There is no real “secret” to marketing your podiatry practice—the general approach is something that is pretty well known. But knowing you need to do something isn’t the same as knowing how to do it, especially if you plan on marketing to a specific population such as diabetic patients.
The truth is that marketing, like everything else in life, is a process that requires time, tools, and people to make it work.
Let’s take a look at a step-by-step approach that can grow your diabetic clientele and your bottom line.
STEP 1: START WITH YOUR OFFICE
Creating an enjoyable work environment will prove to be invaluable when you are trying to get people to come to your practice and have a good experience.
Educating your office staff on some of the key components to diabetic care can be useful as they transition your patients from the waiting room to an exam room.
After all, it is not as much about selling a service or product as it is about informing the patient of the options available to them.
Having a knowledgeable staff will reflect favorably on the podiatrist and the practice.
STEP 2: ENSURE YOUR PRACTICE SPECIALIZES IN THE MOST UP-TO-DATE DIABETIC CARE OPTIONS
Marketing is essentially just “talking the talk.” When you begin to market your practice as an industry leader in the treatment of diabetic wounds and lower extremity ulcers, you must be able to “walk the walk.”
Your office needs to provide the latest, state-of-the-art medical care and up-to-date information and have a method of communicating that information to patients.
Effective marketing needs to provide cutting-edge education. If not, your patients will have seen your content before and skip over it.
Look for new and relevant information you can give to the clientele you are seeking.
STEP 3: CREATE A WEB PRESENCE
If you already have a website, then don’t be afraid to add regular content to it and update it continually. Just as the field of diabetic podiatry is ever changing and evolving, so should your website.
If you don’t have a website, then you need to get one. It is by far the best way to communicate with hundreds or possibly thousands of people all at once. Utilize your site to share accurate and relevant information with anyone who is searching for it.
This does not have to be something that requires a lot of extra work and time. Posting weekly blogs can be as easy as highlighting patient testimonials.
STEP 4: START SMALL AND GET COMFORTABLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Although social media can be intimidating, it can also be your best friend when it comes to marketing your practice. You can join diabetic support groups and other relevant groups that can introduce your practice to people in your surrounding areas.
If you are not savvy in the inner workings of social media forums, don’t fret. Just start small. Pick 1 or 2 social media platforms and get familiar with how they work.
STEP 5: WORK HARD TO MAKE YOUR DIABETIC PATIENTS HAPPY
You already know everyone you need to know to grow your practice, and they are your patients.
Work hard to retain the people who are already walking through your door and they will be the best tool in your tool belt for marketing. Best of all, you are not paying them…they are paying you!
Referrals can grow your practice exponentially.
Think about it: You have 1 happy patient who tells 2 people about their fantastic experience at your podiatry practice. Those 2 people come and have the same great experience and tell 2 other people, and on and on it goes. Before you know it, that one patient is as valuable as 10 patients. This only holds true, however, if your patients return and refer others.
The key is working hard to understand each patient’s needs and then exceeding them!
TAKE ACTION
Here comes the hard part…putting into practice what you already know you should be doing. If this information seems repetitive to you, yet you are still struggling with growing your practice, then the problem may be a broken part in your marketing system.
There is a silver lining in that conclusion however, because you are the only person you can control. Make a plan of action and execute it.
Small, reasonable steps can make a big difference over time.
Great marketing doesn’t have to require many complex hours figuring out various tactics when you are following these 5 simple steps. It is simply a creative approach to providing your patients, current and future, with information that leads them to the correct conclusion—that you are the best choice for solving their problem.
