How to focus marketing for doctors on building trust

Marketing for doctors is a bit different from traditional healthcare marketing. The marketing of your medical practice will focus on the accomplishments, qualifications, and expertise of the physicians at your practice. The goal? To strengthen awareness and trust between the physician and current and prospective patients. It should create long-lasting relationships and promote value-based care that strengthens the patient experience.

Although marketing can be expensive, there are ways to keep costs down. To do this, leverage online advertising, email marketing, and other digital strategies.

A strategic digital marketing strategy will increase the visibility of your physicians and improve brand recognition for your practice. It will position your providers and your practice as leaders in your local medical community.

These are only a handful of the ways in which strong marketing can aid your medical practice. You want to be top-of-mind when potential patients are making medical decisions. Strengthening your brand and keeping people interested should be your top priority. Read on to learn more.

Here are 6 effective marketing strategies that each offer a unique way to connect and build trust with your current and potential patients.

Post several times per week on the platforms your patients already use to stay visible and build trust. Prioritize practical tips, local health alerts, team spotlights, and service updates. Consistency matters more than production value.

Social media is an opportunity to engage patients and extend your practice’s reach. Yet many practices miss the opportunity. Tebra's 6th annual Patient Perspectives survey found that only 13% of patients consider social media to contribute to their decision when choosing a doctor. Yet internet users currently spend an average of 141 minutes per day on social media, according to Statista. The gap points to an opportunity.

While paid social media advertising can boost visibility, a steady posting schedule helps your practice stand out. Share relevant health news, seasonal wellness tips, insights on new medical technologies, and behind-the-scenes spotlights that humanize your team. Or highlight your community involvement.

These tactics showcase both physician and patient engagement, and can help build familiarity and trust over time.

Consistently publish content that educates patients and highlights your expertise. Blogs, videos, and thought leadership pieces boost credibility, improve search visibility, and position your practice as the go-to resource in your specialty.

High-quality, specialty-specific content can showcase your professional expertise. A blog or resource hub on your practice website allows you to share practical health advice, explain new treatments, and answer common patient questions. This type of content not only educates your audience but also increases engagement and trust in your practice.

Original insights — whether patient education materials, case studies, or research findings — help establish your physicians as thought leaders. This reputation can lead to speaking engagements, media interviews, and collaborations with other organizations, which can attract new patients.

When creating content, think like a marketer: who are your patients and what do they need most right now? Look at your appointment data, community health trends, or even frequently asked questions in your office to guide what you publish. Conversations on social platforms can guide you as well.

By tailoring content to your patients’ real concerns and preferred platforms, you make your practice easier to find online and more relevant in their daily lives.

Publishing guest articles on reputable healthcare sites expands your reach, builds authority, and improves search rankings. It positions your providers as trusted experts while driving new patients to your practice.

When your doctors and providers are recognized as experts in their specialty, guest posting can be a natural extension of your marketing strategy. By contributing articles and subject matter expert reviews to respected healthcare sites or industry blogs, you introduce your practice to wider audiences who might be seeking care.

Guest posting also strengthens your website's domain authority by earning backlinks from trusted sources. This boosts your chances of appearing higher in search results, which is a critical factor as patients often start to search for a provider online. More visibility means more traffic and ultimately more opportunities to connect with new patients.

Email is one of the most cost-effective ways to engage patients, nurture relationships, and encourage repeat visits. With the right strategy, it can educate, remind, and build loyalty — and it's also simple to automate.

Unlike phone calls or texts, email allows for longer, personalized communication that patients can read on their own time. It's also growing: in 2025, email open rates grew for the fourth year in a row to reach 26.5%, according to Omnisend. This makes them a powerful tool for practices.

Effective email marketing campaigns go beyond promotions. Use them to welcome new patients, share health tips in newsletters, remind patients about annual checkups, or follow up after visits. Emails can also support surveys, referral programs, and patient education, helping you stay connected between appointments.

Automation makes this approach scalable. By setting up automated appointment reminders, seasonal health alerts, or milestone recognition like birthdays, your practice can deliver timely, relevant messages without administrative burden.

Healthcare providers must also follow HIPAA and any state-specific regulations around patient information in marketing. Understanding these requirements upfront ensures your email campaigns remain compliant while still building patient trust.

An optimized website helps patients find you online. Strong SEO, mobile-friendly design, and fast load times improve search rankings while making your site easier and more pleasant for patients to use.

High-quality content only goes so far if patients can't find it. Search engine optimization (SEO) ensures your site appears when people look for providers or health information in your specialty. Follow current SEO best practices from trusted sources like Moz, SEMRush, and Search Engine Journal to help you structure content and metadata so search engines understand and prioritize your site. 

Once they arrive, the experience is equally important. A slow or outdated site, or one that doesn't load on mobile, can drive visitors away. Google recommends that the main content on a page load within 2.5 seconds. Optimizing for speed, making sure your site is mobile-friendly, and maintaining clear navigation all contribute to higher engagement and better search performance.

Patient reviews shape how people choose a doctor. A steady stream of authentic feedback improves your local search results and reassures prospective patients that they’re in good hands.

Reviews are digital word of mouth. When patients share their experiences on platforms like Google, Yelp, or Healthgrades, their stories carry weight with people who are deciding on a provider. According to Tebra's 6th annual Patient Perspectives survey, 91% of patients consider positive online reviews to be extremely, very, or somewhat important.

The best way to get regular reviews is to ask for them. Staff can ask patients to leave a review at the end of a visit, or you can automate a post-appointment email or text request. Whichever you choose, make it easy for patients to respond.

Negative feedback will sometimes surface. When it does, make sure you respond: 78% of patients would return to a practice if it addressed their concerns after they left a negative online review, according to Tebra's survey. A tool like Tebra's AI Review Replies can help you draft HIPAA-compliant review responses. A prompt, thoughtful reply can show that you listen and are committed to patient satisfaction. Tebra's AI Review Insights can help give you actionable takeaways from feedback trends.

Savvy practices recognize the necessity for physicians to engage in marketing. But many lack the resources, either fiscal or physical, to create and implement effective marketing strategies. If that’s the case for your practice, outsource your marketing needs to expert consultants and medical writers. Consider a company that offers a tailored physician marketing strategy for providers.

EMRs reveal patient trends that guide personalized outreach and targeted campaigns. By analyzing visit history, demographics, and preferences, practices can segment communications, tailor health reminders, and improve retention.

Product, price, place, and promotion form the foundation of healthcare marketing strategy. In action, this means clarifying your services, setting accessible pricing, making care easy to reach, and communicating benefits effectively.

Partner with a specialized healthcare marketing agency for scalable, compliant support. This gives your small practice expert strategy, HIPAA-aware execution, and flexible services without the cost of a full in-house team.