To effectively attract new patients, hearing care professionals need to employ both old and new marketing practices.
By Amit Gosalia, AuD
In today’s dynamic hearing healthcare landscape, hearing care professionals (HCPs) face a multitude of challenges when it comes to marketing themselves and their services effectively. With technological advancements, changing consumer behaviors, third-party payers, and increasing competition, it’s imperative for audiologists and other HCPs to adopt innovative strategies to reach and engage their target audience.
Further reading: The Power of Storytelling in Marketing
Understanding Your Target Audience
Effective marketing begins with a deep understanding of your target audience. HCPs should conduct thorough demographic research to identify the needs, preferences, and objections of their potential patients. By segmenting their audience based on factors such as age, lifestyle, and hearing/balance concerns, HCPs can tailor their marketing messages and services to resonate with specific demographics effectively.
Embracing Digital Channels
In the digital age, having a strong online presence is essential for HCPs to connect with prospective patients. A comprehensive digital marketing strategy should encompass various channels. We’ll focus on the top five here.
1. Website Optimization
A well-designed and user-friendly website serves as the cornerstone of a successful digital marketing strategy for hearing care. It should provide valuable information about clinician credentials and services offered as well as testimonials and contact details. But you don’t have to do it on your own. You can hire companies that specialize in creating websites that convert prospects to appointments. Optimizing your website for search engines (SEO) ensures higher visibility in relevant search results.
2. Content Marketing
Creating high-quality, informative content can position audiologists and other HCPs as trusted authorities in hearing healthcare. Blog posts, vlogs/videos, articles, and infographics addressing common hearing issues, treatment options, and tips for maintaining auditory health can attract and engage potential patients. Using free tools such as Canva, you can create visually appealing and impactful content. Don’t be afraid to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help create content as well, but be careful that the images are accurate.
3. Social Media Engagement
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok offer valuable opportunities for audiologists to engage with their audience, share informative content, and showcase their expertise. Sharing content developed on social media can help promote brand awareness and/or entice with call-to-actions-like offers.
Creating video content can seem daunting. However, focusing on simplicity can help. The very first step is getting comfortable in front of a camera. Most, if not all, smartphones have cameras…use them!
Using a social media calendar can help keep you organized as well as help you decide what topics to share. Look at all the audiology-related dates (i.e. National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, formerly Better Hearing Month; Tinnitus Awareness Week, etc.) and plan content related to those events.
Also consider choosing topics that are related to your practice. Emily J. Taylor, AuD, (@Dr._earwax on TikTok) has created a huge following (1.3 million followers with millions of views on her videos) by sharing information about earwax removal and other audiology content. Building a strong social media presence fosters community engagement and facilitates word-of-mouth referrals.
4. Online Reviews and Reputation Management
Online reviews can significantly influence prospective patients’ decisions when they’re choosing an HCP. Encouraging patients to leave reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, Facebook, and Healthgrades can enhance credibility and attract new patients.
There are numerous ways to encourage patients to leave you a review. First, you can simply ask them verbally, although this is not the most effective way. Second, you can send each patient a link via text or email to review your practice. Third, you can have a near-field communication (NFC) card conveniently located where patients check out. They can just tap the NFC card with their phone, and it will navigate straight to the review website of your choice.
When working to build up the number of reviews for yourself or your practice, remember not to only ask satisfied patients to leave a review; ask everyone. Promptly addressing any negative feedback demonstrates responsiveness and commitment to patient satisfaction. When replying, be hyper-aware of the potential for sharing any protected health information (PHI) regarding that patient in your responses—you don’t want the HIPAA police coming after you!
5. Email Marketing
An easy and relatively low-cost (or free) option to market to your patient database is by sending them emails! Train your team to collect email addresses as part of their intake process and begin emailing them. Some simple ideas for content to send are clinic news stories including team member news, new products, new services, special offers, holiday targeting, etc.
One effective option is to create an e-newsletter that can be emailed quarterly. To create the newsletter you can hire a third-party design company, have a team member who is proficient in design make one, or just make one yourself. There are many sites such as Canva that offer free designs, and you can learn how to use them simply by watching some YouTube videos.
Utilizing Advanced Technology
Advancements in technology have revolutionized the field of audiology, offering innovative solutions for diagnosis, treatment, and communication. Hearing care professionals can leverage cutting-edge tools and techniques to differentiate their practice and deliver superior patient care. Technological innovations audiologists can incorporate into their marketing efforts include the following.
Teleaudiology
Teleaudiology allows audiologists to provide remote consultations, screenings, and follow-up appointments using video conferencing technology. This convenient and accessible approach expands your reach beyond traditional brick-and-mortar settings, catering to patients in remote areas or those with mobility limitations. Manufacturers including certain OMS platforms provide easy-to-use telehealth options. Perhaps the biggest barrier is the technology and your patients’ ability to navigate it.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is slowly becoming a household term, with some people excited about it while others are nervous about its applications. AI could be incorporated on your website as a chat bot or in communications with your patients.
A new company called AudiologyAI provides these options while protecting PHI and following HIPAA guidelines when responding to patients’ inquiries, missed calls, missed messages, and more.
Additionally, the influx of AI incorporation within hearing aids is exciting as well, whether software AI or hardware AI. Regardless of the type of AI, sharing information about it with your target audience is highly recommended.
Hearing Aid Technology
Speaking of hearing aids, staying abreast of the latest advancements in hearing aid technology besides AI enables audiologists to offer state-of-the-art solutions to their patients. Marketing campaigns highlighting features such as speech-in-noise enhancements, wireless connectivity, adaptive and automatic processing, and additional controls within their respective apps can appeal to tech-savvy consumers seeking innovative hearing solutions.
It is vital when offering these higher-tech solutions to your patients that you learn about them first and not over-promise and under-deliver. At the end of the day, the primary goal must be providing patients with the best and most appropriate hearing possible in every environment, while setting appropriate expectations.
Community Engagement and Education
Establishing a strong presence within the local community is vital for HCPs looking to expand their patient base and foster trust among residents. Hosting educational workshops, seminars, and outreach events can raise awareness about hearing health issues and position audiologists as valuable resources within their communities. Partnering with physicians, allied health professionals, senior centers, and local organizations allows audiologists to reach diverse demographics and promote proactive hearing care.
Collaborating with Physicians and Healthcare Providers
Building strategic partnerships with other healthcare providers, such as primary care physicians, otolaryngologists, and geriatric specialists, can generate a steady stream of referrals for audiologists. Maintaining open lines of communication and providing timely updates on patient progress fosters mutual trust and encourages collaboration among healthcare professionals.
Primary care physicians are usually the gatekeepers for patients’ medical care, so educating them on your education, background, and services offered, and even keeping in touch with them quarterly or bi-annually is highly recommended. Simple postcards containing brief information are often more palatable to most physicians who don’t have time to read white papers or articles.
Finally, providing continued medical education (CME) seminars to physician groups is an excellent way to disseminate information about audiology. Contact your local hospital to see how you can do this.
Educational Seminars
Not every hearing care professional is comfortable speaking in front of people. However, one of the most effective ways to get your message directly to potential patients is via an educational seminar. Suggested sites for hosting a seminar include retirement communities, restaurants, hotels, or even at your own office. If you provide a meal, be ready to have some people attend just for the free meal, and make sure you scrub your list for current patients. Having a call to action (CTA) is extremely important for success.
Traditional Media
Another avenue to spread awareness and messaging is through traditional media. Whether TV, newspapers, or magazines (online or print), they have the ability to attract a much larger audience for you. Persistence is key as it is a crowded area in which to grab attention, and capturing your target market could prove difficult since these media avenues reach many areas and many age groups. Focusing on certain topics can help get your foot in the door!
Captivating Topics
Believe it or not, hearing aids aren’t the most popular presentation topic for physicians or the public. When it comes to audiology, topics that focus on tinnitus, cochlear implants, cognitive health, auditory processing disorders, and fall risks/vestibular issues, for example, are more effective at capturing your audience’s attention. These topics are also more effective for getting approval for CMEs.
Tracking and Analyzing Results
Effective marketing strategies require ongoing evaluation and optimization to maximize their impact. HCPs should implement robust analytics tools to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, lead conversions, appointment bookings, and patient satisfaction levels. A variety of companies provide services that analyze these metrics, which allows audiologists to identify areas in need of improvement, refine their marketing tactics, and allocate resources more effectively to achieve their business objectives. Understanding KPIs is extremely important, not only for private practice audiologists, but arguably for everyone.
Conclusion
In an increasingly competitive healthcare landscape, hearing care professionals must embrace innovative marketing strategies to stand out and attract new patients. By understanding their target audience, leveraging digital channels, embracing advanced technology, engaging with the community, collaborating with referral partners, and tracking performance metrics, audiologists can position themselves for long-term success in 2024 and beyond. By prioritizing patient-centric care, following best practices, and striving for continuous improvement, audiologists can make meaningful contributions to the overall well-being of their patients and communities with effective marketing.
Amit Gosalia, AuD, practices audiology at West Valley Hearing Center in Los Angeles. He completed his bachelor’s degree in speech and hearing sciences at Arizona State University, followed by his master’s degree in communication sciences. In 2006, he was elected president of the Arizona Speech-Hearing Association (ArSHA). Since then, he has been elected and served on numerous committees and boards throughout audiology and has been involved in many passion projects, such as the AuDLifestyle and consulting for business owners to help them grow, which he calls Achieve Growth.
Photos courtesy of Amit Gosalia
Original citation for this article: Gosalia, A. Marketing Tips for Audiologists to Bring in New Business. Hearing Review. 2024;31(5):08-13.
