When you think of the word “community,” you probably think about your neighbors, local mom-and-pop shops, and the values that are important to those around you. When it comes to running a business, community is all about forming significant connections with your consumers so that they know the role they play in your success.
When you have a healthcare clinic, building a community can be accomplished in many ways, from charity involvement to speaking at public events. But a comprehensive marketing strategy can be your most effective community-building tool.
Learn about what benefits your marketing strategy can contribute to your community building endeavors. We’ll also discuss possible options worth exploring.
4 benefits of building an online community through a marketing strategy
A digital marketing strategy is all about getting your clinic’s name in front of people who can become your patients. In terms of building an online community, that strategy is about connecting with people through email and social media, both current and potential patients, so they understand their role in your vision of helping them along their health and wellness journey.
Here are four ways that your marketing strategy can help you build an online community:
- Making people feel less alone — People want to feel a sense of belonging. When they’re struggling with a medical condition or issue that their family or friends don’t understand, they can feel alone and like they’re an outlier. Through engaging and empathetic online marketing, they can see that they aren’t the only ones on this journey. There’s hope for improvement because you’re there to help people just like them.
- Showcasing your purpose — A community is nothing without an overall purpose. When you’re trying to build a community within your patients, they should never doubt why you want to help and what you’re contributing. Your strategy should showcase the impact that you have on your individual patients. It should show your impact on the world of healthcare as a whole. It should stress your values and long-term goals that can benefit everyone in the community.
- Providing education — Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to our own bodies. Through informative and educational marketing campaigns, you’re building a community of well-informed people who understand the importance of taking care of their body. That way, they know who to reach out to when they recognize an issue.
- Sharing success stories — Sharing successes should be included in your marketing strategy because it’s showing how your expertise and knowledge has been proven to be effective. By showing people how others just like them have improved from your services, they can see the potential outcome for themselves and become one of your successes. They’re able to feel a bond with others who have benefited from your clinic.
Marketing strategies for building community for your clinic
Your marketing strategies should be as personalized and targeted to your demographic (AKA: your community) as possible. There are many different approaches you can take to building an online community for your clinic. Here are a few possible courses of action worth exploring.
- Set up an online space — The best way to strengthen the bond with your community is to let them know that there is always someone listening. By setting up a way for your patients to share their experiences and express their concerns, both with you and other patients, they can feel heard and understood. A possible option for an online space is a Facebook Group for established patients.
- Acknowledge all feedback — Community members want to be heard. Whether they’re commenting something positive (or negative) on a social media post or they’ve shared their concerns through an online feedback form, you want to acknowledge all of it. By engaging directly with their feedback, you’re breaking down the wall between patient and provider.
- Live social media videos — A great way to strengthen your clinic’s online community is by talking to them collectively. An effective online marketing strategy can include live video streams on your social media platforms. You can talk directly to your patients, provide them with information about your new services or initiatives, and engage with them through comments in real time.
Want to build a community for your clinic through marketing? BURG+CO. can help
Increasing traffic to your website plays a role in increasing conversions and leading to new clients. However, it’s difficult to attract visitors to your site when you don’t know what to do. Fortunately, this is what we specialize in at BURG+CO.
Our team has years of experience in helping businesses improve their digital presence to attract new leads and retain existing ones. If you’re looking to perform better in search engine results and attract more visitors to your site, we’re ready to talk to you to see how we can help. Contact our team today for more information about digital marketing or to schedule a complimentary consultation.
