Digital marketing is not a mystery. Indeed, the significant shift over the last decade isn’t so much the breathtaking proliferation of digital marketing options; it’s the democratisation of it – much of it can be done yourself.

We help clinics and practitioners who are too busy to manage their own digital marketing activities. Still, in many instances, you can do much of it yourself if you have the time and the inclination.

Here are 5 marketing initiatives you can undertake yourself today for free:

1. SET UP YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE

Facebook isn’t just about sharing your holiday pictures. Forty-five million UK residents have Facebook accounts and many of them conduct a large proportion of their time within its blue walls. It is, without doubt, the most influential social media platform in the world. If you supply products or services used by consumers, then you must be on there.

A Facebook business page is entirely separate to your personal profile and remains completely unconnected. You will need a personal account to set one up, but the information on your personal profile will not appear on your business page and the general public will not be able to see what personal profile your Facebook business page is linked to.

Ideally, you should update your Facebook page with regular content but don’t worry if you don’t. A static page, like a website within Facebook, will suffice if you’re not ready to create content.

Visit this page for a step by step guide to launching your Facebook page.

2. SET UP YOUR GOOGLE PAGE / REVIEWS

You may already have a Google My Business page (or someone might have created one for you). If you haven’t, then this is essential. This is your business profile listed on Google. It contains your opening hours and other useful information on your business. Importantly, your page links with Google Maps and Google Reviews. The latter is vital to your business as reviews are crucial to your growth and how you are ranked by Google.

Click here to find out how to set up your Google My Business page.

3. WRITE A BLOG POST

Traffic to healthcare websites hasn’t dried up despite the current situation. Indeed, we have been keeping a close eye on Google Trends and for many treatments or procedures that our clients undertake, there has been little decrease in Google searches.

At the very least, you can write a blog post about the current status of your practice or clinic, outlining if you are open, your CV19 measures and offering phone or video consultations. Any work you put into your website will be realised in the future when the economy starts to bounce back from the CV19 pandemic.

Click here to see a more detailed post on why you should write a blog and some ideas on posts you can write.

4. MAKE YOUR OWN VIDEO

The smartphone sitting in your pocket packs a powerful multimedia punch. With the addition of a few cheap components (a lapel mic and a small tripod, both available for delivery from Amazon) you can create your own studio in your kitchen.

I’ve created two informative video posts to help you set up your own video.

How to set up your video shoot

13 top tips for making your video

Once you’ve completed the video, post it up to YouTube and from here you can embed it into your latest blog post.

If you need more information on this, then drop us a line and we’ll provide you with some links to help you get your video online.

5. CLEAN UP YOUR DATABASE & SEND YOUR FIRST NEWSLETTER

Three parts to this one.

Part one is to compile or clean up your database. We’re assuming you have your GDPR controls in place and therefore you have permission to email your existing clients or potential clients who have enquired over the past 12 months. You have a legitimate interest with this data to inform them of the current status of your clinic. If you have a CRM system, then this should be relatively straightforward and most will enable you to export your client list as a CSV or spreadsheet file.

If you have your client data in a less organised state, then you can compile it on a spreadsheet. Make sure you password protect it and store it on a password-protected computer. GDPR may not be the at the top of everyone’s list right now, but it’s good to start off on the right foot with protecting your client data.

Part Two is to create your newsletter. We recommend using email marketing software such as MailChimp or Campaign Monitor. The platforms are easy to learn and have tutorials on how to import your data and set up a campaign.

Part Three is what to put in the newsletter. You can include a link to your blog post about what’s happening to your practice. Also include excerpts and links to an external official site, a newspaper article or YouTube video that your clients may find interesting. Finally, you can provide details on video or phone consultations and a link to your contact page to encourage people to get in touch.

GIVE US A SHOUT

We’re here to offer whatever assistance we can. If any of this is confusing or you need pointing in the right direction, then drop us a line using the contact form below.