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Quarantines and social distancing may be bringing you down (along with your practice’s bottom line) but there are still ways to keep business going and generating revenues. Staying in contact with existing and new patients right now is more critical than ever. By being available and making the right offers to your target audiences you can still keep your business moving during the quarantine and set yourself up for greater success once things open back up.
Here are some ideas for you to consider during the quarantine to help your practice grow while beating the blues:
Price out virtual consults
Right now, there are people who still need to see an aesthetic professional for things like capsular contracture, unusual swelling or bruising, or someone who would want to discuss what they need to do to prepare for a cosmetic surgery in a few months. Consider what consults you can charge for while maintaining social distancing. If you have products that you sell that require a consultation that could mean more revenue for you: the price of your consultation + the price of the product. There are few privacy law compliant virtual consultation options out there for you such as Doxy.me, TouchMd, and Telemedicine. Make sure to talk to your marketing agency about adding this feature to your website today.
Add virtual consult forms on your website
Your virtual consultation form should be separate from your general contact forms in order to better differentiate and prioritize submissions. Ideally, you’ll want to collect information that can assist in communicating and scheduling appointments. Gathering information such as the best method to contact, the reason for consultation, and preferred days and times of a consultation helps to minimize unnecessary back and forth. Also, once someone chooses what they want to see you about, make sure you let them know what they can expect and what you need from them for your virtual consultation. Be prepared by letting them know if they need to bring any health records, be prepared to show you their problem areas, etc. In certain situations, an email responder can be implemented to send the patient any forms or documents they may need prior to the consultation.
Build an online store
Make no mistake, people are still shopping online. So make sure any products you offer are available for purchase off your website. There are a plethora of options available for e-commerce and they are super simple to create. Creating a storefront on Shopify and Square are easy fixes and will put time on your side. Or create a more sophisticated store that is connected to your WordPress site. Woocommerce is a great route to go as it could add SEO value to your existing website. One thing you must make sure is done is connecting that store to your Facebook page catalog so you can turn on Instagram shopping! Building an online store is something that you need- regardless of COVID-19. If you are offering any tangible products in your office, making it available to your patients online is a 2020 must.
Take advantage of offers given by tech behemoths
Google, Facebook, Salesforce, and more tech behemoths are offering grants to help with COVID-19 relief. With Google, small and medium businesses worldwide that have been active advertisers since the beginning of 2019 will be informed in the coming months through notifications within their Google Ads account. Facebook is also offering credits and grants for its customers that advertised on their platform. See our blog on these resources here.
Get active in email marketing
While pushing your virtual consults and products are the top of your mind right now, make sure your message includes more value than just calls to action. Genuinely offer advice on how to maintain your skin, body, and health during these times. Give people tips on what they can do to prepare for a future treatment. Talk to your patients about what you have been doing to help during these times as a medical professional, or what you have been doing to keep your family safe and healthy. Try to pen a personal letter or message, or record a short video checking in on your patients. Email can be a way to build a personal connection with your patients if you share content with them that is different from what you post on social media. Use this time to sow a deep bond with your patients.
Boost some of your posts on social media
You’ve set up your products, you’ve set up your virtual consults on your site and now you’re waiting for the bite. You may need to push a bit further to get some traction on things. We know money is tight right now, but with as little as spending $30 over the course of 6 days (Instagram’s auto recommended spend for a boosted post), Instagram reach could get you in front of thousands of users. It’s worth it to skip take out on Friday night and invest it into boosting one of your Instagram or Facebook posts.
Run a contest on social media
Running a contest that boosts your engagement on social media is a great way to get new eyes on what you offer and have some fun! You can attract new patients who could be interested in your consults or products. Make sure what you offer as a gift is generous to maximize interaction. Be sure to set up your contest to require people to tag at least 2 friends in the comments – remember you want new people coming to your social media pages!
Final Thought
While we may be going through turbulent times and feeling the blues, this is no time to sit back to see what happens. It’s time to be creative and more active in communicating with your target audience. Things are going to get more competitive than before so you will need to stand out more than ever. Use these ideas to help generate new revenues and stay in touch with your patients.
If you are looking for help implementing strategies like these or other marketing strategies, contact us for a complimentary consultation.