The Digital Practitioner: healthcare business
    • Showing posts with label healthcare business. Show all posts
    Showing posts with label healthcare business. Show all posts

    Saturday, 3 November 2018

    Drive Clients Into Your Optical Practice With An Effective Online Market...

    November 03, 2018 0
    Drive Clients Into Your Optical Practice With An Effective Online Market...

    Crafting an offer that brings the potential customer on a journey from an appealing ad to their want or desire is key. 

    Having an ad that ‘Hooks’ that person as they frantically scroll through their news feed starts the journey.

    Introducing a story around the offer bringing the reasons that this is the ideal solution for them and relating their desire and wants to the product or service is the next phase.

    Leading them along a frictionless path to the offer / the solution to their problem or pain points, the offer that meets their wants, desire and needs is the end goal.


    The process of attracting new clients to your practice should ultimately be a win - win for both the new client and your practice.
    Create and spread a little marketing joy! :)

    by: Alan Bryden
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    Thursday, 25 October 2018

    The New Online Concept That Makes Your Practice Website Redundant!

    October 25, 2018 0
    The New Online Concept That Makes Your Practice Website Redundant!


    Having spent quite a bit of money a few years back on an all singing and dancing brand new website I was expecting a lot!...

    A lot more patients coming through my doors and a lot more income for my 'investment'...

    But what actually happened was, ermm...well....nothing.

    The 'Expert Marketing and Web Design Agency' had set everything up to optomize new customers to come to my site in the hope of them coming to my practice and becoming a life long patient / client / customer.

    Fast forward 2 years and knowing what I know now, as The Digital Practitioner, I really what to give myself a slap across the face and a good hard shake every time I recall this situation.




    There's one word that I used above and that word is exactly what we as practice owners are paying out silly amounts of money to web design and marketing agencies for...

    That word is 'hope'!

    Hope that potential patients will actually find our site...

    Hope that when they land on our site that the amount of links, pictures, and other distractions won't stop them from getting to the actual part of the page where they will take some form of action step (if there is one) closer to booking an appointment in your practice...

    Hope that the 7 second attention span (attention span of the average website viewer) won't have them click away before they can discover your contact details...

    I could go on...

    We are forking out a lot of money for a service and product that relies on hope...

    Thankfully I have found a way to take 'hope' out of the equation when attracting new clients...

    A specific type of web site that works for you, over and over again, on auto-pilot...

    Bringing actual paying clients through your doors!

    I am going to introduce you to the most important online strategy that you an easily implement and use for a fraction of the cost that will actually grow your practice and income...

    Yes, actual results!

    Stay Posted on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thedigitalpractitioner/ in the coming week for an exciting opportunity to get insider knowledge on this secret weapon for your practice absolutely FREE.


    by: Alan Bryden
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    Sunday, 26 August 2018

    The Key Components for An Effective Practice Ad.

    August 26, 2018 0
    The Key Components for An Effective Practice Ad.

    Long gone are the days of placing a quarter page ad in your local newspaper and sitting back to wait for the clients to come in. When they come in. If they come in. Hmmm, where are they? 



    Yes, for me the days of traditional advertising methods are dead, and this should be the case for all businesses especially those within the health care industry. In our professions we deal on such a personal level with our clients and aim to provide an exceptional service, offering the best products and treatment. 

    With the tools at our disposable that are literately available on our smart phones it is inexcusable, not to mention financial insanity to be spending thousands on traditional advertising methods. However, so many practices are still going down this route, spending silly amounts of money for something that is at best creating awareness, but in reality, is simply a total waste of money.



    If you are not currently running Facebook and Instagram ads for your Healthcare Practice, be it Optical, Dental, Chiropractic, Physiotherapy or any other field, then you need to read on! 

    If you are running ads but are not seeing a tangible benefit, then you also need to read on. 



    Let’s look at the key components of an effective ad

    The biggest mistake most people and business make when running any ad campaign be it traditional or digital is that they are not clear on who it is they are exactly targeting their ad towards. 

    Ideal Customer (Avatar) 

    When considering the design, image and copy to use in any ad you run for your practice it is imperative that you identify the person for which the ad should be targeted. This target customer or avatar is the nucleus from which all other ad components must work together in harmony to nourish with avatar rich material. 



    Without taking the time to identify your avatar your ad will be aimlessly placed in front of the general populous in a hit and hope fashion that turns into a very expensive lottery in trying to achieve new clients. 

    Being specific is the key at this stage and the more specific you can get the more effective your ad will be. 

    It considering the creative for the purposes of this article we will look at the single image ad that is most common on Facebook. 

    Ad Type

    The type of ad you decide to send out will also very much depend on your ideal, target client. In a lot of cases and personally from recent testing, video ads are way more engaging and in general result in greater success. However, testing a variety of ad’s would be advised to identify what works for you. 

    This process may appear daunting; however, I will show you in my coming video training, that it is in fact very simple and quick to set up and run. 

    Ad Outcome 

    The next thing to consider is exactly what it is you are trying to achieve. 

    What is your desired outcome. This usually involves an action of some kind, like clicking on a link, or a ‘Learn More ‘button. 

    In order to get the potential client to ‘take action’, there needs to be an appealing or enticing message or offer. 



    This is where the copy comes into play and should have a harmonious relationship with the image or video. The copy is associated with the wording or text of the ad. This includes Ad Headlines and Ad Description.

    Getting this right is essential as it is often the first impression that a prospective customer will get of your practice. They both need to convey the same message to be effective.

    Customer Attention

    This leads to one of the most important factors to consider.

    In modern society and with the majority of viewing being confined to mobile devices you effectively have 3 seconds to grab the attention of a potential client. From those few seconds from which your ad will be on their threshold of awareness, the closer you can connect with the person on an emotional level providing them with a solution for a particular issue or problem, the greater the chance of action being taken. You can then take the potential new client to the next stage in your ‘care funnel’. 




    For those few seconds, the closer you can connect them with their desired outcome the greater your chance of creating at least a prospective client but at best a client for life (the best kind). 

    All of these points should be factored into your next ad campaign.

    If you want a step by step guide on how best to set up and run social media ads as well as specific strategies to grow your practice, then click ==>> Here <==. Drop your first name and email and get access to free resources and be the first to hear about my online training that is being released soon.



    by: Alan Bryden (The Digital Practitioner)    
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    Wednesday, 8 August 2018

    The Two Key Elements To Practice Growth And Business Success

    August 08, 2018 0
    The Two Key Elements To Practice Growth And Business Success

    You often hear people saying, ‘keep it simple’. It’s a phrase that I have heard on numerous occasions throughout my business life. 



    It is a concept that I can fully appreciate, however if I’m being honest, is something that I used to have difficulty with. 

    My busy mind and imagination always tended to overcomplicate the simple, mainly based on the fact that if it appeared to be so simple I automatically believe there needed to be more to it. 

    The same applied when considering the growth of my practice in that I needed to be doing all things and covering all angles in order to achieve success and growth. It turns out that in fact, in order for my practice to grow, I actually needed to step back and do less. 

    To simply focus on the essential.

    The need for overcomplication and busyness is quite possibly a growing pandemic that is fuelled by our fast-paced lives, connectivity and expectations of things being done instantaneously. 



    I feel; however, that this can blindside us into not focusing on the essential aspects that will really influence growth.  

    I have discovered two key factors of influence when wanting to specifically grow your optical practice. Indeed, the same principal can apply to any healthcare business. 

    Identifying these two key influencing factors has come from 11 years in practice and from my recent training with one of the leading digital and social media marketing experts.

    So here it is…in order to grow a successful optical practice or any business for that matter you need:

    1.    To differentiate.
    2.    An effective social media strategy.

    Simple, yes?

    It is simple. But the simple fact is that the vast majority of practices are focusing so much on their clinical work and offering that they are blindsided to these two factors. 

    And the practice owners that are aware of this need are either too busy to focus time and attention to these areas or are paying an external marketing agency with no actual in practice experience and are frustrated by the results, or lack of!  

    Differentiate

    You must know what you stand for and you must be in a position to differentiate yourself in a saturated marketplace. 



    This applies across all industries but is particularly apt within the optical industry and especially so if you are an independent practice. 

    The vast majority of opticians appear to be trapped in a price and brand war with each other that has been caused by a shift in the market, influenced mainly, by the gradual takeover by the larger multiple companies.

    In my opinion, us opticians are a confused lot. We are toiling with mixing our clinical service with the retail sale of eyewear along with trying to please anyone and everyone who attends our practice. 

    There is no key differentiating factor and we have no clear identity in what we stand for. 

    This has to change if you want to grow and thrive. The most effective way to differentiate your practice is through your product offering. This is the one thing that has the biggest influence on your bottom line and one of the easiest things to change. 

    Social Media Strategy

    In the age of social media driven culture and society the business world has a lot of catching up and re-learning to do when it comes to marketing their businesses. 



    There are a few key components that should be adhered to in order to get it right with social. And when I say get it right I’m not meaning the perfect set up or best lighting for your latest Instagram post.

    I’m talking social media driven, growing your business, that relates directly to bottom line, results.

    The power of an effective social media strategy is still to this day overlooked by the majority of healthcare practices. 

    This is crazy when you consider between 65% – 80%+ of your current and potential clients will be present and active on social.

    I will go into more depth on each of these aspects in the coming weeks and have an exciting 7-part video series focusing specifically on effectively setting up and optimizing your social media accounts for Healthcare Practice. 



    In summary: 

    I would advise any Optical or Healthcare Practice owner to take a step back from their current practice and take a long hard look at what exactly it is they are traying to achieve from their business. 

    Is it just a job that puts money in your pocket or is it an investment to grow and potentially sell as part of future wealth creation. 

    If it’s the former and you are happy with your situation, then keep on going. 


    If it’s the latter, then you really need to reassess your market position and your strategy for growth. 

    As always, I would love to hear your thoughts and comments. 

    Let me know if there is any aspect of your business growth or marketing that I can help you with. Contact me on Instagram: @thedigitalpractitioner, on Facebook: The Digital Practitioner, or email me on support@thedigitalpractitioner.

    by: Alan Bryden 
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    Sunday, 15 July 2018

    Think Like A Marketer Not A Clinician:

    July 15, 2018 0
    Think Like A Marketer Not A Clinician:

    If you want to really grow your business and continually attract your Ideal clients that will return year after year then you really need to think like a marketer and not like a clinician.



    Now for me in the first 5 years of running my optical practice, I was very dismissive of ‘marketing’ and every time a rep from the local newspaper or magazine called to offer ad space in their recent publication I used to get irritated, firstly by their salesy pitch and secondly by the flipping price!

    Being naive and in the first few years I almost felt guilted into running the occasional ad and reluctantly paying a stupid amount with no real evidence of return on investment. 

    Knowing what I know now, I can honestly say I may have well taken a match and sent the money on fire. In fact, that would have been more useful as at least it would have produced a tangible energy exchange and generated some light and heat!

    My lack of acceptance and value on marketing my business was predicated on my experience with the traditional marketing system. 

    In addition, I was basing the overall success of my business on the fact that 
    1.    I was a qualified optometrist, 
    2.    I’ve set up shop, therefore patients will attend.
    3.   I’ll be sending out recalls, therefore I will get repeat business.

    That’s fine, if you are the only optometrist in your county, or state and may have worked in 1985, but this is now 2018 and I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but the biggest technological advance in the history of the world has just occurred over the last decade. 




    But, here’s the thing, the world has moved on, technology has advanced, but it amazes me that so many healthcare practices are still marketing their business like it’s 2007!

    In order to get up to speed and ahead of your competition you simply must be aware of the most effective marketing methods for your practice today. 

    In effect you need to know how social media and digital strategy can revolutionise your practice in how your customer perceives and associates themselves with your practice and how you can use this to acquire loyal and raving clients who will be with you for the long term. 



    First things first: 

    Adjust your perception of what marketing really is in 2018.

    “Marketing Is Caring!” – Marketing is providing the consumer an insight into what you, your brand or business has to offer and positing yourself with integrity in such a way that they will find it difficult to overlook your business or brand because what you offer ultimately will provide the most relevant positive impact on their lives in solving a problem or enhancing their lifestyle. You are giving the customer what they want!





    Apply this thinking to your products and services and then reverse engineer how you would present and position your marketing in front of your Ideal Clients. 

    Focus on them, get creative and put your content out there in a consistent manner. 

     by: Alan Bryden
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