Why is online reputation management so important? To start, 84% of patients research doctors when choosing their new healthcare provider.
Did that number open up your eyes to the importance of your online reputation?
Do you know what your online reputation is?
We’ve talked countless times about the digital age and how more and more patients are going online for answers, reviews, and advice long before they ever step foot in any clinic. So if you’ve put your online reputation and a strategy on the back burner, it may be time to start paying more attention.
What Exactly Is an Online Reputation?
It’s how patients perceive you online. And depending on what you’re putting out on the Internet, it could seriously help or hinder your practice.
We’re not telling you this to scare you, but we do hope you’ll put some thought into your practice’s online rep. In this post we’ll discuss the things that can determine your reputation, as well as ways to manage it.
Patients are going to have access to everything you put online — your videos, articles, even comments and replies to comments on your public pages. Knowing this, we hope you’ll be mindful of what you’re putting out there.
Ways You Can Manage Your Online Reputation
Not sure where to start?
Google yourself and your practice. What comes up? What are your initial thoughts and reactions? This will give you some insight into what patients are seeing and thinking.
Monitor Reviews
If you have pages on Yelp, Google, or even Facebook, you should regularly check the comments and reviews and reply to all of them — even the negative.
This will show patients that you are paying attention to them, and you’ll be able to gauge what concerns they may have, what they like, and what they’re seeking.
Ask for Feedback
Not getting many comments or reviews online?
While you don’t have to go viral with everything, getting interactions on your posts or regular patient feedback will boost your online presence and make you more visible. Ask your patients if they’d be willing to leave a review after visits.
Provide an Outlet
If you don’t have any pages set up where patients can leave feedback, make that a priority. Not only will this help your SEO score, but it will show patients that you care about what they have to say.
Relevant Content
Give your patients and potential patients relevant resources. This will drive traffic and establish credibility in your field. These are great reasons to put some elbow grease into your blog, vlog, or social media content.
Use Positive Feedback
Apart from using your feedback to strengthen your practice, you can use positive feedback as testimonials on your site. Make sure you ask patients for permission before sharing anything with their name or location on it.
Do you know where your practice stands?
We hope these tips give you a better idea of how to approach your online reputation, as well as open your eyes to the importance of it.
If you’re looking for ways to reach potential patients through solid digital content, we can help! Schedule your practice review and let The Steeplechase Company get to work on a completely customized plan of action.