Growing a medical practice in today’s competitive marketplace can be challenging regardless the specialty. Healthcare consumers are more savvy and educated about their options. They make choices differently. They expect more from their healthcare providers. That is why when marketing a medical practice it is essential to avoid certain mistakes.

Mistake #1: Considering Marketing an Expense

Effective marketing is an investment in your medical practices future. By implementing well thought out strategies, a practice can strengthen its brand in their community. Marketing is not just about spending money. Effective marketing can actually be very affordable and should save you money in the long run by adding new patients to your schedule.

Mistake #2: No Measureable Growth Goals

One of the first steps to effectively market a medical practice is have a plan in place that has measureable growth goals. It is important to know where you were, where you are and where you are going when it comes to both patient numbers and your financials. Having appropriate growth goals will allow you to monitor the efficacy of your marketing efforts and better understand the return on your marketing investment.

Mistake #3: Poor Preparation for Growth

One of the quickest ways to fail in marketing is by not having the staff prepared for the growth to come. If your practice begins growing but the staff is unable to handle the increased patient load, you will end up with not only dissatisfied patients but also dissatisfied employees. To avoid this, it is essential that the right amount of staff be in place to handle calls and patients. Ensure that the staff is on-board with the growth goals of the practice. If your goal is to grow while providing superior patient care, make sure both you and your staff deliver this with every patient encounter.

Mistake #4: A Rigid Marketing Strategy

Marketing in any industry is ever changing. What works one year will not necessarily work in subsequent years. In order to be effective in your marketing efforts, it is important to remain fluid. By tracking marketing results, you can keep a pulse on what is working and not in your marketing efforts. Instead of continuing to feed something that is not producing results, cut your losses and move on.

Mistake #5: Not Educating Your Prospects

Today’s consumer researches healthcare conditions and treatment options before searching for a provider. If you are not actively providing healthcare information to the masses, you are missing a huge opportunity to grow your practice. By being a purveyor of accurate healthcare information in a world that is wrought with inaccurate information, you position your practice as industry thought leaders. When the time comes to choose a provider, your name will be remembered, not your competitors.

Marketing a medical practice should be a positive experience. While not everything that is tried in marketing will bring in new patients, having a solid marketing plan and strategy will avoid many common mistakes. For more information on what to do and not do when marketing in healthcare, contact MindStream Creative today.