The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Your Podiatry Practice

News outlets have been reporting an increase in the number of foot-related injuries since the pandemic struck. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Sims shares

“I’ve seen a lot more people overextend themselves with an activity that they were not trained to do. I’ve seen many more stress fractures and a lot more just overall joint irritation, tendon irritation… That’s what COVID-19 has brought about: people who usually are not active and they have more time on their hands, and they’re trying to be healthier.”

Apart from strenuous workouts, injuries also happen in the most mundane situations. John Keeling, an orthopedic surgeon in Chevy Chase, Md, shares of his patients

“They’re going around with either stocking or bare feet, and in haste to get to the next meeting, they bump into the furniture.”

However, when these things happen, if the pain is manageable, most people just ignore it and wait for the swelling to subside. Many doctors would agree that this behavior can cause more damage than good, so there is the constant battle to inform people of the importance of seeing a podiatrist.

To help disseminate this important information (and promote your podiatry practice) you should develop a podiatry marketing strategy.

In this article, we’ll share with you some of the best ways to market your practice and spread the word about foot health.

Podiatry Marketing Guide

Content Marketing: Share Some Foot Facts

With people stuck on their screens, consuming content almost 24/7, now is the perfect time to capture the attention of potential patients with eye-catching content about foot health that’s not just entertaining but informative, as well. It’s a great opportunity to speak to those who are not aware of podiatrists or who are neglecting their check-ups, and seeing this content might remind them of the importance of foot health.

Word Of Mouth is Powerful

People are now more discerning than ever with the people they spend time with, especially since the pandemic has limited personal interactions. As a medical practitioner, try to build a rapport with your patients. When it comes naturally to you, you’ll forget it’s a marketing strategy; you’ll simply be connecting while still building patient loyalty.

Nurture your patient relationships because, when the time comes, those patients will be the ones recommending you to their friends and family, acting as an ambassador for your practice and helping you grow your patient base.

Optimize Your Podiatry Website

Almost everything is a Google search away. According to Pi Datametrics, Google search volumes from January to April 2020 increased across nearly all categories compared to the same period in 2019. So now is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of this ever-increasing online activity. You never know how much you are missing whenever your website does not appear in local search results.

Start by reviewing the content on your website and updating all the information as necessary. Next, find time to consult with friends and patients to get their honest feedback on your web design. You can use it to improve your user interface. Then employ the services of a web marketing expert to apply Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies and help your site show up higher in local search results.

Online Consultations

Woman In A Video Call With A Covid-19 Patient

How many podiatrists do you know to offer online consultations? Probably not many. Adding this in-demand service is your chance not just to increase your online presence and build your reputation, but also to provide something that your competitors are not.

You can conduct online consultations for minor cases like ankle and heel pain and other issues that can be assessed via video. Anyone with a fast internet connection can have free access to video platforms like Google Meet and Zoom, making it an excellent way to grow your practice and gain new patients.

Value-Adding Engagements

People cooped up at home are longing to try out new things. You can use this to your advantage by engaging your current clients and potential patients in enriching activities like an online foot exercise class. You can also hold a short seminar on care tips that they can do at home in the case of a minor injury.

Promoting on Social Media

As you’ve seen in the first half of the guide, podiatry marketing isn’t all about traditional forms. The digital space lets you be more creative as you practice marketing.

You may roll your eyes and think that everyone is doing it. But the real question is, “Are they doing it right?” If you scour through Facebook, you will find a lot of neglected medical pages. They usually start with potential, releasing regular content, until they just stop updating the page and leave it for weeks or months.

If you include social media as part of your marketing strategy, you need to be committed to it for it to succeed.

Create your page and include the necessary information about your business: contact information, bio, locations, etc. Write your business profile, and if you are up for it, make it sound engaging, witty even. 

Once you’ve set up the basics, you can get started with creating content. If you cannot create the graphics and visuals yourself, then we suggest that you hire a community manager who can develop content for you and manage your posts. If you genuinely want to be involved, you can leave the photos and videos to your community manager and just focus on the occasional check-in post or even private message inquiries.

Here are some content suggestions you can put up as you grow your social media page:

  • Photo of your clinic
  • A list of your services
  • A promo
  • Patient reviews

It’s good to plan your content ahead of time and post on a regular schedule. This will help you stay top-of-mind for patients and potential patients, even when your clinic is closed.

Apart from engagement, an active social media account helps build your online reputation. The content you put out—the online reviews, the customer service—can all positively contribute to your image.

The investment in your community manager can provide exponential returns in the form of a consistent trickle of new patients seeking an appointment.

Make sure to activate that “connect with us” button, or have your phone number visible on the page and encourage your audience to interact with you directly.

Other Ways to Maximize Digital Marketing for Podiatry Practices

Isolated, Doctor, Dentist, Dental Care

By now, you should have a good idea of the structure of your podiatry marketing plan. We just covered the tip of the iceberg with social media, and there are still many more ways to go about digital marketing.

For example, search engine optimization SEO can be maximized further by connecting your website to a blog. This way, you can diversify the number of topics associated with your practice and even further improve your chances of showing up in search results.

A bit old school but still effective, you may also try implementing email marketing for past patients with an email database.

Grow Your Podiatry Practice Now

Free stock photo of accidents, ache, afro american

Now that we have shared some of the most cost-effective ways to utilize social media platforms for your podiatry marketing strategies, you see how valuable an online presence can be and the opportunity it presents your practice during this difficult time. While the current pandemic is nothing to be thankful for, you, as a podiatrist, can make use of the most accessible marketing efforts online to educate people on proper foot care and, in the process, grow your practice.