7 Quick and Easy Ways To Generate Leads For Your Practice


Getting enough leads (new prospects) is a problem many small health care business owners face. It seems like there’s a billion different marketing strategies nowadays.

But how do you know which ones will actually be effective?

Here’s 7 of our favorite quick and easy ways to generate more leads – FAST!

  1. Tweet!

    Twitter is a goldmine when used properly. Reach out to local influencers in your market or industry and get involved in conversations with them. A lot of their followers are potential patients will likely see your interactions and click through to your website
  2. Infographics

    Infographics have become a content marketing staple for a lot of practices over the past few years.

    Why?

    Because people love to read and share and comment on them. A good infographic will help position you as an expert – so get started on yours today!

  3. Create a Great Video

    There’s no better way to showcase your product or services than by video.

    Don’t worry about being promotional, rather come up with a great idea that engages your audience!

    How To.. and Q&A??

    Videos are topics that resonate and will result in a much better click through rate to your website!

  4. Ebooks

    Ebooks aren’t just for Best-Selling Authors and Dog Trainers anymore!

    You can write an ebook about any industry (and people love them!)

    So show off your expertise and get to writing! Your ebook doesn’t have to be long, but you’ll want to write from a neutral perspective and give actionable tips and insights.

    Build your status as an authority by providing value to the reader. Then – share it socially and ask your network to spread the word!

  5. Newsletter

    If you don’t have a newsletter yet, it should be your first priority after reading this blog post!

    You’re missing out one of the simplest ways to generate more leads! Email newsletters are a great way to stay in touch and avoid getting lost in all the internet noise.

    Keep in mind, it’s NOT just about you…

    Share industry news, recent wins for your patients and other insights your audience will appreciate.

  6. Networking Events

    This strategy is so effective yet these days (as a result of the shut-downs and pandemic) everyone seems to forget how beneficial offline marketing can be – even a networking event (yes be safe with Covid)!

    You’ll meet people, expand your network, gain valuable referrals and build your brand at the same time.

    Then…after the event, you get back online and find all your new contacts on LinkedIn and Facebook!

  7. Local Media

    Tap into local media outlets!

    A great way to go about that is to plan a charitable event – a food drive, clothing donation, the sky’s the limit. Just make sure you’re helping out the local community in some way!

    The local charity should be something that you have a personal interest in!

    Get in touch with your local news and media stations directly and invite them to come out!

    You would be surprised how easy, and how effective it is!

There you have it!

7 Quick and Easy Ways To Generate Leads For Your Practice 

Take Action today and see the results happen for your business.

If you are a private practice healthcare business owner and you are looking to grow and scale your practice or generate more new patients for the practice – we are here for you!  Drop a comment below if you have questions or if you’d like to set up a call with us go here: https://chat.practiceinsidersedge.com/PIE-Triage-Call


How To Add Your Health Care Business To Apple Maps


Apple Maps is the third most popular map service on the market today. With 23 million monthly unique visitors, they are right behind Google’s 154 million and Nokia HERE’s 27.7 million

Is Apple Maps worth the time for a health care business and your practice? 

As you’ll soon discover, it’s a worthwhile investment and a key part of your local search and review management strategy. 

What we’re covering in this presentation:

  • What is Apple Maps?
  • Apple Maps vs. Google Maps
  • Siri with Apple Maps
  • Apple Maps and CarPlay
  • Who uses Apple Maps
  • How does Apple Maps handle Ratings and Reviews
  • How to get your health business listed in Apple Maps
  • The future for Apple Maps
  • Why Apple Maps should be a Priority for your health care business

 

Apple Maps is a web mapping service exclusive to iOS, iPadOS, WatchOs and macOS. As the name suggests it’s built by Apple Inc., but before launch in 2012 they announced that their app would include turn-by-turn navigation, 3D maps with Flyovers from your phone or tablet (or computer), as well as Siri – all of which are designed exclusively for you!

 

Apple Maps offers a variety of features:

  • Turn-by-turn navigation with spoken instructions for vehicles, pedestrians, and public transportation.
  • Apple patients can use the app while driving via CarPlay, and via Siri, Apple’s voice assistant app.
  • It can also be used to see real-time traffic information. Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, is integrated into navigation.
  • Maps display points of interest provided by approximately twenty companies, including Booking.com, Foursquare, TripAdvisor, and Yelp.
  • Users can drop pins on the map to save places for later retrieval.
  • The satellite view features Flyovers, three-dimensional satellite views in designated locations.
  • The Nearby feature displays points of interest for each category. Points are shown with their names, distances, and reviews on Yelp.

 

Apple Maps integrates with many third-party providers, such as Yelp and Booking. This means that you can use Apple Maps to find a restaurant or hotel without having to switch back and forth from one service’s app to another.

 

Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

 

Apple Maps is an exclusive application to Apple devices, while Google Maps is available for both Android and iOS. There are some important differences that you should be aware of before installing either app on your device:

 

  • Apple shares data contextually taking a subtle approach. Google gives the user everything.
  • Apple has flyover mode, a 3D landscape of buildings and structures. Google has Street View.
  • Apple integrates Siri tightly with Apple Maps, and other apps in your phone (e.g., location data for your photos) tell Siri where you’d like to go, and navigation is seamless.
  • Google Voice Assistant works in a similar fashion but isn’t as tightly integrated with the rest of the software and hardware in your device.
  • Both Apple and Google integrate Maps with mobile devices, vehicles, watches, and smart speakers.
  • Apple Maps doesn’t hold onto your data!  Apple goes out of their way to protect your privacy. According to Apple, “When you use Apple Maps, your route from A to B is scrambled into sections on Apple servers because nobody else should know your entire route.“

 

If you want a navigation experience that’s seamless, one where your Apple Maps app is natively integrated with all of our products? Then it may be the best fit.

Google Maps is the best mapping tool on the market, providing you with detailed data and giving you access to a wide variety of information.

It’s a smart idea to add your health care business to both Google and Apple Maps. 

Siri with Apple Maps

 

Using Apple’s voice assistant, Siri, you can perform several types of searches starting off with the activation keyword “Hey Siri.”

For Instance, 

  • Hey Siri, take me home.
  • Hey Siri, where is the nearest Pizza shop?
  • Hey Siri, where is the nearest (local business)?
  • Hey Siri, what’s the traffic like in Philadelphia?
  • Hey Siri, what time is the Phillies game tonight?
  • Hey Siri, show me Independence Hall in Philadelphia?

 

Siri is remarkably intuitive, handling searches with several variables.

 

Apple Maps and CarPlay

 

With CarPlay, iPhone users can now start their car with a simple touch of the screen. And even better than that, you’ll never have to look down at your phone again – just take advantage of Siri’s voice control!

It’s all hands-free of course. 

CarPlay with Siri voice control gives you the hands-free experience and navigation of Apple Maps without ever taking your eyes off the road. You can use both car controls as well or report issues using Apple Maps.

Who uses Apple Maps?

 

If you’re an Apple user then your maps are on apple’s map service. It was the default mapping app for all of their devices until Google Maps replaced it in 2012.

Here’s why Apple Maps is important.

Apple says 1.65 billion Apple devices are in active use overall and 900 million to 1 billion+ users in 2019 with a total of 4.66 billion internet users worldwide as of 2021

Here’s why this matters.

Apple Maps is more popular than Google Map on iPhones and Apple devices, as evidenced by its 3x greater usage.

There’s more.

DuckDuckGo uses Apple Maps to display maps and navigation data in their search results. 

Although DuckDuckGo doesn’t collect user information, it’s difficult to pinpoint an exact number of users. 

However, earlier this year they hit an important milestone: 100 million searches per day! 

This may not seem like much but it’s significant because Duck Duck Go’s new users come from Google and Bing. It’s indirect competition!

This should be a real reason to consider getting your health care business on Apple Maps!

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How does Apple Maps handle ratings and reviews?

 

Initially, Apple Maps relied on third-party providers like TripAdvisor and Yelp.

Apple has decided to start rating health care businesses in their Maps app. For now, these ratings are being provided by third-party sources but it is only a matter of time before Apple decides to offer them themselves.

 

Apple’s rating system for products, services and businesses went live in 2019 with the MacOS 14 beta 6 update. This thumbs up/down ratings system allows users to rate their favourite things – it is a work in progress!

 

Apple’s new rating system will allow users to leave reviews about local, regional and national businesses.

The company has not shared the specific timeframe for adding content to their ratings and reviews yet. They have, however, mentioned that they hope “to add more services and features in future.”

Here’s how to get your health care business listed in Apple Maps

 

You can add your Apple Maps listing via Apple Maps Connect. A free Apple ID is required. Here’s how you do it.

 

  1. Head over to mapsconnect.apple.com
  2. Sign in with your Apple ID (you’ll need to create an account if you don’t have one)
  3. Search for your health care business using the search fields above. If you don’t see your health care business, you can also add it
  4. Once you’ve found your health care business, you’ll be prompted to verify your account
  5. Once verified, you’ll be able to edit the content on your page

 

You can add the following information to your Apple Maps listing:

 

  • Business Name and Phone Number
  • Clinic Address
  • Hours of Operation 
  • Place Status (Open / Closed)
  • Links to your apps, website, Yelp, Facebook, Twitter Profiles
  • Apple Pay Accepted (or Not)
  • Categories

 

Apple makes this a simple and straightforward process. Just follow the prompts, provide the necessary info, and your health care business should be ready to go!

 

The future for Apple Maps

 

Apple Maps is an essential part of the Apple product ecosystem, and it’s a service that offers marketers something different than Google does. Where other platforms want to lure in advertisers with slick marketing campaigns or free services like Waze, Apple prefers focusing on developing groundbreaking new products instead. As their line-up matures, they have moved into creating subscription plans for many features within its map app – such as traffic updates and satellite images.

Apple seems to be taking on Yelp and TripAdvisor with its own ratings service. The features of the reviews will most likely look very different from what we’ve been accustomed to in order for Apple to make a name for itself as an innovator.

This means the time to prepare is now.

Apple Maps should be a priority for your health care business

 

One of the biggest mistakes health care businesses make is putting all their eggs in one basket. Not only does this risk your health care business, but it can also be an inconvenience for patients who want to leave a review with another site and need you to sign up first before they do so. 

 

This means that while Google receives the lion’s share of reviews, enough negative or mediocre ones could cost them potential new patients down the line if patients associate these past stories as current occurrences instead of just bad luck or timing-related incidents.

In order to put a new spin on your marketing strategy, take the time for review management. If you notice iOS users in analytics surveys and follow-ups, make sure that Apple Maps is part of your plan moving forward. Particularly because Apple makes it super easy!

So… if you are a private practice healthcare business owner and you are looking to grow and scale your practice or generate more new patients for the practice – we are here for you!  Drop a comment below if you have questions or if you’d like to set up a call with us go here: https://chat.practiceinsidersedge.com/PIE-Triage-Call


6 Local Lead Generation Tips For Your Healthcare Business


For healthcare business owners, lead generation (attracting new prospective patients) can be the difference between success and failure. You need repeat patients to stay afloat but you also have to look for new leads online if you want your practice to scale.

In the age of technology, it seems that everyone has a computer in their pocket. 97% of people learn about local health care companies through the internet so if you’re not online to meet your patients’ needs and wants, they’ll go elsewhere for what they need!

Local lead generation strategies provide a way for you to capture prospective patients from these searchers. It doesn’t require much cash up-front to generate leads and local patients who want your services. 

This is the most efficient strategy if you have small resources and can’t afford expensive advertising, but still need more people walking in through the door!

If your audience is localized in a small area, and competition can be high. But you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on ads or marketing strategies when there are other ways for your practice to get the attention it needs without spending more than what’s already allocated.

 

Here’s are 6 Lead Generation Tips for Local Healthcare Businesses:

 

  1. Build an Email List Through Localized Lead Magnets

Lead magnets are a creative way to get contact information of prospective leads. But since you’re a local healthcare business, there’s no point in sharing a generic lead magnet that will attract people across the globe. 

Instead, create one specific for your target audience and localized so it only attracts patients who live around this area!

 

  1. Use Targeted Social Media Ads

Ads are an excellent way to get your practice in front of the right people. These targeted search results will allow you to reach potential patients no matter where they go online, making sure that more eyes on what you have to offer and improving revenue as a result!

If you find Google ads expensive, start with a small budget, and gradually increase it once you understand what works and what doesn’t for your practice. 

Facebook ads are the next best local lead generation platform for small businesses with its 2.5 billion users and unmatchable targeting capabilities. 

When you run a Facebook leads ad, it shows in the newsfeed with a form for adding contact info right there in the newsfeed. This convenience gets you 20% more leads compared to Facebook ads leading to landing pages. 

 

  1. Create a Blog (and post to it)

A blog is a great way to communicate with your patients about your products, services, vision, and the commitment to serve. It allows you to attract your patients and involve them with your brand continuously. 

Your blog provides a way for your company to connect with patients in an honest and meaningful fashion. Blog on subjects that will interest your audience, while highlighting the benefits of working with you.

Blogs also allow you to target relevant keywords and help your website appear in the search engines for more related keywords and it improves the overall visibility of your business. 

Using your geographical location in blog titles and URLs also will be beneficial for your health care business as it contributes to improving local SEO (search engine optimization).  You can check out our blog here: https://practiceinsidersedge.com/blog/ 

 

  1. Build Localized Landing Pages

When you direct your leads to a landing page, it becomes the determining factor for effective conversion. When patients are looking for products or services in a specific location, they are much more likely to engage with a localized promotion than one that is not targeted at their needs and wants.

Localized landing pages also improve your local search rankings when someone searches with location modifiers such as “physical therapist near me,” or “chiropractor in Hershey PA” etc.

You’ll see more conversions with local Google or geo-targeted ads when they lead to the closest branch, rather than a generic landing page.

 

  1. Optimize Local Listings

With more than 96% of Americans owning a smartphone, you need to make sure your business is listed on local directory sites. 

You can expect competitors in the area to be doing this too so if they’re not already prepared for that competition then it’s time they start!

Mobile technology has taken over America and with mobile usage steadily increasing people are using their smartphones as an everyday tool.

In fact, 93% of adults use their phone daily or almost every day according to Pew Research Center data from 2016-2017. 

Because nearly everyone owns a smartphone these days, health care businesses should take advantage by listing themselves on at least one major online directory site like Google My Business (formerly known as Google Places).

Top local listings are:

  • Yahoo Local
  • Yelp
  • Bing Local
  • TripAdvisor
  • Foursquare
  • Angie’s List 
  • YP
  • Better Business Bureau
  • GlassDoor
  • Biz Journals
  • CitySearch
  • Manta
  • White-pages and more!

Optimizing your Google My Business page not only improves your visibility but also gives your SEO a boost. It ensures that your practice shows up when someone looks up the internet for related products and practices.

 

  1. Keep in touch with your leads!

This should go without mentioning, but after acquisition, one might agree the next step is to keep in touch with your leads!

It’s not enough to generate a lead by asking for their email address. Keep in touch with your leads and remember that they may be busy, distracted or forgetful when it comes to following up on your lead magnet! 

Sending them an automated follow-up sequence will help you build rapport and show that you care about what matters most – keeping these prospects engaged until they are ready to purchase from your practice!

Similarly, if you get some leads during an offline event, make sure to follow them up through email or a phone call to encourage them to take action or move one step down the sales funnel. 

Following up on cold leads is another excellent way to keep your cold leads in the loop. Create an automated email series to pull them back into the sales funnel. 

 

These 6 Local Lead Generation Tips for Small Healthcare Businesses are just a few proven methods!

If you need more lead generation for your business, try these tips!

By the way, if you don’t have time to implement these ideas into your marketing and need assistance with the technical aspects, we would be delighted to help!


7 Content Marketing Tactics Every Practitioner Should Steal


Ad campaigns are still effective, but the truth is they’re not as effective as content marketing. Bill Gates proclaimed “Content is king” back in 1996 and his words have proven to be remarkably prescient. Web users expect top-notch content from the companies they follow.

Easier said than done, right? Well… maybe. There are lots of great tactics you can use to create the kind of content that your followers want. If you handle it properly, the content you post on your website and social media can turn casual visitors into leads and leads into patients.

Here are 7 content marketing tactics that you should steal.

#1: Content Diversification

What kind of content are you creating? If you’re only creating blog posts or Instagram stories, then you may be missing out on marketing opportunities by not diversifying your content.

The bottom line is that there are three types of content: written, audio, and video. Using all three will help you reach the widest possible audience.

A good example is Daniel Moyer Photography in Philadelphia. In addition to a compelling website with tons of photographs of happy couples, Daniel also posts videos on Facebook, has a blog on his website, and co-hosts a wedding planning podcast called Put a Ring on It.

#2: Specialized Topics

Blogging is a marketing basic for many practitioners. However, if you’re posting only broad topic content that’s available elsewhere, you might be losing visitors who are in search of something unique and compelling.

Keep in mind that a highly specialized topic may be more universal than you think. Likewise, a focused post can help bring people to your website who are in search of a solution for a problem they’re experiencing.

SimpleCoat is a company that makes a cleaning and sealing product that can be used on stone countertops, stainless steel, and more. Their recent blog topics include a post about the difference between permeability and porosity in stone countertops and one about how to remove rust stains from stainless steel appliances. By going beyond the obvious uses of their product or generalized cleaning advice, they’ve made it easy for the people who might need their product to find their website.

#3: Authorship 

Writing books can help you to build authority. Some practitioners write short books and guides that they use as lead magnets. Others sell their books on their websites or list them on Amazon. Either way, a well-written book can help you connect with a new audience or deepen your connection with your existing patients.

Neil Patel is a marketing guru who has built multiple successful websites including NeilPatel.com and CrazyEgg.com. He’s also the author of several marketing books that have helped to establish him as someone whose marketing advice can be trusted.

Keep in mind that the book you write does not need to be long, nor do you need to write it yourself. You have the option of hiring a freelancer if writing isn’t your strong suit.

#4: Podcasting 

You may have noticed that podcasting is everywhere. As of October 2020, there are over 1.5 million active podcasts and more than 34 million episodes. It seems like everybody is doing it – so why aren’t you?

You don’t need to be a famous practitioner with millions of followers to have a successful podcast.

Addition Financial is a Florida-based credit union. Their financial podcast, Making It Count, is entering its second season. They cover a wide range of financial topics from college tuition to retirement planning.

The benefit of having a podcast is that listening to people talk feels more personal than reading what they have to say. People can listen to podcasts while they drive or work out and they provide an opportunity to go in-depth about topics that matter to your audience.

#5: Humanizing Your Content

The days of impersonal content are gone. The rise of social media has allowed patients to have direct content with the brands they follow. Every practitioner should be getting on board with content humanization.

A big company that has done a superb job of personalizing content is Dove Beauty. While content humanization can mean introducing people to your employees, Dove has taken it in a different direction by putting its customers front and center.

By asking followers for their stories and turning them into compelling content, they’ve made their brand highly memorable and relatable. Whether you decide to emulate them or try something different, personalizing your brand can help you connect with your patients.

#6: Voice Optimization 

Voice optimization is one area where a lot of practitioners are falling behind. Despite the fact that half of all searches are now voice searches, only a few practitioners are fully on board with the idea of embracing voice technology.

Let’s look at a big company for an example of what’s possible with voice search. Nestle has partnered with Amazon to create a tool that allows users to ask Alexa for recipes using Nestle products. Alexa will then walk users through the recipe step by step by linking to Nestle’s website.

#7: Storytelling 

People love stories. Storytelling is one of the best ways to connect people to your service, helping them to understand it on an emotional level.

The great thing about stories is that they lend themselves to any format. You can write a story, of course, but you can also tell a story in pictures. Footwear brand Minnetonka has dedicated an entire page on its website to their customers’ photographs. Each picture tells a story.

User-generated content can be a great way to make your social media followers feel important and included. While big brands such as Dove do it all the time, you don’t need to have millions of followers to make this strategy work for you.

You can use the 7 content marketing tactics here to take your marketing to the next level. It’s not enough to create content. You need compelling content that serves a purpose and drive engagement with your followers if you want your practice to thrive.

 

So… if you are a private practice healthcare business owner and you are looking to grow and scale your practice or generate more new patients for the practice – we are here for you!  Drop a comment below if you have questions or if you’d like to set up a call with us go here: https://bit.ly/PIE-FB-Triage-Call