4 Little-Known Healthcare Deal Breakers for Patients

2 min read
Aug 27, 2015 1:04:00 PM
People don’t tend to think of healthcare organizations as needing to have good customer service. But, patients expect more from their healthcare providers than they used to, and they’re demanding that their standards be met. When it comes down to it, if their voices aren’t heard, they’ll find a new healthcare provider. Ignoring your patients will drive them away, so it’s in your healthcare organization’s best interest to start listening to popular opinion. Patients consider it a deal breaker if any organization is missing one of these 4 things:
 1. Polished Appearance
Your healthcare marketing strategy should emphasize the importance of a polished appearance, both in person and online. Patients are, quite literally, putting their lives in your hands, so they want to know that you’re capable of doing your job well. But, if your organization’s appearance is in any way less than perfect, they’re not going to trust you to keep them healthy. Your site should be designed professionally, and your employees should be efficient and respectful. 

2. Smooth, Easy Process
Patients definitely don’t want dealing with their healthcare provider to be a headache. Scheduling an appointment should be simple and easy to complete, and there should preferably be an option to do so over the web. Appointment reminders should also go out to the patients the day before – the patient should be able to choose whether they receive a call, a text, or an email. Streamlining the process keeps everybody happy. 

3. Educational Content
People are curious about their health – in fact, over 70% of adults in the U.S. have searched for healthcare information online. Patients might not want to see a doctor for the problem yet, but they would still like to know more about it. Beginning a strategy that uses content marketing in healthcare will not only help your patients, it will also position your organization as knowledgeable and trustworthy, which might convince them to come back. 

4. Social Media Presence
Social media might not seem necessary for a healthcare organization, but it definitely is. First and foremost, a social media presence can help keep you top-of-mind and expand your pool of potential customers. Promoting your educational content on your social media page can also grow your patient base, particularly if your current patients share what you’ve written with their friends and followers. And, if you need to improve your healthcare communication strategy, social media is the perfect way to foster communication with your patients. It’s simple to use, and most of them are already familiar with the mechanics of social media sites – so it’s a great place to interact with your patients and find out if they’re happy with what you’re offering. 

Continually delighting your patients is the most vital piece of your healthcare marketing strategy. If your healthcare organization is missing any of these 4 things, your patients will veer towards other organizations that have them. To keep patients coming back to you, keep these little-known healthcare deal breakers for patients in mind and be sure to respond to your patients’ vital requests.

Looking for other ways to improve your healthcare marketing strategy? Download our free white paper for a glimpse of how your healthcare organization can benefit from inbound marketing!
Inbound Marketing 101 for Healthcare Organizations

Get Email Notifications