Mobile marketing is vital for every business in today’s technological world and it’s certainly true for doctor’s offices and hospital clinics. If someone is injured during a recreational activity, they’ll be looking for a nearby doctor on their phone. Even people in the comfort of their own homes often prefer using mobile devices to do their searches. Having good mobile marketing for doctors is a field unto itself.
Let’s start by saying that all of the following suggestions presuppose that you have a responsive website design—one where the theme will automatically fit to the size of the screen the reader is using. If you don’t have responsive design, you don’t have a mobile strategy.
If you’re not sure if your site is responsive, just pull it up on your phone. If there’s a natural fit, you’re in good shape. If there’s not, drop everything and call your developer. Presuming that all is well, these tips will help your mobile marketing strategy get rolling.
Tip #1: Target for location-based marketing
If your site has a mobile app that users can download, you can use a tactic called geofencing. What this does is enable you to mark out a virtual “fence” around a specific geographic area. If anyone with your app is in the area, it triggers a notification.
Tip #2: Build for voice search
More and more users are relying on voice search in all circumstances and it’s particularly easy to imagine situations where someone seeking a doctor would use this. A child is injured at a ballgame and the parent simply asks their phone where the nearest doctor’s office is. Someone is experiencing heart palpitations and asks the same question.
Basically, anything done in a hurry because someone is feeling under duress is a candidate for voice search and a medical office’s mobile prospects certainly meet that criteria.
One thing to keep in mind is that voice searches tend to use more words. A person typing in a search might simply type in “doctor near me.” A person speaking into the phone is more likely to use a longer phrase and to ask questions.
If your content was developed using standard keyword research tools, those keywords might not get the same type of traffic with voice search. A way to work around this is to develop Q&As for the issues your office is most likely to get calls about. That way you can have content that works for voice search and can still use your keywords for desktop or tablet traffic.
Tip #3: Utilize video
Video is great for mobile marketing. Studies show that 3/4 of the audience prefers video to the written word, especially when it comes to learning about something.
Video is also a valuable tool for building trust. A simple 30-second clip explaining how to handle an emergency situation with a child as you rush them into the office can be both helpful and trust-building all at once.
Search engine crawlers also love videos and are more likely to rank your site highly if you use them.