If you have learned much about online marketing, you may have heard the phrase, “Content is king.” Marketers have been throwing this phrase around for years, and much has changed since it was first used. Search algorithms have evolved, customers have started preferring smartphones and tablets for their searches, and AI technology has been introduced to online searches and marketing. So, after all of these advances and changes, is content still king? Yes, it is—but you need to do it right.
At first glance, content might seem simple. Provide content and your business will thrive online, right? In truth, not all content is created equal. You need quality content to get the right patients through your practice’s doors. Here are four simple ways to make sure your content is hitting the mark so you can effectively grow your practice.
Set out your content strategy—and follow it.
The “shotgun approach” should not be applied to content marketing. Each piece of content that you publish should be aligned with your content strategy, which should be part of your overall marketing goals and business plan.
To help define your content strategy, consider your ideal new patient. What type of content would they like to read? What is the format of that content, and what is the topic? What is the overall message you want your brand to convey? Consider your ideal patient’s age, gender, socioeconomic status, race, etc. The more detailed you can be about who you are marketing to, the more you can tailor your content to reach and engage them. This should define your content strategy, and every piece of content should be part of that strategy.
Focus on quality content.
Gone are the days when online content was rewarded by search engines for simply having more words than another piece of content. Nowadays, quality is paramount. You want your online content to position you and your practice as experts in your field.
Search engines prioritize content that is thoroughly researched and demonstrates that you are knowledgeable, trustworthy, and authoritative. Share quality information that will be of value to your audience. Make sure that your content is original, in-depth, and answers the questions (or searches) that your patients ask.
Include clear calls to action.
When a website visitor finds your content, you want it to hold their interest and provide them with valuable information. If the reader is left with, “Oh, that’s interesting,” as their final thought when they finish reading your page, however, then your content is not doing its job. Content should include clear calls to action that push your audience to do more.
When your content is high quality, as discussed above, it will provide the reader with value and insights. The next step is for them to act on those insights. Include clear, strategically placed calls to action that define what your audience should do next, whether it is to contact your practice, continue their journey on your website, connect with you on social media, etc.
Get creative to maximize reach.
By now, you might be thinking that creating this type of content will be time consuming. It is true that creating quality content that drives engagement and action is no five-minute task you can delegate to a high school intern. However, you can get creative in repurposing content so you maximize its reach and get more bang for your buck.
For example, if you have a high-performing blog post, could you repurpose it as an eye-catching infographic? Do you have a series of social media posts that could be sent out in email newsletter form? Think about how you can reuse and repurpose quality content to reach more people.
With these four steps, you are well on your way to creating content that will support your business’s marketing plans and bring quality clients to your practice. To learn more about how you can grow your practice online, we welcome you to contact us today at AudiologyPlus.
