Two exciting things have happened —  the costs and regulatory barriers of using telehealth have lifted. And an urgent need to use virtual health services has spiked because of COVID-19. 

Still, there’s an increased need to embrace modern telehealth marketing ideas. 

Now with relaxed HIPAA restrictions and easier reimbursement. There’s no turning back to the old way of doing healthcare. 

Ann Mond Johnson, CEO of the American Telemedicine Association said in a recent HealthLeaders report, “I think consumer expectations and consumers’ perceptions of what can happen are going to change and therefore, it’s going to be hard to go back. Once you give people something, it’s really difficult to take it away.”

Also, even private insurers cover telehealth services today.  And get this, both patients and providers reap tons of benefits from using virtual visits. So, what’re the benefits to patients? Well, they’ll have more access to convenient, safer, and better care whenever and wherever they need it. 

All right, what about health care providers? Telehealth can help lessen burnout, improve work-life balance, and give you the ability to grow your revenue on your time.

How is this possible? It’s pretty obvious once you think about it. You’ll have more access to patients. So you can keep current patients happy and gain new ones through your virtual care offer. 

As patient satisfaction ramps up —  you’ll see a natural improvement in healthcare outcomes. So, what’re the next steps? Market your virtual health service to your patients in a clear and compelling way.

As telehealth barriers crumble, now is the perfect time to embrace this fresh way to receive care. If you haven’t chosen a telehealth software to use yet, here are some software options to choose from.

So, what’re some effective online marketing techniques you need to know about?  It’s simpler than you think, let’s take a closer look.

1. Provide Clear Communication About Your Telehealth Services

Whether you’re a health care provider in your own practice or a health system, you want to make sure you inform everyone that you now offer telehealth services on your website and even through the mail. But how can you make this transition easy for your patients? 

Place a helpful FAQ section on your website. Your patients can go there to get all their burning questions answered right away. An FAQ section can save you a lot of time and remove the hassle of answering the same questions over and over again. 

Use the following questions as a framework to start:

• Can this telehealth visit help with my specific health condition?
• Will my insurance cover my telehealth visit?
• How can I book an appointment?

Patients around the U.S. are more stressed than ever right now. You can help quench their worries and fears —  by highlighting the benefits of telehealth over the features alone. Patients can find comfort in knowing they’ll have access to you 24/7, and anyplace they have internet or phone connection. 

2. Make Your Site Beautiful and User-Friendly

With patients consumed with information overload, you don’t want to overwhelm them with a wordy or busy website. Make sure your site copy, graphics, and icons are clear. Your site should effortlessly guide your patients to where they need to go. 

Always provide your patients with a delightful user experience. Keep your website easy to navigate and simple to use. Booking virtual visits on your site should be a pleasant and joyful experience for your patients.

Remember to place a button with text like, “Telehealth Now Available.” on your site to let your patients know you’re open for virtual appointments now. 

Two practical steps to take today:

• Update your homepage with a message or graphic about your new telehealth service
• Link out to an individual landing page about your new telehealth offer

Provide all the information new and existing patients need upfront. Then, they’ll feel more comfortable and excited about their virtual care visits with you. 

One Medical’s site is clean, easy-to-use, and visually appealing

3. Create Room for Accessible Health Information

Patients want quick access to reliable health information. You can set up your site as a one-stop-shop for trustworthy information on simple and complex health conditions. 

But first, get rid of all the barriers on your site that may cause your patients to leave early. 

How can you actually do this? Again make sure your menu is easy to navigate and easy to understand.

For example, choose a clear blog name, so your patients know where to click. You can also have a resources section on your site or create a separate landing page for everything COVID-19.

It’ll be useful to share how people can deal with the aftermath of COVID-19 as states remove lockdown restrictions in the U.S. 

Patients have a gazillion telehealth options to choose from —  why should they pick your telehealth service over big brands with flawless user experiences? For what it’s worth. You want to make sure your offer is clear and irresistible. 

Patients need convincing reasons to choose your service over others.

Make sure all the information you share is accessible across social media, your website, email, and other channels you want to use. Your patients will love to have access to what they’re looking for right when they need it. Ready to give your patients what they need?

4. Choose a Transparent and Affordable Pricing Model

Financial insecurities plague many patients today, and you know what you can lessen their burdens. But how? Make your pricing transparent. The first thing you see on many telehealth providers sites is a clear and concise display of their prices and offers.  

The best part is, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) now cover virtual visits under Medicare and Medicaid (this can vary across states). Many private insurers are covering virtual care visits too. 

So, make all new offers and discounts front and center on your homepage. It helps patients feel safe to use your telehealth services over other companies who haven’t shown they care as much.

If you work with insurers who offer free coronavirus screenings, let your patients know. In fact, some telehealth providers are offering free COVID-19 testing right now.

5. Market Across Multiple Channels Online

As you can imagine, competition in the telehealth space has ramped up as health care providers transition from in-office visits alone to virtual visits. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of space for you online, but you might have to invest in paid search, social media ads, and email marketing tools to reach patients.

Paid search is useful to target patients in your exact area who need a telehealth provider now. You can draw them to your site with little effort on your part with the right tools. Get in fast because ranking has become more competitive than ever today.

Paid and organic social media outreach to new and existing patients is important nowadays. Paid ads on popular social sites are better because organic reach has plummeted on sites like Facebook and others. 

Now we can’t forget emails. Email marketing campaigns are an excellent way to nurture your current patients with the right information to convince them to use your new telehealth service.

You’ve Made It

The bottom line when you put in place these telehealth marketing ideas —  the quicker you’ll grow. All in all, telehealth will no longer be a luxury but will remain an indispensable part of how we do healthcare. How will you use telehealth to enhance your business?