Do you want to create a successful podiatry practice that’ll generate plenty of income? What’s the best way to market online? That’s a question commonly asked by doctors who’ve recently graduated or are just starting out. If you’re interested in creating a thriving practice, then keep reading.
Focus On The Basics
One of the most vital keys to creating a successful online practice is to keep focused on the basics. You wouldn’t expect a pianist to simply enter music theory into the algorithm of a digital piano, would you? Yet that’s exactly what you’d see if you went on Google searching for the best digital piano for beginners. It’s important to focus on the essentials before you try to innovate. In the same way, a podiatrist who is just getting started wouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel by developing their own unique marketing plan. They’d want to take the time to develop a strategy that’ll help them achieve their goals and build their practice smoothly.
The basics of marketing can be broken down into four distinct categories:
Marketing Research
Marketing research is the process of gathering information about your ideal customer and creating personas. You can use your insights to craft highly personalized marketing messages that’ll appeal to your target audience. In medicine, market research is typically used to determine the best approach for treating a certain illness or condition based on the preferences and habits of your patient population. For example, if you determine that your target audience tends to be highly pragmatic and motivated by results, you might craft an ad that promotes the benefits of your product or service in terms of treating certain medical conditions. Or if you find that your target audience is highly brand loyal and would prefer to stay in the family, you might design a marketing strategy focused on cross-brand loyalty. The key is to find a way to ask your customers the right questions so you can determine their needs and wants. You can also use the information you gather to determine the type of content your target audience finds most useful. It’s a never-ending cycle of testing, analyzing, and tweaking to ensure you reach your full potential. But you’ll never be satisfied with the results of simply applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
Planning And Budgeting
Planning and budgeting go hand in hand. You certainly don’t want to wing it and expect things to work out perfectly without careful thought and preparation. In medicine, planning and budgeting are vital. You need to consider the type of patient you’re likely to encounter (both in terms of demographics and psychographics), their values and beliefs, and the resources available to you (e.g., space, equipment, finances). You also need to set a budget and stick to it. Some patients can be extremely frugal and might not want to spend lots of money on medications or treatments. If you do find that your target audience is high on the orthopedic spectrum (in terms of chronic pain or arthritis), you might want to consider lowering your prices in order to increase your revenue. But you should never discount your products or services simply to increase your income. It’s never a good idea to treat your patients with inferior products or services just to make a buck. That’ll eventually come back to bite you in the long run.
Product Research
Product research is all about gathering information about your product or service, its competitors, and the marketplace as a whole. You might want to spend some time reading the review websites and checking out the comments left by real customers. Just keep in mind that the internet is full of fake reviews and misleading comments. Take everything with a grain of salt. It’s also important to focus on what your product or service can offer that is unique and has not yet been invented. In medicine, product research is used to determine the best approach for diagnosing and treating a certain illness or condition. For example, if you determine that your target audience tends to be highly stressed and needs something to relieve their tension, you might consider creating a product that provides a quick and easy way to reduce their anxiety. Or if you determine that your target audience finds it difficult to swallow pills or has a history of bad reactions to oral medications, you might develop a liquid form of your product that can be more easily administered. Your product or service needs to solve a problem for your target audience, and you need to choose your approach wisely. Remember, your product might not be the best fit for everyone.
Media Planning And Buying
Media buying is all about planning and paying for advertising on different platforms based on the demographics and psychographics of your ideal customer. For example, if you determine that your target audience is primarily composed of highly educated professionals in their 30’s and you want to reach this audience using digital ads, you might want to consider paying more for native ads on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram. Alternatively, you might want to consider using display ads on websites to reach this audience. Native ads aren’t clickable, so they don’t carry the same weight as a standard ad. But they can be highly targeted, lead to more clicks, and generate more qualified sales leads. It’s also important to plan your media buys in advance so you don’t waste your precious time and resources trying to chase down leads that aren’t relevant to you. In the same way, it’s important to consider the demographics and psychographics of your target audience when choosing your media platforms.
Creating a marketing plan is not as difficult as you might think. It just takes some time to get into the habit of doing it regularly and following a logical step-by-step process. You don’t need to have all the answers right away, but you should have a clear direction in mind by the time you finish. And remember, you’re not alone in this process. Speak to other doctors in your network who have similar practices to learn from their experiences and to get feedback on your plan. You can also seek out the help of an expert marketer who can help you determine the best way to approach marketing and branding for your unique practice. With a little planning and research, you’ll be able to develop a marketing plan that’ll help you reach your goals and build a successful practice. So don’t be afraid to try something new; after all, that’s what will make you better in the end. And if you ever find yourself struggling with uncertainty, just think of all the wonderful things that are still to come.