The journey from a patient beginning to research a treatment and provider to actually receiving the treatment in your office can be a long one, with many important steps along the way. Many patients start their search for a provider with an internet search and will go through things like social media, website, or review sites before choosing a prover. However, if a patient has decided to choose your practice, their first office visit can be one of the best opportunities for you to market your services as one of the key moments in your practice’s marketing efforts should be the initial consultation.
Consultations can be one of the best ways to bring in new patients and to upsell your practice’s services. While it is crucial that you use all of your digital marketing channels to your practice’s advantage, it is just as important that you make the most of your in-house efforts, including the consultation. In this article we will discuss consultation-first marketing and how you can use your first impression with a patient to make the most of your practice’s efforts.
Depending on the state of your practice you may choose to offer free or paid consultations. Many practices choose to offer a free consultation as a way to give patients convenient information about their services. Despite this, many established practices also charge for consultations and apply the fee to a patient’s treatment if they choose to proceed. Doing so can save your practice both time and money.
Furthermore, if a patient has already chosen to pursue your practice and your services, you have already made the first step in potential patient retention and growth.
The consultation process can be one of your best opportunities to reach patients and market your services. Consultations allow you to interact with patients in the most direct way and allow you to present potential treatment options that can help meet or exceed their expectations.
Statistics show that virtual consultations are more than likely to double by 2020, as health coverage providers offer more coverage options and patients seek options that allow them to access healthcare coverage from the convenience of their own home. As more and more patients seek options that offer convenience, choices like virtual consultations have become an increased preference. If your practice has not started to look at options regarding virtual consultations, now is the best time to start.
As patients are drawn to digital channels to find a provider, we always encourage making the most of your efforts online. However, it is just as important that you make the most of your in-house efforts to capitalize on the services you can offer your potential patients.
At Med Aesthetics Group we are experts in digital marketing for medical and aesthetics practices. Our unique services are tailored to each of our clients and we make sure to help integrate the best marketing techniques that will benefit your practice. Our targeted marketing campaigns that utilize PPC, SEO, text and email marketing, and social media have increased calls and consultations by over 300% for many of our clients. Switch to us today and see your practice reach its potential. To learn more about our services and what we can do for your practice give us a call or book a free demo.
