The best time of the year is quickly approaching – the season of giving. And showing your gratitude should not only be reserved for friends and family. Instead, what better way to give back to your medical patients than to show your thanks for their loyalty and trust in you?
With our five-holiday marketing tips, your medical practice can build better connections with your patients. Keep reading to discover how to personalize your healthcare marketing strategies this holiday season.
With the bustle of the holidays and busy schedules, your patients may have limited openings to visit your clinic. Therefore, to cater to your patient’s tight schedules, you may want to update your holiday hours on your website and Google My Business Page to offer more flexibility.
For instance, when patients search for a medical clinic near them on Google, they can filter the results based on operation hours. Having availability to treat patients after regular working hours and on weekends can help set your clinic apart from the competition. Additionally, it conveys to your clients that you care about their health and are willing to offer flexibility to meet their needs.
Don’t forget to update the listed hours on your website, as well. Potential patients may find you through both avenues. For added holiday cheer, you can update your website design to incorporate holiday and seasonal elements like snow, decorations, or gift boxes.
Following the trend of giving, you can also use your clinic’s social media pages to post holiday-themed marketing materials. For instance, you can host a giveaway to give back to your loyal client base. This marketing strategy can also increase word-of-mouth advertising and brand awareness as clients share your posts for a chance to enter a giveaway.
To host a holiday-themed giveaway, you can encourage patients to submit their greeting cards or family photos for a chance to enter. For example, patients can tag your clinic in their posts to be entered to win. They can also forward your holiday post to friends and family for additional entries. The winner can receive a gift card, promotional discount, or free service.
Other social media marketing strategies around the holiday include:
It’s the season of giving, and there’s no better way to improve your patient acquisition strategies and retention programs than to give something back to your patients. Email and text message marketing are top strategies to attract new clients and reward loyal patients. And it’s no wonder, considering personalized emails are opened 26% more, on average. Conversely, text messages have a significantly higher open rate compared to emails – 98%.
Email and text offers may include:
You can even conduct email and text marketing without offering discounts. These personalized messages can include:
During the holidays, many of us splurge on gifts, often leaving us strapped for cash. Unfortunately, medical emergencies have terrible timing, and an added expense when you’ve already spent your paycheck on gifts can be devastating.
In fact, some of your patients may find themselves in this position. As a result, they may put off seeking medical care because of a lack of funds. Rather than forgoing medical care, you can help your patients afford treatment with flexible financing plans and payment solutions.
A point-of-sale financing program can allow your patients to get the care they need now with the flexibility to pay slowly over time. Giving patients access to healthcare with budget-friendly options can increase your acquisition and retention efforts. Additionally, it can demonstrate to your clients that you are foremost concerned with helping them get the care they need by working with them to find an affordable payment plan.
A financing option can also help set you apart from local medical practices that don’t offer the same payment flexibility. Given the option, patients are more likely to seek care from a clinic that provides them with a financing plan rather than one that requires upfront and in-full payment.
Some payment solutions you may offer include the following:
In addition to giving back to your patients, your clinic can also donate to community charity programs. For instance, for every dollar your patients spend, you can donate a percentage to support a children’s hospital, after-school program, or community center. Conversely, you can set up a donation program that encourages your patients to round up and give to a local organization.
More than just being in the business of caring for individual patients, you can show your clients that you care about supporting and giving back to the larger community. As such, more patients may be more inclined to support your clinic if they know they are helping donate to a bigger cause.
Marketing can be a tricky endeavor during the holiday season. How do you promote your healthcare practice without coming off as disingenuous to your patients? Above all else, present your marketing materials with a person-first approach. Remember that you are in the business of care, and building trust among your clients should be a top priority.
As such, if you’re looking for new marketing strategies to implement this holiday season, consider sending out emails and texts with promotions and discounts for healthcare services. Also, offer your patients scheduling and financing flexibility during the hectic fall and winter months.
