social media is a great way to connect with potential patients and promote your practice. Make sure you have a presence on the major social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Use your social media accounts to share educational content, promote services, and offer special discounts and promotions. You can also use social media to connect with other healthcare providers and build relationships with potential referral sources.

4.  Increase web traffic with ads with local SEO keywords

When running targeted ads on search engines and social media, be sure to include local SEO keywords in your ad copy and targeting settings. This will help you reach people who are searching for your services in your area. For example, if you are a podiatrist in Dallas, Texas, you might include keywords like "podiatrist in Dallas," "Dallas foot doctor," and "best podiatrist in Dallas" in your ad copy. You can also target your ads to people who live in Dallas or who have recently searched for podiatry services in Dallas.

5. Attend industry events

Industry events are a great way to network with other healthcare professionals and potential patients. When attending industry events, bring plenty of business cards and be prepared to discuss your practice.

How Doc Assist Me Live Virtual Assistants Can Help You Execute Your Marketing

Live virtual assistants can help you execute your marketing in several ways. For example, they can help you:

• Create and manage your website and social media pages
• Write and distribute blog posts and other content
• Design and send marketing materials
• Run targeted ads
• Support referral office relationships 
• Manage your email marketing campaigns
• And more!

Conclusion

Marketing is essential for private practice growth. Commit to creating a marketing plan and investing in live virtual assistant resources, like Doc Assist Me, in 2024 that will supercharge your practice. You and your team are worth it.