content library
The hidden power of a medical content library
Why would you need a content library as a doctor? In this article, I will unpack the success habit used by leading surgeons, specialists and allied health professionals to make content work. Why? Because your online content is a system that generates leads…or it isn’t. You choose.
content library
The hidden power of a medical content library
Kris Borgraeve
July 14, 2022
The smartest move you can make as a doctor
business growth
When you run a private practice, you will use the term ‘business growth’ sooner or later. Your practice becomes a business in itself.
In recent years, one of the key drivers of private practice growth has been the use of content for organic SEO or content marketing.
"In a nutshell, you publish content based on the intel you have about your ideal patient’s Google behaviour. You then measure the performance and add even more of the most successful content."
The smart move many doctors now make is to create a library. It consists of evergreen content that educates potential patients and builds rapport. If you are known as the thought leader in a niche, guess what happens once people have to choose a specialist?
Why some doctors struggle in private practice
business strategy
A handful of doctors cling to the old saying that ‘it all depends on GP referrals’. This statement is often used in conjunction with a complete dismissal of all things digital. As if the online evolutions, the patient’s time spent on mobiles and search engines, was something you could simply dismiss as a modern trend for very young people.
Times have changed.
The reason some doctors struggle is because of their digital behaviour. A stubborn attitude to leave it to the tech guys, to completely dismiss it or to look for the cheapest solution across a range of key business areas:
- SEO and content strategy: making sure you are visible on Google
- Medical website design and development: a highly specialised business activity that is not to be confused with a quick-and-dirty DIY solution.
- Ongoing brand positioning: bringing your content to the attention of your target audiences such as the local general practitioners and the wider public.
A business strategy for the private practice should start with digital. Not add it as a commodity at the end. Why? Because the first contact most patients will have with you as a leading specialist will be online.
Re-engineering your marketing efforts
boost your patient numbers
Let’s say you wanted to boost your patient numbers, or at least improve the business results for a specific type of treatment or surgical procedure.
You could throw more money at Google Ads. Advertise on local radio. Some doctors would even buy airtime on TV to tell anyone that they’re here. You are paying for the attention of people who may never need you. Traditional media is an expensive one-way channel to reach many people with the same message.
"Online works both ways. Your content shows up when someone searches for it. That revolution is still underestimated and it’s the field of our Patient Behaviour Research in Perth and in The Netherlands."
Did you know that you can attract traffic from specific patients to a page about specific conditions?
That is just the tip of the iceberg when we re-engineer and redesign your entire marketing so it becomes a well-oiled machine that generates referrals and leads.
The missing ingredient: systemisation
new trends in medical marketing
When new trends in medical marketing are presented, we tend to look at what is sexy. Look, there’s a doctor who has 1.4M followers on TikTok, let’s do it. Or some doctors give in to the sales pitch of affiliate marketers who want to sell you Google Ads or Facebook Ads.
In our workshops and webinars in various hospitals around the country, what creates the biggest AHA moments is this: the key is not the tools. It’s the system you create to make tools work for your specific customised goals.
"There is no one-size-fits-all marketing tool. There are dozens of tactics and what you need is a systemised strategy to contain only the tactics that work for you. Your system uses your content library across the online platforms that are used by your patients. Anything else is a waste of money."
At Digital Practice, we are passionate about the private practice. We are also passionate about systemising your marketing so you create ongoing growth, with a content library that keeps growing and that positions you around your uniqueness as a surgeon or a specialist doctor.
Speak to a content expert
medical writers in australia
Medical writers in Australia have an even higher responsibility than in many other places in the world. The standard for medical content marketing – and that includes the setup of a content library – is obviously about producing clear, palatable copywriting for the patient. Ideally, your content also helps you rank higher. Yet, in Australia, we have the AHPRA advertising guidelines for healthcare professionals. Here at Digital Practice, we also integrate these guidelines into our process, so you can rest assured that your content meets the latest requirements. If you want to explore how a content library can help you grow your practice, book a free 1:1 strategy session today!
