While doctors study and train for years to become knowledgeable and an expert in their chosen medical field, the medical school and the real-life experience does not always prepare them for the career path that they might take of starting their own practice.
New doctors face the many challenges of starting up their own practice. One challenge consists of the expenses accrued from starting from scratch. It can be very expensive for a budding doctor to start his or her own practice. Aside from that, independent physicians also have to deal with the difficulties of the ever-changing healthcare legislation and doing business with insurance companies.
Starting a private practice also means that the doctors have to find their own patients. Doctors who started their own practice often struggle with the cash flow gap that happens when they treat patients and when the insurance companies reimburse them. Physicians also have to deal with the challenges of making the patients pay them directly. Most importantly, independent physicians have to compete with big brands in the healthcare system.
When Big Healthcare Brands Come Into Play
Because of these difficulties, many physicians choose to work with big hospitals while building their own practice part-time. For example, Med Rank Interactive is in Charlotte and we see independent doctors working with big brands like Novant and Atrium. These bigger healthcare providers can actually provide some benefits to doctors who want to build their own legacy and impact the local community.
For one, physicians do not have to worry about finding their own clients because patients will literally walk through their doors for their services. Aside from that, they will be able to build their reputation working for the big names in the healthcare system.
Some might think that working for a big healthcare brand is the best option for new and experienced physicians alike. But, this is not always the case. More doctors are now leaving these big hospitals and starting independent practices.
In Charlotte, 40 doctors broke away with Novant Health, the second-largest healthcare system in the city, to continue practicing at their own locations. Moreover, 88 doctors from Atrium Health left in September to form an independent practice, Tryon Medical Partners, to compete directly with Novant and Atrium.
But, why do doctors leave these big brands?
One of the reasons is that doctors want to run their practices in a way that they believe it should be run. Being your own boss and making decisions when it matters the most is a key motivator for employed physicians to leave big hospitals and run start-up practices.
With all the challenges of running a start-up practice and competing in a very competitive healthcare market, it is actually possible to start your own independent practice, and many who have gone this route have found success.
One example is Dr. Ahmad with Advanced Sports & Spine. Dr. Ahmad decided to open his own pain management practice in Charlotte and reached out to us to help him develop his brand online, get a consistent flow of new patients, and compete with the bigger healthcare brands.
Advanced Sports & Spine is now seeing 10-20 new patients per week on average and is ranking at the top of Google for its major keywords.
How can Independent Physicians Strive?
Of course, it is never easy starting out on your own. However, you can plan out your strategies so you can actually compete with the big names in the healthcare industry by providing better quality, affordable, and personable care.
Many medical practices utilize the power of the Internet to promote their business, and you can also get great results if you go down this path. However, it is vital to work with a digital marketing agency that specializes in medical digital marketing like Med Rank Interactive.
Here are some of the options that you can use:
SEO
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is the practice of driving targeted traffic to your website. You can do this by creating an SEO-friendly website so your potential customers can find you easily on the Internet. By making your website SEO-friendly, search engines will prioritize your website over your competitors with your targeted keywords.
If you have a website, you can optimize it so that search engines will rank it higher than your competition. Optimizing SEO elements such as meta titles, meta descriptions, alt texts and using keywords on your content are sure-fire ways of making your website SEO friendly. This way, you will be easily seen by your clients whenever they search the Internet.
If you need help with SEO for your medical practice, don’t hesitate to contact us! That’s what we specialize in.
Social Media Paid Advertising
Social media paid advertising, or social media marketing (SMM), is one aspect of digital marketing. In this strategy, you will use the benefits of social media and create ads that will target your preferred audience. In this way, you will be able to promote your brand more effectively to your chosen demographics.
Facebook and Instagram are two of the most popular social networking sites where you can get many new patients. Because these platforms are the most used by many people, you can start building an effective SMM strategy on these 2 platforms.
If you need help with SMM for your medical practice, we would love to speak with you!
Google Ads
Google Ads is Google’s advertising system where you can bid for keywords so that your ads will appear more whenever someone looks for search terms that are the same or related to your keywords.
Much like social media paid advertisements, you can increase the presence of your brand on the Internet with Google Ads.
The beauty of Google Ads is that your Ads will show up when patients are searching for your services in your area. With the right Google Ads strategy, you can get in front of your targeted patients tomorrow!
Email Marketing
Email marketing is a digital marketing strategy where you can send emails to your prospective clients and patients. This is a good way to nurture your leads and turn them into clients or receive referrals from existing patients.
Community Events
Hosting community events is one traditional way of promoting your brand. By hosting these kinds of events, you will be able to reach out to your clients and provide them the personal connection that big brands sometimes lack.
About Us
Med Rank Interactive is a digital marketing agency in Charlotte that helps independent medical and dental professionals to compete with big brands using effective digital marketing solutions.
Most of the big names in the healthcare system are so focused on promoting their brands on the national level. For example, CVS and Walgreen dedicate their efforts in promoting their brands across the US. One of our local pharmacy clients, Carolina Pharmacy, has found success in competing with these big brands using tailored-focus local marketing strategies with the help of Med Rank Interactive.
By utilizing effective strategies, Carolina Pharmacy is now ranking first in the search engines over these big brands and other competitors for keywords like “pharmacy charlotte nc”, “pharmacy rock hill sc”, and “pharmacy lancaster sc.”
However, you should know that competing with these big brands takes time, but with consistent effort and the correct marketing strategies, any independent practice can compete successfully with them. Med Rank Interactive will help you with all your digital marketing needs and create a strong online foundation for your brand.
Contact us at 980-217-1633 for a free consultation.
