A decade or two ago, patients typically chose their healthcare providers based on word-of-mouth recommendations or local familiarity. Competition was minimal as healthcare choices were often limited.

However, things have changed. Today, healthcare clinics are nearly ubiquitous, found on almost every corner. People are going the extra mile to find the right physician — relying on digital tools like Alexa or online platforms, exploring practice websites, reviewing negative patient ratings, and insisting on a minimum of 4-star ratings.

In the current competitive healthcare environment, where patient choice and satisfaction are vital, robust patient acquisition strategies are imperative to attract new patients, drive revenue, and strengthen the practice's position in the community. The growth trajectory of any business, including medical practices, heavily relies on patient acquisition.

So, let's dive in to understand patient acquisition, its significance, and how optimizing your digital presence can direct patients to your practice.

What Is Patient Acquisition? Why Is It Important?

The success of a healthcare practice, like any business, relies on its customer base. While retaining existing patients is the foundation, attracting new ones is the fresh growth needed to flourish and thrive.

Patient acquisition involves strategies to attract individuals who haven't previously used the services of a healthcare practice or facility. On the other hand, patient retention focuses on maintaining relationships with existing patients to encourage them to continue seeking care. 

While patient retention fosters patient satisfaction and loyalty, patient acquisition is indispensable for practices due to the following reasons:

• Practice Growth — New patients provide revenue influx, supporting financial stability and investments in advanced technology and patient care.
• Expanding Reach — Attracting new patients broadens community presence, helping practices become preferred healthcare providers.
• Long-Term Sustainability — Continuous patient acquisition empowers healthcare providers to adapt to evolving patient needs, supporting long-term practice growth and sustainability.

In the past, patient acquisition strategies involved distributing flyers, running newspaper and radio ads, or using large billboards. However, with the shift towards consumerism and over 320 million Americans using social media, having a digital presence is now inevitable.

7 Effective Ways to Increase Patient Acquisition

Americans spend about eight hours daily on digital media, twice as much time as they spend on traditional media, making it the best bet to reach and engage with potential patients. Furthermore, technological advancements enable providers to precisely target audiences and deliver tailored content based on preferences and behaviors. 

However, connecting with your audience and enhancing patient acquisition is impossible without a robust digital presence. Here are seven effective strategies to strengthen your digital presence and broaden your patient base.

‎1. Polish Your Business Profile

Search engines prioritize businesses that maintain reliable details such as practice name, address, phone number (NAP), and website URL across multiple platforms. Your practice information across digital directories like Google My Business, Yelp, and Healthgrades must be accurate and consistent. This consistency helps you rank higher in local search results, increasing visibility when patients search for healthcare services in their area.

Keep your Google My Business profile up-to-date with service details, operating hours, and engaging photos to build credibility and attract patients. Include high-quality images of your practice, staff, and facilities to enhance your online presence and give potential patients a clear idea of what to expect. Additionally, optimize these images with descriptive filenames and alt text containing relevant keywords to further support SEO efforts, helping search engines index and display your practice in image search results effectively.

2. Leverage Digital Channels

According to a study by Statista, Facebook is the most popular social media platform, with YouTube and Instagram following closely behind. These statistics underscore the importance of building a robust online presence to connect with your target audience.

However, while Facebook may be the leading platform overall, it's not guaranteed that your target audience is primarily active there. Depending on your healthcare specialty, your audience's preferred platforms may vary. Conduct a thorough analysis to identify where your audience spends time online. Establish your presence strategically to engage potential patients where they are most active, maximizing your digital impact.

3. Optimize Your Website

Your website represents the virtual face of your practice, and you want to ensure that every potential patient who visits converts into a valued patient. Your website must be optimized, meaning it should showcase your strengths to make a lasting impression on your patients and give them compelling reasons to choose your practice. Here's how:

• Use Keywords — Optimize with clear, keyword-rich content highlighting specialties, services, and recent achievements.
• Enhance User Experience (UX) — Ensure your website is user-friendly, loads quickly, and is optimized for mobile devices. Patients should navigate seamlessly, find information quickly, schedule appointments online, and access resources without frustration.
• Feature Patient Testimonials — Showcase positive feedback prominently on your website. Authentic testimonials build trust and reassure potential patients about the quality of care they can expect.
• Highlight Unique Value Proposition (UVP) — Communicate what makes your practice unique, like specialized treatments, convenient locations, or personalized care; emphasize these strengths to attract your target audience effectively.
• Clear Calls to Action (CTAs) — Encourage visitors to take action, whether scheduling an appointment, subscribing to a newsletter, or contacting you for more information.

4. Generate High-Value Content

Every minute, nearly 70,000 health-related searches take place. These numbers underscore people's growing engagement in their healthcare journey and their discerning approach to finding information. Alarmingly, this trend is accompanied by a surge in misinformation circulating on the internet. 

People are actively seeking credible sources. Become that beacon of accuracy and authority by generating high-value content that informs, educates, and empowers. Here are a few strategies to ace your content creation:

• Audience-Centric Approach — Understand your audience's demographics, health literacy levels, and specific health concerns. Tailor your content to resonate with their experiences and address their questions. 
• Engaging Content Formats — Diversify your content formats to cater to various preferences and learning styles:
  • Articles and Blog Posts
  • Infographics
  • Videos and Podcasts
  • Interactive Tools
• Multi-Channel Distribution — Distribute your content across various platforms, including websites, social media, email newsletters, and health apps. 
• SEO Best Practices — Optimize your content for search engines using relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and alt text for images to improve visibility and accessibility.

5. Prioritize Organic SEO

Earlier, we discussed how high-quality content is crucial in attracting new patients. But, for this to happen, it must first catch their eye and prompt them to click.

A study by Semrush indicates that top-ranking Google search results experience a 22.4% click-through rate, emphasizing the significance of ranking higher on the SERPs. The most effective approach to this goal is prioritizing organic SEO. Here are a few practical SEO strategies:

• Keyword Research and Optimization — Identify relevant keywords (e.g., best dentist in [city], foot clinic) using tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs. Optimize your website and content naturally around these keywords.
• Technical SEO Optimization — Ensure your website is technically sound with fast loading times, mobile-friendliness, secure HTTPS, XML sitemaps, and fix any crawl errors.
• Local SEO — Optimize your Google My Business listing for local search queries and encourage positive reviews.
• Link Building — Earn natural backlinks from reputable healthcare sites to enhance authority.
• User Experience (UX) Optimization — Provide a seamless browsing experience with easy navigation and clear CTAs for appointment scheduling.

6. Invest in Targeted Online Ads

Targeted online advertising is super effective for reaching potential patients when they're looking for healthcare services. Plus, it's cost-effective, with healthcare ads costing around $3.17 per click. This means you can connect with people actively searching for what you offer without breaking the bank. 89% of healthcare marketers have leveraged its benefits to attract potential patients efficiently and effectively, making it a key strategy for boosting your practice's digital presence.

7. Reputation Management

Your online reputation can make or break all your marketing efforts. Positive online reviews are a critical factor, second only to location, in influencing a patient's decision when choosing a healthcare provider.

Effective reputation management involves appreciating your existing patients for their positive reviews and actively monitoring and addressing negative reviews. Patients anticipate a reply following a negative review, and in 64% of instances, addressing their concerns can even lead to winning them back, boosting patient retention. Therefore, ensure a positive online reputation by:

• Monitoring Reviews — Use tools like Google Alerts, ReviewTrackers, or Hootsuite to monitor online reviews and mentions of your practice across multiple sites. Schedule regular checks on popular review platforms and social media channels.
• Encouraging Positive Reviews — Encourage satisfied patients to leave reviews by personally asking them or sending follow-up emails or text messages.
• Handling Negative Reviews — Apologize for any inconvenience and offer a solution or invite the patient to discuss the issue offline to resolve it.
• Showcasing Positive Feedback — Showcase patient testimonials on your website, highlighting positive feedback and success stories. Post testimonials and success stories on social media and reinforce your practice’s positive image.

Outshine on the Digital Stage

Glenwood Systems has been partnering with numerous private practices, easing their administrative load through our advanced practice management tools (GlaceEMR, GlaaceScribe, & GlaceRCM). Now, with GlaceGrow — our digital marketing service — we are broadening our scope to meet the marketing needs of medical practices and improve patient acquisition.

Grow your practice with enhanced operational efficiency and expand your patient base through strategic digital marketing. We ensure your practice maintains a strong and impactful digital presence through tailored marketing strategies that involve website development, SEO, online reputation management, and more. Get in touch today!