Running a business is time-consuming and energy-absorbing in addition to the daily duties of being a physician.

In fact, with the pandemic, a mass migration of physicians left private practice and sought employment by a hospital or corporation.

For those who held on and braved the storm, these medical office owners have a bright forecast with an expected average industry profit of more than 15%.

Despite positive financial outlooks, private practice burnout still plagues physicians. 

Marketing makes up a large portion of the business burden that private practice owners bear. 

In this article, I will discuss the stress-relieving benefits present in outsourcing tasks to a healthcare marketing professional who will work to attract more patients and retain more patients within your private practice.  

How to Attract More Patients

If you build it, they will come. 

But that didn’t happen. 

I have encountered many private practice owners who set up shop and waited…and waited and eventually went out of business.

The problem was that nobody knew they existed. They had relied solely on word of mouth.

Establishing a private practice is an immense venture and one that needs to be professed to the local community loudly and clearly. 

Word of Mouth Is Not Enough

While word of mouth is one of the most effective forms of marketing, it is not enough.  

Word of mouth takes time, and during that time waiting, physician-owners of private practices feel their stress load increasing steadily.

Run a Blog to Increase Web Visibility

Instead, private practice owners can take a proactive role and outsource blog management to an expert to increase visibility. 

Businesses that blog on a regular basis attract 55% more web traffic than their competitors who rely solely on word of mouth. 

Blogs allow private practices to post high-ranking pages on trending topics. 

Do patients want to know about the current rates and risks of monkeypox in the state of Georgia? 

Blog about it. Produce a highly-researched, well-written article with the right keywords and that private practice is now well within the public eye. 

Imagine the stress relief when more and more people come knocking at the door, expressing interest in becoming a new patient. 

Build it. Blog about it. Then they will come. 

How to Retain Patients

A steady influx of patients is a good thing in moderation but overwhelming in excess.

New patient visits require more work than established patients, and constantly onboarding new patients can take a toll on physicians.  

When medical offices retain more patients, this allows for better physician-patient relationships and a more consistent workload. 

Build an Email List

Each new patient encounter is a patient retention opportunity.

By adding an email subscription option to their website, medical offices can cultivate a constant audience. 

Sending out friendly welcome emails to new patients is an excellent way to show their business is appreciated.  

Use Patient Experience Surveys

Surveys are an exceptional tool for gathering information that can guide marketing efforts.

First, surveys demonstrate the value a medical office places on patient feedback. Adding a monetary survey incentive like an Amazon gift card can further emphasize the perceived benefit of patient input and increase response rates.

Second, surveys provide medical offices with valuable information on their customer base. This data allows private practices to send customized emails to patients, increasing the likelihood of engagement.

Emails with no relatable content often end up in the trash folder. 

A constant barrage of emails about various rare diseases to a majority healthy population can result in a click on unsubscribe. 

If patients are continually mentioning feeling rushed at appointments, private practices can plan a series of helpful guides on preparing for appointments and emphasizing that this preparation allows patients to get the most out of their time spent with the doctor.

Develop a Nurturing Email Campaign

Many patients have experienced the monthly impersonal email newsletter from their primary care provider.

This newsletter typically arrives in the format of an image-only email with graphics that won’t load. 

An effective lead nurturing campaign uses highly personalized text-dominant emails that are more accessible. 

These emails guide the patients through the customer journey experience, from raising awareness of needs such as more frequent check-ups for patients with health conditions to building loyalty in the form of repeat visits.  

Overcome the Barrier of Private Practice Burnout

Physician-owners of private practices can avoid burnout by outsourcing their marketing needs and implementing strategies for low-stress patient acquisitions.

Acquiring a steady stream of new patients can reduce the financial strain on a business owner.

Developing campaigns to retain current patients and increase customer loyalty can result in physicians spending their day primarily interacting with patients they know well and with whom they have a good rapport.

If you are a private practice owner who would like to reduce your stress levels surrounding marketing, fill out this contact form for a free initial consultation.