When marketing in any industry, it is important to choose the most effective ways to promote your business with the smallest monetary investment. Social media marketing has evolved into a very popular way for businesses to promote their practice and facilitate communication because it is inexpensive and highly utilized. It is important to understand however, that while social media marketing can be very effective when executed properly, it is not the only way to inexpensively drive new business into your practice.

Everyone wants a quick fix, especially if they can capture new leads and patients fast and easy. The booming popularity of social media causes it to appear on marketing strategy lists. At MindStream Creative, we enlighten our clients that social media is just one piece of a marketing puzzle that will bring patients in. It is important that practices understand that while social media marketing works, it will not be the main driver of new business. It is the culmination of several marketing initiatives that helps businesses grow.

One of the best ways to drive business into a medical practice is by blogging on topics that are important and relevant to your demographic and business. In turn, social media is used to broadcast this helpful information. Social media is the communication vessel – the way to share information. Blogging also helps improve search engine ranking. The more blogs you write on topics that are keyword rich and relevant to your practice, the more chances your practice has of showing up at the top of search engines.

Another effective way to drive business is through email marketing. If you do not already have an email contact list, get one. This is an asset your business must have. Each and every person that calls your practice and every patient you see should be asked for their email address. The key is to offer your contacts an incentive. Why should they give you this protected information? One of the best incentives is the chance to save on promotions, events or contests.

If you want to grow your practice, you should avoid limiting your marketing to just social media. Include blogging and email marketing as well as traditional marketing depending on your target demographic. The bottom line is that there are many ways to reach new patients and by diversifying your marketing you have the greatest chance of reaching them.