How’s your Urgent Care Marketing doing? More practices seem to spring up across New York every day. In a small New York town I know there are 2 Urgent Cares, and a CVS that provides more and more “medical” treatments. Regular medical checkups are the best way to stay healthy. But what’s your plan to help your Urgent Care survive?
Urgent Care Marketing Steps to take in New York
Helping your Urgent Care Center thrive, and continue to help more patients is a challenge, but even a simple marketing plan can help succeed. The best way to market your practice is step by step. Here are 8 “guerrilla marketing” steps that you can take that are neither expensive nor difficult to complete. They’ll help you introduce yourself to your local customers and then help them in more ways, like
- Signage
- Direct Mail: it’s been around a long time, but still works
- Social Media
- Email Marketing
- Referral Campaigns
- Networking
- Events
- Messages on hold
Here are more details on these ideas:
- How’s your signage? A good sign can be expensive but it will also work for you 24/7. If you’ve chosen a busy location with lots of car traffic, you can gain exposure to thousands of potential patients every day. But don’t settle for just displaying your name: add changing signs that talk about your services: potential patients will notice the change and take a look, giving you even more exposure.
- All that ‘junk mail’ that comes to your mailbox keeps coming for one reason: it still works. Now the post office has marketing options that include dropping the same post card at every door in your area, and you can pick and choose the exact streets to deliver to. Ask about EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail). Your neighbors are your “market” so keep reminding them how you can help.
- Social Media: make friends and you attract more friends. Give lots of helpful wellness tips on your Facebook or Twitter pages. You’ll gain followers who remember your name. Join local “Mom’s” Groups: they’re highly effective platforms for getting known.
- Email marketing to local groups is very effective. It’s usually inexpensive to advertise in the local school’s email blasts, or purchase email addresses from groups like the Chamber of Commerce.
- Referral Campaigns: team up with local businesses to “cross refer” to each other: think about other medical professionals (dentists, chiropractors), local wellness businesses (health foods, athletic trainers, sports clubs)
- Networking is a great way to meet local residents, and the people who know them. Think about civic groups, community groups, etc.
- Events: participate in the NY Community: display at local fairs and events, and hold fun events at your office to introduce people to your staff. The local Chamber is good for this.
- Messages on hold: never lose the opportunity to tell patients about more of the ways you can help them. Your office is busy, so calls will be asked to “please hold.” When you do let them hear messages on hold that inform and educate your callers about your practice.
Don’t assume patients will come
There was a movie that said “If you build it they will come.” That doesn’t work in New York. There’s too much competition. Just opening your doors doesn’t mean that you’ll have plenty of patients. You’ll have to take steps to build your list of patients.
What’s the next step for your Urgent Care Marketing?
If you’d like to know more about any of these, call us. We’re natural “Guerilla Marketers” and love talking about these ideas. There’s no catch!
Call us
For a free 15-minute Discovery Session today! In New York call 212-355-6980 Nationwide Call (800) 862-8896.
