Building Trust in Healthcare Marketing

In nearly every industry, customers are tired of ads and marketers need to use more organic ways to spread our message and engage consumers. In the healthcare industry, though, this challenge is on an entirely different level.

As marketers who specialize in healthcare, we frequently hear our new clients express concerns about marketing. They’re physicians and practice administrators who are here to help people, and they don’t want to be seen as salespeople. They need to earn their patients’ trust, not just their business.

With that in mind, here are some tips to help you develop that authentic trust with your patients that will improve their care and keep them coming back:

• Play the long game. Building trust and familiarity takes time, so don’t expect to publish an ad and see an immediate jump in appointments.
• Encourage patient referrals with a referral program or other strategies. New patients will trust you more from day one if they’ve heard about you from their friends.
• Be vigilant about your online reputation management. Watch for online reviews and respond to each of them with authenticity and compassion.

These tips will get you started, but they’re merely a fraction of the strategic work that a practice needs to do to build a loyal patient base. For more tips and insights, check out our marketing blog.