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The Secret to Marketing Your

                             Practice Online

          The   patient  journey                          cles and then adding at
        through medical treatment                         least one new article per
        consists of a series of mile-                     month, because in the
        stones,  from   diagnosis                         world of digital market-
        through referral, treatment                       ing and search engine
        and recovery. Beginning                           optimization, fresh con-
        with the search for the best                      tent is king.
        doctor and every step along                         When       potential
        the way, most patients are                        patients searching for
        hungry for information and                        answers return to your
        bursting with questions.                          site a second or third
        How do I know my diagno-                          time, it’s ideal if they
        sis is correct? What kind of                      find even more informa-
        treatment do I need? What     BY JANE GRANT       tion from you to help
        is the recovery like? The list                    them navigate their
        of questions goes on and on,                      options. All the major
        and the first step for most people is to   search engines track new content, which
        “Google it” and see what comes up.   impacts search results. As more content
          Our almost universal reliance on   from a site is indexed, the site’s ranking
        search engines to get us the information   improves and attracts more visitors.
        we’re looking for presents a valuable   When you’re ready to commit to con-
        opportunity for physicians to connect   tent marketing, keep these five points in
        with patients in a very professional man-  mind:
        ner. The approach is known as content   1. It’s about what patients need to
        marketing and its power resides in its   know, not about you. Be a valuable
        ability to deliver information that is rele-  resource.
        vant and valuable to the patient. Instead   2. Keep it human and understandable.
        of blatantly praising and promoting the   Scientific information can be intimidat-
        doctor, it educates patients and helps   ing to patients and their families.
        them find the answers they seek. If    3. Don’t be self-promotional. Focus on
        physicians do it right, potential patients   addressing the patient’s concerns and
        are likely to reward them first with their   building trust.
        attention and then with their trust and   4. Results take time and persistence.
        loyalty.                             Benefits of content marketing develop
          Great content marketing begins with   over time.
        putting yourself in the patient’s shoes.   5. Commit only to what you can sus-                      D elr a y B eeach • J ackson ville • M iami • Or lando • P anama C it y
        Let’s say, for example, that you’re an   tain. Gaps in posting suggest neglect and        8 0  9 . 0  6  2 . 6 12  2 0    t t  @ d a n n a  c a r g  ey ey  o c . y.  m  www d . w.  a n n a  c a r g  ey ey  o c . y.  m
                                                                                                                                                     wwww•
                                                                                                                                am•
        orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip   create distrust. Commit to doing it con-
        replacement. After years in practice, you   sistently or don’t do it at all.
        know which questions make patients     The brilliance of content marketing is
        most anxious. How do I know I need a   the simplicity of its appeal. From the
        hip replacement? How long is the recov-  patient’s point of view, everyone appreci-
        ery? What’s the difference between ante-  ates helpful information. From a physi-
        rior and posterior hip replacement? Will   cian’s perspective, the professionalism,
        I ever be able to jog again? Content mar-  SEO value and overall return on invest-
        keting is a patient-centric, rather than   ment can be greater than other forms of                                MEDICCAL DIVISIONN
        doctor-centric, approach. If after reading   marketing.
        the content on your website someone    In a skeptical world, content market-
        takes the next step with an email inquiry   ing is an effective strategy for delivering
        or a call for an appointment, you’re on   the trust and engagement that many
        the right track.                     patients seek. Executed skillfully, it is a

                                                                                                            nancial Planning to
                                                                                                            nancial Planning to
          As with any worthwhile practice-   win/win for practices and patients alike.
        building strategy, successful content                                                              astal Wealth??
        marketing requires time, resources and
        commitment. You need an up-to-date,    Jane Grant is president and co-founder of        pg you achieve you ur goals

        properly coded website, with a dedicated   Pierson Grant Public Relations, an estab-
        blog where your content lives. Writing   lished South Florida public relations and          withh accoun         tabilityy!
        medical articles isn’t easy, so you’ll need   digital marketing firm serving health care
        to either write them yourself or hire a        clients. She may be reached at
        writer and then edit carefully. And you’ll         jgrant@piersongrant.com
        need to write consistently, launching            or (954) 776-1999 ext. 224.
        your blog with several informative arti-



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        South Florida Hospital News                                                              southfloridahospitalnews.com                                                          January 2019                            5
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