Digital Marketing Strategies for Medical Imaging and Radiology Centers
You’ve gone ahead and opened up a medical imaging and radiology center in your area. Everything was built, the staff was hired, and all the equipment was purchased and delivered. It’s time for you to get patients through your doors – and that’s going to require some marketing. In the past, you could rely on mailings and a listing in the Yellow Pages. Today, you’ve got to go digital with your marketing. There are several options … and you’ve got to make sure that you have a strategy to get people’s attention. Sure, doctors can definitely provide referrals, but it’s also important to reach out to people who need radiology services and may not know where to go. That’s where a website like W-radiology can come in handy. Nowadays, almost everyone is glued to their smartphones, so why not utilize this and connect with more individuals and provide them with the care they need? Find out more about digital marketing strategies for medical imaging and radiology centers.
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Implement Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
This can be a very valuable strategy. Basically, you want to write your copy and both answer questions that your target audience will likely be asking as well as using key phrases that they will type into a search engine like Google. In turn, Google will be using its algorithm to see how well you do both of those things and then boost your site in its rankings.
As a result, your site will wind up on the front page of the search results, preferably as the first or second link. People usually click the first result that they see, so they will go to your website and add traffic. If you do a good job on your site, then they’ll stay there, which is also good for you … and Google will see that they stick around instead of clicking back out.
Google’s algorithm changes all the time, so it’s important that you stay on top of any changes by looking at your data. You’ve always got to be ready to adapt.
Use Pay-Per-Click Advertising
You should consider using this, especially if your budget is on the limited side. Basically, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) is where you create certain phrases and then pay to have your phrases show up when someone searches for them. They show up at the top of the search results.
While these results are labeled as being an ad, a lot of potential customers do click through since they see that your site answers their question. It’s a good idea to try to have a phrase that includes a nearby zip code, for example, or “w-radiology New York.” That way, the searcher will know that it’s something local to them.
Have a Well-Designed Web Site
Don’t think of your website as being a basic entry point. You want to have something that captures people’s eyes and makes everything look friendly and inviting. All the copy on it should be easy to understand. Avoid using any extensive medical jargon, since that might confuse people. If they’re confused, then they will likely click off of the site and you’ve lost a potential patient.
You don’t want either your current patients or your potential ones to get frustrated with the design of your website. Make sure that the person who creates it has made it easy for anyone using it to follow the flow to do whatever they need. Doing something as simple as making an appointment or checking recent imaging results shouldn’t be stressful.
A lot of places tend to treat their website as an afterthought. Don’t be one of them. You’ll find that you get a lot more business with a good site than one that has a poor design.
Content Marketing
There’s a saying: “Content is King.” That’s true when it comes to trying to get people to come to your site for their w-radiology needs. You want to provide more for them than just being a portal for them to make their imaging appointments. That’s where additional content comes in.
It’s important that you do more than just have your business info on your website. You can also have content that will help the people on there – like having blogs. Post things like “Things You Didn’t Know About Medical Imaging” or “What to Expect When You Come to a Radiology Center.” It’s a great way to show that you’re more than just a medical imaging place. If you have good writers that use SEO, then that could also boost your search rankings.
Social Marketing
You can use Facebook for far more than just uploading photos from your latest party, updating your relationship status, or remembering someone’s birthday. All you need to do is set up a business page on the site and update it regularly. Be sure that you have a good photo of your business as well as a logo.
One thing you really need to use Facebook for is to manage your reputation. You need to answer questions that people post on your page and also address any complaints that they may also post. You should also maintain a strong presence on “Yelp!” for that too. By doing this, you will show that you value people’s input.
Google Places
Here’s another way that Google can help you. They have a free service called “Google My Business” and you can create a page for it that has photos, your hours of business, and services that you offer. It’s a great way to show up in searches and there’s a lot of analytics that you can use.
Just like Facebook and other social platforms, you can interact with customers by answering questions and also replying to any complaints or compliments. If people see that you’re interactive, then they may be more inclined to visit your site and make appointments.
Digital marketing will only play one part of your center’s success. You’ve also got to make sure that you have the best equipment and staff working there. That way, you can make sure that you’ll have a steady stream of patients who are more than satisfied with their experiences there.
If you’re able to combine all of the above into a workable and repeatable strategy, then you’ll have a much better chance of long-term success.
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