Surviving in the increasingly competitive market of healthcare practices means standing out from the crowd. In order to appeal to current and future patients, you need to embrace marketing. Marketing allows you to increase your practice and connect better with clients.

It can be hard to figure out how to start with marketing. Three important steps in developing a successful market plan for your independent practice are to research the market, examine your competition and develop a specific action plan. 
 

Who is Your Market?

In order to delineate your practice from others, you have to understand your market. This may seem hard, but there are some simple ways to start. Researching the demographics of your intended patients is one step in identifying who you are trying to reach. Who your patients are can determine what sort of marketing strategies you use. In what ways do your patients communicate and access information? Knowing who your audience is and how to effectively reach them is essential for successful marketing. When you know your clients, you can tailor your communication better.

Who is Your Competition?

Examining your competition is another important step. Look at who you are compared to by potential clients. What makes their efforts successful and where are their weaknesses? There may be gaps in their services or ways you excel that your competition does not. Emphasizing what makes your practice unique is a great way to market your practice. What do you offer that no one else does? Positioning yourself as a leader in your field is important in successful marketing.

What is Your Action Plan?

Developing a marketing plan means determining what your goals are. Do you want to introduce your practice or highlight improvements? Are you trying to market the quality of your practice, new staff hires, or the addition of innovative services? Once you decide what you are trying to accomplish, you can identify specific marketing strategies