How Do Dentists & Doctors Measure Marketing Success?

When running marketing campaigns, doctors and dentists want to see visible results to ensure the marketing campaigns are effective. Unfortunately, this is where many doctors will fail in their campaigns as assumptions are made. Successful campaigns which end due to a lack of understanding or marketing campaigns that continue without results is less ideal.

Measuring Marketing Success

Below are some tips that help doctors and dentists measure their marketing success.

1. Set & Understand Goals
   The first step in measuring the success of a marketing campaign is understanding how many patients a medical practice needs and/or how many new patients a healthcare practice needs each month. Setting and understanding realistic goals is essential. Taking time to research the demographics of the target area and benchmarks for your industry helps set practical goals. Once you know what to expect, set clear and realistic goals.
2. Set a Budget
   Setting a budget is easier than you might think after doing some legwork in the initial research. When you understand your goals and the benchmarks to get there, setting a realistic budget and adjusting goals to meet the budget will prove successful. 
3. Track New Patient Data
   Marketing success can only be seen with tracking. Medical and dental practices need to track all new patients and how they were referred. Every patient will be referred in some way by friends, internet searches, app searches, mailers, digital ads, other doctors, signage, etc. Tracking results and comparing new patients' data against marketing campaigns and goals will provide information for ongoing marketing success. 
4. Invest in Multiple Marketing Campaigns
   It takes an average of 5 to 7 points of advertising engagement for a new patient to convert. An individual may have seen a digital advertisement, been referred by another, and sought out the healthcare practice's reviews before making a decision to become a new patient. In our scenario, SEO, pay-per-click, online reviews, and internal referrals all aided in the conversion of a new patient - 4 marketing campaign tactics. Not only do multiple marketing campaigns assist in higher messaging opportunities, but they also build and strengthen each other's success.  
5. Longevity in Marketing is Key
   Marketing campaigns that run for 12 months are more successful than those that run for less time. Repetitive communication about your brand and services is the key to higher conversions. One reason for repetitive communication might be that only some new patients are ready to purchase services now when an ad or referral is introduced. However, when an individual is prepared later to make a purchasing decision, they will be more compelled to choose the healthcare practice at the forefront of ads, referrals, etc. Repetitive messaging is demonstrated in all facets of adverting and most prominently on TV. A single ad is seen repeatedly during the duration of a show - never for only one or two times. 
6. Measure Your Success
   Dentists and doctors can easily monitor marketing success by reviewing monthly data. When target goals are met at the set budgets, your review will help you make future decisions. 

Final Thoughts

These 5 easy steps allow dentists and doctors to measure their marketing success. Although our tips may help your healthcare practice, tracking and measuring success may be pretty overwhelming. Allow Medical Marketing Guru to help manage your marketing campaigns, track data, and help you review your marketing success.