Connecting with patients in a deliberate, meaningful way is essential for long-term success in private practice. Cultivating that connection requires dedicated client care and a strategic marketing plan. 

Here are five powerful marketing tips for orthopedic practices to help you create a network of trust, connectivity, and referrals.

Capitalize on Video Marketing

Conveying information about orthopedics via text to a general audience (i.e., patients without medical knowledge) can be challenging. There’s a need for a strong visual component to make the content clear, informative, and engaging. 

Video marketing is a powerful tool to capitalize on when considering orthopedic marketing services. Creating video content allows your practice to incorporate visual displays and brief explanations. Additionally, this medium provides an opportunity to capitalize on social media trends while repurposing content across platforms. For example, you can create a video on YouTube, embed it on your website with a transcribed blog post, and include it in your email marketing newsletter.

Engage in Local SEO

SEO— search engine optimization— is the core of digital marketing. This multifaceted marketing focus includes geographical, technical, and content-based optimizations to help you rank higher on Google searches. 

One aspect of this concept is local SEO, which helps people in your area find your business. It’s this functionality that enables you to see places in your area rather than across the globe when you search a term like “sushi restaurants.”

To optimize your local SEO, start by claiming your Google My Business page. Additionally, ensure that your website has your physical address listed on the contact page. If you have multiple practices, list each physical address. 

Create Informative On-Site Content

For a content-based approach to SEO, the goal is to consistently create and refresh long-form content, including keywords relevant to your industry. In layman’s terms, you want to post content that answers questions your patients ask you and Google. The more of this relevant information you have on your website, the more traffic will be organically driven to your business.

For this marketing task, it’s best to work with a reputable agency or provider. While you can take many small steps to improve SEO, it takes someone with the expertise and bandwidth to make a significant impact.

Consider a Targeted Social Strategy

Social media transforms “word of mouth” into “word of mouth.” It’s integral in our modern age to have a social media presence to build trust and connection with potential and existing patients. 

Rather than casting a wide net, focus on a targeted social strategy that reaches your primary demographic. According to the CDC, more than 50% of visits to private orthopedic practices are comprised of patients aged 25-64, with the majority aged 45-64. This data indicates that you should focus on platforms that target this age group. As a starting point, 69.9% of Facebook users fall within the 25-64 range, with 25% aged 45-64.

Highlight Patient Testimonies

Testimonies and reviews are a powerful form of social proof and can help you connect with new patients who are in the exploration phase of the sales funnel. Social proof is a psychological effect among consumers in which they see someone else have a positive experience with a service provider and apply that experience to their own perceptions. These are the patients who just learned that they need orthopedic support and have yet to conduct research.

Capture testimonies from satisfied patients and ask for permission to use success stories as case studies online. You can also highlight reviews left on Google, repurposing them for your website. 

Whichever marketing approach you choose, start by identifying your core demographic and determining what information brings them value. Consider outsourcing to work with a medical marketing specialist to help you create and execute a powerful strategy.