Once you follow your vision, create your business plan, implement your EHR, go through credentialing and contracting with payers, prepare your workflows, hire staff, and see your dream of independent NP practice ownership come to life – it is time to share these achievements with your community.
One of the most frequently asked questions we hear when talking with entrepreneurial NPs is “How do I start to market my practice?” But the first question to answer is: “Why should I market my nurse practitioner practice?”
Five Reasons Why You Should Market Your Nurse Practitioner Practice:
Marketing is seen as a discretionary expense, so when you are in a budget-conscious position, you may ask yourself if you truly need it. However, marketing is more than an expense, it is an investment in the future of your practice and is effective in nurturing your relationships with patients.
For patients who would benefit from your special talents, it helps to put yourself out there so they can find you. Leverage digital marketing to:
- Let your community know that you are available and ready to serve them with accessible, high-quality, equitable, and unique care.
- Share your unique care model with prospective patients so that they will be reassured that the services you provide are best suited for them.
- Celebrate your Nurse Practitioner-led Care Model and demonstrate your value to your community and to healthcare; today, tomorrow, and for the lifespan of your patient relationships.
- Engage your patients with the technology that enhances access to care, information, and resources.
- Engage potential referral sources and colleagues.
Promote Nurse Practitioner Practices by Highlighting What Sets You Apart
With the understanding of why you should market your practice, you can begin to identify the things that make you, your practice, and your model of care unique. The goal is to identify your unique value proposition (UVP).
UVP is a marketing term that refers to communicating to prospects what distinguishes your practice from other providers in your area. This is often what helps patients select the provider who is right for them.
Independent nurse practitioners can use proven marketing strategies to:
- Remind patients that nurses are the most trusted professionals.
- Establish an understanding of the healing model and how it differs from the medical model.
- Identify your unique value-add that addresses gaps in care in the system.
- Engage new patients with a new perspective on their expected experience.
- Expand understanding of full practice authority for nurse practitioners as well as your chosen scope of practice.
- Inspire your community to seek care through your model that is patient-centered, and wellness-focused.
Four Important Tools for Marketing your Nurse Practitioner Practice:
Digital marketing methods are abundant but can be a waste of money if not suited for your goals. To know which solutions are right for your practice, it helps to understand how each approach works. The core digital marketing channels are:
- It all starts with your website – one that is designed specifically for you and your practice as this is the foundation of a successful nurse practitioner marketing plan. The website is the key to your access to your patient population and connect with your community. Patients actively seeking care gather copious amounts of information, so your website gives them everything they need to make an informed choice.
Professional partners, like NP Advantage, will save you time and money, working with you to create your website voice, look, and messaging in such a way that it invites prospective patients into a relationship with you.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the trick of the trade that makes it more likely for your practice website to be found in Google search by patients who are actively looking into care options. You can have the most spectacular website, but without an SEO strategy, your website will not be effective in attracting enough visitors.
Our NP Advantage team will help optimize your website to maximize online presence in search results, thus bringing you top of mind before other providers in your area. This drives traffic to your website which is necessary to build awareness of your practice.
- Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising is another vehicle to help your nurse practitioner practice be found in Google search. Also referred to as paid search, it involves bidding for placement in search results as opposed to organic search (SEO) where you end up in search results naturally. Because paid search placements end up taking up more space in search results, PPC can be more effective in getting your practice noticed which is particularly helpful for brand new practices or those targeting a specific geographic location.
NP Advantage marketing services include managing PPC campaigns by experienced digital marketers. You should know that PPC can be very expensive and complex. Expertise is needed to calibrate PPC advertising so it won’t be wasteful.
- Online Reputation Management helps you to craft a positive first impression for your marketing success. Patients trust other patients above all else to steer the decision process for a new provider. Endorsement of your practice goes a long way.
You also want to claim your Google My Business (GMB) listing for localized search. GMB puts your nurse practitioner practice on the map as your profile appears with other local providers in search. This free profile is also where patients can leave many positive reviews to help boost your online visibility even more.
The NP Advantage specialists work alongside you and maintain your positive reputation through monitoring and responding to reviews and comments. They can also coach you on how to get more reviews.
- Social media is crucial for establishing and nurturing brands and healthcare is no exception. Patients will wonder why you are not on social media and also notice when accounts have low activity. Like online reviews, social media also captures positive patient sentiment that attests to the quality care you provide as your posts get positive reactions, cordial comments, and shares.
While you may have time to manage your social media now, you won’t for long as your practice grows and thrives. Social media management is easily forgotten as you get busy. NP Advantage can schedule posts and monitor activity on your Facebook account.
Nurture Your Growing Patient Base with Digital Marketing That Actually Works
Many Nurse Practitioner entrepreneurs have shared with us their stories of going down the marketing road on their own. They have been consistently disappointed with the results and have lost a lot of money and resources on marketing that simply was not effective.
In many circumstances they had good ideas without the creative and experienced professionals to help them bring their ideas to life, nor the strategic and proven methods for a successful outcome. Before you invest in your nurse practitioner marketing plan, consider partnering with professionals who can guide you through the creative process that best presents your unique brand and optimizes your return on investment.
Our NP Advantage nurse practitioner practice marketing professionals are ready to put their experience to work for your marketing success. You bring the vision, and they will build an online persona that tells your story in a way that resonates with the patients you desire to connect with the most. Together, you will create a foundation for sustainable engagement, broader awareness, and increased access so that you can care for your community in your new nurse practitioner practice.
