Don't Fall behind, Why Your Health Practice Should Go Inbound

Even if it wasn’t for regulations like HIPAA, trust is the key element that creates relationships in the healthcare industry. Creating a steady flow of information that positions you as an authority cements that trust.

People want and demand a wide range of choices. This doesn’t change when it comes to healthcare – and especially if it’s elective. People also want and demand easy access to information that will help them make a decision about healthcare professionals.

Like it or not, you have to compete for new customers. And, most of your competitors have already started down the path of inbound marketing. They’re making themselves “findable,” by generously offering information to help prospects understand their problem. They’re establishing themselves as subject matter experts so that prospects educate themselves and then turn themselves into customers. Start your inbound marketing program now, or you’ll never catch up.

What’s inbound marketing, anyway?

It’s a strategy. You’re attracting prospects by offering information. It’s extremely valuable information to your prospects because they’re looking to understand and solve a medical problem. So, rather than bothering a bunch of people who may not even care about you by using traditional advertising methods, you’re applying inbound marketing strategies that make you “findable” to people who have the problem you solve. They consume the content you create, and you demonstrate your subject matter expertise.

Giving people what they want

Inbound marketing has a massive advantage over traditional advertising. Nothing works better at attracting qualified leads. This has to do with the way people search for healthcare information. Unlike many other kinds of problems, they won’t start by searching for a solution first.

Let’s say you can’t go outside in your backyard because there’s a giant beehive hanging in the tree. You wouldn’t go online and search for the reason you get stung whenever you go out there. You’d start your search for beehive removal companies.

Now, let’s say that lately, you’ve been waking up with a tingling sensation in your feet. Your first step isn’t going to be to find a solution. You’ll want to know more about this symptom. What does it mean? Is it serious? Your search for answers is not a direct line to a solution.

That’s where inbound marketing flexes its muscles for healthcare businesses. Yes, you’ll have content available that demonstrates you’re the best place to go for the services and products you offer. But first, these prospects want to gain education and insight into understanding their problem. They want you to help them understand what it is, what might be causing it, and an objective approach to the solution.

Establishing trust

Even if it wasn’t for regulations like HIPAA, trust is the key element that creates relationships in the healthcare industry. Creating a steady flow of information that positions you as an authority cements that trust. You ultimately earn the right to claim the relationship, and it’s likely that the prospect will make the first move.

It’s common for marketers to place great emphasis on clearly identified buyer personas. Who are you trying to target? While that’s important for healthcare businesses, it’s also clearly important to have clearly identified medical symptoms and problems that are attached to the service you provide, because your prospects are going to be searching first for symptoms before they get to solutions.

The comfortable and obvious path

You’ll want the right language that creates the connection. That means you must help prospects move through the process of satisfying their curiosity, validating their problem, and establishing yourself as a trusted source of information.

It’s their process of discovery. Prospects want to feel it was they who found you, and that it was their consumption of the educational information you provided that helped them make up their minds to seek you out as the professional who will solve their problem.

You’re orchestrating a delicate dance. Inbound marketing is the complete opposite of traditional advertising. You’re establishing a connection with prospects based on their problem – not your solution. That comes later in the process. Appropriate content is key. Find out how you can attract more clients with appropriate custom content.