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Keep Patients Watching With Digital Event Marketing For Your Medical Practice

Today’s patients want to feel a greater connection with their medical care providers. When patients only get to see their doctor for five or ten minutes, it leaves them feeling like they are just a number in the system. But there’s something holding them back: The newfound desire to avoid unnecessary trips to the doctor’s office.
Telehealth is making its mark as the future of medicine as we know it. Combined with the latest innovations in mobile communication and nanotechnology, it may provide the blueprint for a whole new way of looking at patient care.

But when it comes to medical practice marketing, the human touch is paramount. How can you leverage the latest changes in technology and patient needs to keep your marketing fresh?
Digital event marketing can provide the best of both worlds: The ability to communicate with many patients while still providing the personal touch and rapport they want from the care team.

What Is A “Digital Event” In Medical Practice Marketing?
By digital event we mean a group gathering where participants have the opportunity to learn about important topics and ask questions live on a videoconferencing platform.

You might hear a similar concept referred to in digital marketing as a “webinar.”

That’s okay as shorthand, but it suggests the purpose of the event is to sell something – usually a product that’s introduced at the end and paired with a high pressure limited time offer.

Medical practices, on the other hand, should think much more broadly about digital events.
In marketing for medical practices, a digital event can:

  • Teach patients how to stay safe and well in the face of community health issues
  • Help patients to relate their wellness goals to the lives and lifestyles they want
  • Make patients aware of paid and free resources in the clinic and in the community
  • Demonstrate the value of your practice even when visiting in person is impossible

In subject and format, the way a digital event plays out is only limited by your own creativity and the treatment goals of your patient community. While practices often see a spike in new appointments right after an event, that is usually a secondary goal.

Medical practices who hold regular digital events have the opportunity to build stronger patient relationships and achieve higher brand sentiment than those who don’t. It’s a terrific adjunct to your other marketing efforts that can invigorate interest in your practice.

How Medical Practices Can Make Digital Events That Shine
With more people familiarizing themselves with videoconferencing, a simple digital event isn’t so hard to set up: A single camera approach is usually sufficient for a panel of two or three people to speak comfortably. Most video conference software offers the same basic features, and you won’t need to pay to run an event unless you are expecting many people to tune in.

To make your event successful, remember these tips:

1. Provide Guidance On How Patients Can Get Involved
Younger people are getting more involved in healthcare, but odds are good you have patients over 50 who might not be comfortable with the latest technology. Provide plain language guides on how they can get involved and how they can access the event replay afterwards, too. This keeps your busier and less tech savvy patients in the loop.

2. Decide On Your Goals And Topic
The information you get from patient interactions should give you a good idea just how much “buzz” any one topic is getting. Remember to stay focused on a single topic and a handful of two or three outcomes you want your viewers to take away – more than that can get things muddled. You can reinforce your main points by sending audience members a post-event email.

3. Know Who Will “Do the Talking”
Most digital events range from 30-60 minutes, so time is at a premium. Your team members are sure to vary in both their expertise and comfort with the limelight, so be sure you work out in advance what topic each person will cover and who will handle particular kinds of questions. With care, you’ll ensure everyone has enough time to make a genuine connection.

4. Include Time For A Question And Answer Session
Medical practices should dedicate the last 15-20 minutes of any digital event to the Q&A. Many video conferencing platforms let you collect questions from your chat audience so off-topic ones can be removed. Be sure the audience knows where to send follow-up questions later on! Taking questions live is not recommended, as participants might accidentally share PHI.

5. Follow Up By Collecting Participant Feedback
If you’re already sending a post-event email, it’s the perfect time to conduct a feedback survey. You are most likely to get responses with short surveys: Five questions or fewer, rating aspects of the event on a scale from 1-5. However, don’t forget to include opportunities for narrative feedback, too. Someone’s simple piece of advice could change your future events completely.

6. Make Your Event Part Of Your Content Ecosystem
It’s a good idea to do some post-production on your event replay video before posting it. That includes adding captions so people with hearing difficulties can engage more easily with your content. At the end of the video, you can provide links to additional resources viewers may need. Also announce the video on your mailing list to get more people to check it out.

We know what you’re thinking – you’re a doctor, not a videographer. With help from New York Ave, medical practices can have memorable digital events that really change patient behavior for the better. Our team works with medical practices like yours to ensure a seamless connection between your practice goals and every element of your digital marketing strategy.

To learn more, contact us today.

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