Running any kind of business and providing any kind of service in today’s world is more difficult than ever before. This, unfortunately, applies to healthcare professionals as well; people who provide all kinds of healthcare services and products to their customers and patients. To succeed and to reach the largest number of people possible, one has to be smart about promoting their healthcare enterprise and one of the best aids in this is definitely the internet.
Reason #1 – So many people go online for their healthcare needs
Internet has penetrated the contemporary culture to such an extent that people research pretty much anything before they purchase it or go in for any kinds of services, healthcare ones included. For instance, before they purchase a simple blood pressure monitor or before they book a dentist, they go online and see who is out there, what other people say about different places and so on.
A research has shown that more than 90% of people do their research online even before they go out to the most insignificant local stores. You can bet that the number of people who do their research online before going to see a healthcare professional is even larger. Quite simply put, if you have any type of enterprise, clinic, store or consultant’s office, if you are not online, you might as well not exist.
Reason #2 – Everyone is equal online
When it comes to promotion, nothing is as cheap and as accessible as promoting yourself online. Let’s for instance, say that you have just opened a small dentist’s practice in a big city. You probably cannot even dream about spending the kind of money on advertising as bigger, established dentists are spending.
However, setting up a website, setting up a Facebook account, perhaps something on other social networks; it will cost you close to nothing, even if you hire someone to do your website for you. If you have a great website and do a good job as a dentist, the word will spread online like wildfire and before you know it, you will have so many patients that you will have to tell them you cannot accommodate them.
Reason #3 – The good word will spread
If there is one thing people love to do online, then it is to talk about their past experiences. Once again, we will imagine that you have a dentist practice and you do a great job. Soon enough, people will start talking about you on various boards, forums, social networks. Other people who are looking for great dentists in your area will want to find you online, but if they cannot, they will go to another dentist who has been praised.
You must not let this happen. Become involved, it will not cost you a thing. If you find that someone has been mentioning, friend them on Facebook on your professional account, invite them to come again with a discount. It is all about spreading the good word and the internet is the perfect medium for this.