Marketing in the healthcare industry can be complicated because it requires knowledge of cooperative approaches and compliance with the laws. 

Historically, health services and products were mainly marketed to physicians and healthcare providers. This is understandable as professionals use products and services to do their jobs. 

However, with the increased access to information and clinical data today, people do much more research online about their medical needs before making an appointment with a medical specialist. The average patient often looks for more information than they usually would before engaging with a healthcare provider, such as a doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist. 

This has created a marketing shift in the healthcare industry. The branding strategy for physical therapy or other health services is now geared toward marketing to patients directly instead of the providers. This direct-to-patient marketing approach guides patients through their method of decision-making.

What is Direct-to-Patient Marketing?

Direct-to-patient marketing (DTPM) is a marketing strategy that targets the end consumer, who makes medical decisions. Marketing to patients is a refined game plan that has become a pivotal shift in the industry. You are creating a new target audience. 

People use the internet to search for their conditions and symptoms before seeing a service provider. Over 70% of online users search the internet for their health-related issues. This way, patients come into a physical therapy office or another health provider with a pre-determined solution they feel their provider will confirm. Much of the research is complete before the visit, a significant transition from years past.

This transition gives patients as much control as their health providers opening up a new marketing strategy for medical services. By establishing a patient marketing system, physical therapists, doctors, chiropractors, and other professionals can directly reach and engage with patients. This allows patients to choose if they want to research information on their own or if they prefer to receive it through their healthcare professional.

Direct-to-Patient Marketing for Healthcare Business

DTPM has become an increasingly important form of marketing for healthcare businesses in recent years. Through DTPM, healthcare businesses can build trust with their patients and increase engagement through digital channels such as social media, websites, and email. With DTPM, healthcare professionals can quickly communicate with their patients and disseminate relevant health information effectively. 

Additionally, this form of marketing allows healthcare businesses to create a personalized customer experience by tailoring content availability to specific patient needs or preferences. Ultimately, DTPM enables healthcare businesses to provide improved service while strengthening patient relationships. 

Three Key Patient Marketing Strategies

DTPM allows healthcare businesses to go beyond connecting with patients—it enables them to gain valuable insights into their likes and dislikes and feedback on current services. With these tools within reach, your business can have more power to customize your approach better when engaging with the public.

Here are three key strategies to reach your patients.

1. Build a Responsive Website

All online marketing plans need the support of a healthy, user-friendly website. A responsive website is accessible on different devices, including tablets, mobile phones, computers, laptops, and more.

CRM solutions and third-party integrations connected to your website can enhance your patient marketing ability on your site and facilitate easy personalization of your communication and marketing materials.

Patients often gather information from dependable websites. Your optimized website with clear and relevant solutions to help solve their problems can attract new patients.

2. Create Valuable Content

In marketing to patients, the message should focus more on prevalent medical needs and less on technical details. Your website content should speak the target audience’s language, offering information they can understand.

For example, a person may search for a term like “common flu symptoms” instead of “medications used to treat seasonal influenza.” Learn how your audience speaks so that you can share content in a way they can relate to. This will help your viewers see your brand as an expert in the industry and approachable.

3. Share Your Brand Story

Your brand story is what sets you apart from others in the industry. All of your DTPM efforts should include consistent branding. With an effective patient marketing plan, you can make your healthcare service recognizable to your target audience.

You want to identify your brand story. What makes your service unique and valuable? It could be your personalized service, how you treat each patient, or the quality you offer at an affordable price. You will want to highlight what distinguishes your brand and service from others.

You can use many patient marketing strategies and channels to get incredible results. The above are just three key ones to consider. It is vital to realize that patients play a more prominent role in their medical decisions. Your website can make it easier for them to make decisions and see your services at their fingertips. Shifting your marketing strategy to focus directly on patients can help you reach more people to serve. 

Through your great content, you can resonate with patients and help give them a personalized, relatable and sympathetic experience. Ultimately, your patients will gain a better insight into their healthcare needs and make a clearer choice while keeping your brand at the forefront of their minds.