Just having a website and a Facebook business page is not enough to stand out anymore. Your practice marketing strategy also requires a steady stream of creative and engaging content that can promote your practice to the right audience.
The overriding goal of content marketing is to get your content in front of the right customer at the right time. Ultimately, the content you put out there should aim to build an audience that likes, trusts, and respects your brand.
Real brand-specific content can reinforce your special expertise through a range of formats, including images, infographics, videos, photos, articles, podcasts, and blog posts. The most effective strategy is usually a combination of different format to mix it up and keep it more interesting for your readers.
Think of yourself as the storyteller whose job is to inform and inspire your audience to drive measurable actions that impact your bottom line. From editorial copy, website content, blog posts, to social media posts, everything you put out there for your brand should be consistent in tone and quality. The best content is searchable, shareable, consumable and relevant.
Keeping up with a weekly blog on your practice website is an ideal way to produce customized content on a regular basis. Blog posts should be about 500 words and contain keyword-rich text, and at least one image. These should also have share buttons to make it easier for readers to share your posts on their own social channels. Lastly, include a call-to-action (CTA) for each blog post. Consider what you want the reader to do as a result of reading your blog. For example, schedule, call, email, shop, share, fill out a form, etc.
The main objectives of content creation should include raising your brand’s profile and promoting your key messages, plus stimulating lead generation in the form of new patients or customers and driving purchasing decisions. Lastly, retention of these customers should be your long term goal.
Try to ensure that your content integrates seamlessly with your marketing activities and practice goals. Content should never exist just for its own sake; it should be well thought out, address the needs of your customers and effectively move them closer towards making a purchasing decision.
Looking for more branding and marketing tips? Check out Wendy Lewis’ best-selling book, Aesthetic Clinic Marketing in the Digital Age (CRC Press 2018).
