Borrow this medical practice marketing plan template

When it comes to healthcare marketing, it can feel like trying to do everything at once. Social media, local SEO, websites, blogging — where to start? If you have started digital marketing, upkeeping your marketing efforts and identifying strategies for growth can be just as elusive.

Yet, having a healthcare marketing plan has never been more important. According to Tebra’s 2023 Patient Perspectives Survey, 29% of patients have left a practice over the last 2 years. 

The good news is that there are many techniques you can use in your marketing strategy to retain and acquire new patients.

In this medical practice healthcare marketing plan template, we’ll cover everything you need to know to jumpstart your initiatives. This includes setting marketing goals, figuring out a budget, and potential strategies for both new and established practices. 

The ultimate medical practice marketing plan template

Whether you are a new, mid-sized, or established practice, this marketing plan has something for you.

The best way to use this template is to read through the following steps and jot down your ideas. You’ll likely be able to fit your marketing plan onto 2 or 3 sheets of paper!

In short, you’ll want to:

• Research your specialization
• Set your goals
• Define “success” with metrics
• Decide on a budget
• Select strategies
• Review your progress regularly 

Research your niche

Before you do anything, it helps to see what the competition and industry are doing as a whole. You’ll also want to find out what patients expect. 

Specifically, you’ll want to take note of what:

• Website standards looks like — how many pages do you need, what kind of information is required
• Social platforms your competition uses
• Kind of content they create, if any
• Content they don’t create

Set your goals

Like with any other endeavor, the first thing you’ll want to do after researching is establish a set of goals. Ideally, you’ll want no more than 1 or 2 goals for a specific time period, such as a month or quarter. You’ll also want to be realistic about what you can accomplish — going viral or getting on the first page of Google in 3 months isn’t impossible, but it is unlikely, especially for a new site.

Some common objectives are:

 

New practices:	Create a high-growth website based on industry best practices Start posting 2x a week on preferred social media channels Add one-blog post a week to the website Be a guest on a podcast
Established practices:	Revise older pages based on SEO keywords Revisit social media posting strategies — do you need to add a new network or change up your post types? Expand your services to include multiple keyword-rich pages Streamline patient intake and appointments by adding digital forms and self-service scheduling Create high-quality resources around your niche, such as an ebook or free PDF

Once you have your main goal(s), it’s time to break them down into smaller tasks. For example, if you need to create a website:

• Select a hosting provider
• Install a theme
• Create website pages for about, services, contact, and testimonials
• Use HIPAA-compliant scheduling integrations
• Install Google Analytics tracking to check your progress

Decide how to measure results

Next, you’ll want to assign clear measurements for each goal. For items like “build a website,” it can be as simple as ensuring you meet all the standards for your industry. But for items that revolve around improving SEO, figuring out if high-quality resources work or another ongoing effort, you’ll want specific metrics. 

Some common metrics to track are how:

• Much website traffic you get to gauge SEO traction
• Long people are staying on your website or a specific page
• Many people schedule an appointment
• Many people follow up from the website form?

You’ll also want to have a survey for current or new patients to complete that will give you more information about how they found your practice, what their experience was like, and their overall patient satisfaction score. 

Finalize a budget

Once you decide what you need to get done and how you’ll measure success, it’s time to decide on a budget. Before spending a cent, you should review the average service costs, including working with a marketing agency or freelancer. Having a set price in mind will make it easier to shift through the options — because there are many. 

So, what’s the golden number? A general rule of thumb is to set aside 5-10% of your revenue for marketing initiatives. Once you determine your quarterly or annual priorities, you can divvy up this amount per task. Keep in mind, if you are a new practice, you are likely to spend most of your marketing budget on creating off items, such as your website, branding, and custom photography. After these items are done, you can focus on expanding your spend to growth-based activities, like content marketing or ads.  

Potential marketing strategies 

Now that you have goals and a budget, where should you start? It largely depends on where you are in your career, but we’ve made a list of common and effective strategies for new and established practices alike.

New practices

New medical practices tend to have a shoestring marketing budget with a huge list of priorities. The key is to focus on a few core competencies and build your platform up over time. A firm foundation is key to success in the long term, so it’s okay to take time here. You may not see immediate results, but they will snowball over time. 

So, what strategies make sense? Here is a mega-list of marketing strategies broken up into bite-sized tasks. 

 

Build your website	Select a hosting provider Setup your website Design the website Take custom pictures of yourself and your practice Create core pages Install Google Analytics Use a secure, HIPAA-form Include an automated appointment scheduling calendar
Get started on social media	Choose which platforms to use Fill out your profile Make a list of post ideas Determine the frequency Create your posts Schedule them Track views and progress
Google My Business	Verify your Google Business Page Completely fill out the page profile Add pictures Link to your phone number and website
Content marketing	Start a blog or YouTube channel Determine blog or video post frequency — usually 1x a week for new practices, but scale up as needed. If you have only 1 patient or no patients, it can help to do more. Repost on social media with a link to your website
Paid marketing	Try Google or social media ads once you have established your content marketing and website presence Choose a budget and run ads automatically Check in once a month or once a quarter

 Established practices

 

Refine your website	Add new service or provider pages Perform an SEO audit and implement recommended fixes Add automated patient intake and appointment scheduling if not already included Update or add custom images and videos
Do more on social media	Post more often Consider collaborating with others on social media Boost engagement Try running ads for specific resources
Google My Business	Update your Google Profile Curate and respond to reviews
Ramp up content marketing	Refresh older blog posts with new, updated content Repurpose blogs into social posts or videos Focus on patients Q&As  Increase post frequency
Paid marketing	Try Google or social media ads with ebooks or downloadable PDFs Choose a budget and run ads automatically Check in once a month or once a quarter

3 more tips for medical practice marketing success

In addition to this medical practice marketing template, you’ll want to look at a few other items for long-term success:

1. Patient satisfaction: Happy patients generate referrals. Making it easier for patients to book appointments, review results, upload their documentation, and pay the bill can all contribute to patient satisfaction.
2. Brand awareness: Your brand is what patients will recognize you by. In the beginning, it may be difficult to spend money on creating a cohesive brand image. But, in the long term, this can be a useful investment. Spending time reflecting on how you want to present yourself and your practice can make the entire marketing process more efficient — and ensure you are reaching the right people.
3. Leverage technology: Back-office technology, whether for marketing, billing, or administration, can reduce your workload. Take advantage of these solutions so you don’t have to shoulder everything yourself. And when you do hire an employee, freelancer, or agency for your marketing or billing, it’ll be easier for them to work effectively, too. 

Overall, it’s important to remember that you’re playing the long game. Marketing can take time to make a difference, but if built correctly, it can sustain your career and serve your patients. 

What patients want

Part of a successful marketing plan is figuring out what patients expect and want from their healthcare professional. Then you can integrate these expectations into your website and social media messaging. 

So, where can you tap into these insights? You could look through practice reviews from the competitors and see what’s lacking. It’s also possible to make a list of potential improvements from current patients. Or you can review Tebra’s 2023 Patient Perspective report for more in-depth data.