Does your medical practice have a brand?
Branding is incredibly important to all businesses, medical practices included, because it tells prospective patients what they can expect from your practice.
Growing your medical practice means gaining more patients. The purpose of getting to know your patients is to target your efforts towards them. It sounds self-explanatory, but the shift to patient-centered care is relatively recent.
Before, the focus was on treating the condition, without taking a person’s contextual situation and individuality into consideration. Now, by implementing patient-centered care, you engage your patients, get to know them, and work with them.
This, of course, starts before any patient even walks through your door. To increase your patients, you must focus on who is most likely to match up with your practice. Knowing who your patients help you tailor your message to them. You know how to reach your specific audience.
When you think of branding, do you think only of a business logo, flyers, brochures and a mission statement? Yes, these items should be a part of your branding strategy, but they are not the only things that make up a brand. When you are creating your brand, you must ask yourself, “What makes me stand out from other doctors? Do I have special equipment or have a special technique?” These are things that will set you apart. You must use your uniqueness to create your branding position.
Other things you should include while building your brand:
What feeling do you want to convey to patients? Is your practice:
First pinning down the feeling or vibe you want to convey is important, as this will guide the rest of your branding exercise. One way to determine this feeling for your practice is to define your unique value proposition: What makes you different from other, similar practitioners? What compliments do you consistently receive from current or former patients? What is the common, positive thread between this feedback?
All aspects of your brand should be used throughout your practice, including your:
You won’t realize any of these benefits, however, if you don’t deliver on the brand promise you instill in your practice. Branding and consistency only go so far–you have to ensure you and your team members are committed to providing patients with the experience you market to them in order to have a truly high impact brand.