Marketing for the doctor's office: 5 tips for successful patient communication

The first impression of your doctor's office does not only emerge when your patients make a phone call with your registration. Even when you are looking for a doctor, patients form an opinion about your practice. We have put together 5 tips for successful patient communication.

Each contact can determine whether patients come to you or prefer to go to another doctor's office. This also applies to second opinions. Therefore, you should be present at as many contact points as possible. That starts with your entry in Google My Business goes through your profile in the well-known doctor search portals, right up to your website and of course your business card.

Show who you are

What defines your service and how does your medical practice differ from others? Of course, you put your patients at the center of your work. But how exactly do you do that? Specific examples are required here. Are you a specialist in a specific field? Is your practice perhaps particularly family-friendly or suitable for the disabled? Do you offer any special services? No matter what it is. Find out what makes your doctor's office special and highlight these points. An individual slogan and matching pictures are particularly suitable for this. Your practice logo can also visualize your uniqueness and your philosophy.

Communicate at eye level

Nothing scares off patients more than an inappropriate address. Formulated too flippant or too high, patient information can quickly lead to rejection. It is therefore best to use the four-eyes principle and have all materials read by at least one other person. Formulate a factual explanation, but not from the top. Be kind but firm. Explain as detailed as necessary but as simple as possible.

Let pictures speak

Pictures say more than a thousand words. Diagrams and graphics are sometimes better suited to explain a process or a complicated issue than a long text. Photos of your doctors and your practice team are essential on your website, also in your patient brochure and maybe even on your business card. A photo with a friendly face immediately looks likeable and personal. A photographer in your area will be happy to assist you. You can also find free stock photos that you may also use for commercial purposes, including at www.pexels.com

Facilitate information acquisition

Nothing is worse to read than text deserts, box sentences, nouns, and cumbersome passive constructions. Just write more as you speak:

• short sentences
• active verbs
• executors

Structure your texts with paragraphs and headings. Highlight quotes and summaries. Use lists, lists and icons.

Explain medical terms

Explain facts and processes using clear examples. Get specific and answer the W questions: Who? What? When? How? Why? In addition, use graphs or graphics to visualize your explanation. You must always explain technical terms. A glossary or lexicon on your website is very suitable for this. You can also refer to this in your practice brochure.

Conclusion: First, think about what makes your doctor's office special and how you want to present it. Concentrate on the essentials. Then convey this picture of your doctor's office at all contact points. To do this, you communicate the same services, values, photos, logos and graphics across all communication channels. This is how you create a uniform practice appearance that prospective customers and patients recognize.

Photo: www.pexels.com