Everyone wants to be able to succeed in their practice, even if the environment around them is challenging. We’ve spent the last several weeks discussing this topic. Hopefully by this time you recognize that it is indeed possible to succeed in a challenging environment—and it’s not just a feat for the lucky or the “elite” of the world. So now we come again to the all-important question of how this all happens.
You really want to see growth in today’s difficult medical world? You need to implement that second keystone strategy through the Four Pillars of Marketing.
Top Practices members will already know what I’m talking about—this is something we discuss all the time in our Mastermind group. For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, this is a concept and approach to marketing that we developed.
See, there are only four ways patients find you: online, word-of-mouth, through a relationship with your office, or outside marketing through flyers, ads, interviews, and so on. Knowing this, and knowing your practice wants to reach as many people as possible, you have to market through every avenue available to you. That’s what the four pillars are—ways of reaching potential patients. They include web-based, referral, internal, and external marketing:
1. Web-based – This includes all of your practice’s online presence, like your website, social media, and online reviews. The internet has replaced the phone book in a big way, so if people are looking for a medical specialist, they need to find you online easily and see that you can solve their problems.
2. Referral – Other doctors outside your field and local businesses are your friends. If they like you and trust you, they’ll be more willing to send some of their own clients your way when they have a problem you can fix.
3. Internal – Getting your own patients to come back, and talking to people who are interested in what you do, is a crucial part of getting patients. Your customer service and communication with people are critical forms of marketing.
4. External – Sometimes ads in the paper, sponsoring a race, going on the radio, and other outside marketing methods reach a wider audience than you’d normally have. This also establishes you as an involved part of your community.
It does take time to work in all four pillars, but when you meet the patients you want to see through every possible avenue, you will see the growth you want. We see it happen all the time. You don’t have to figure out how to work through the pillars alone, either. Our Mastermind group is welcoming new members right now. Just check out our application for more information.
