Using the Internet in your practice. Part 1: Why social media are important and how to get started

Catchy titles make a difference
Strive to create titles that will capture the attention of your readers. People often decide whether or not to read a blog post on the basis of its title alone. Think of an effective title as a billboard. Drivers are speeding down the highway and have only 3 or 4 seconds to read the billboard and decide whether they will visit the restaurant, buy the product, or call for more information. The same holds true for titles on your blogs.

For example, Dr. Baum once titled a blog post “Urinary incontinence: Diagnosis and treatment.” It drew few readers. When he changed the title to “Urinary incontinence: You don’t have to depend on Depends,” nearly 1,000 readers commented on the post. Same article, different title.

Four pillars of a successful practice: 2. Attract new patients Neil H. Baum, MD (Four-part series, May 2013)

Pay attention to your practice Web site
We mentioned getting visitors from your blog site to your practice’s Web site. Once they arrive, two strategies are vital:

• visitor navigation
• patient-conversion systems.

Visitor navigation. The visitor comes to your Web site to get information that provides a solution to her problem. Once she lands on your site, you have less than 10 seconds to engage her; otherwise, she’ll leave instantly with the click of the mouse. Make it easy for her to find what she is looking for. For example, are the procedures and treatments you offer listed prominently so that the visitor can see them immediately and click on the link she wants? How about adding an icon, at the top right on every page, that says: “Schedule an appointment” or “Schedule a consultation.” The words you use (and their placement) are critically important if you want the visitor to become a patient!

Related Article: My #1 strategy for retaining patients Neil H. Baum, MD (Audiocast, March 2013)

Patient-conversion systems. Many Web sites are designed by people other than marketers. Even many Web-design companies focus on the look of the site rather than its main purpose: to convert visitors to patients.

If you want to get a Web-site visitor to schedule an appointment, your phone number should be clearly visible (along with the “Schedule an appointment” icon) on every page above the fold. “Above the fold” simply means that the visitor does not have to scroll down the page to see it. Believe it or not, many fancy Web sites fail to put these items in plain view!

And because you want to position yourself as a trusted authority in your field, patient testimonials are an important feature to include on your home page. And keep the information simple—stay away from technical jargon that the visitor will not understand.

Capture the visitor’s email address and use an auto-responder to follow up. You can get the visi­tor’s email address by offering something of value, such as a complimentary medical guide to a common condition. Once you have her email address, you have a way to stay in touch with the prospective patient and build a relationship of trust and confidence in your ability to solve her problem.

BOTTOM LINE: SOCIAL MEDIA ARE WORTH THE EFFORT
Social media marketing is a tool that most medical practices will be considering in the near future. A blog is a social media tool that can educate and inform existing patients and attract new ones to your practice. It is inexpensive, effective, and well worth the time and effort required to create a presence.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Drop us a line and let us know what you think about current articles, which topics you'd like to see covered in future issues, and what challenges you face in daily practice. Tell us what you think by emailing us at: obg@frontlinemedcom.com