Where to start?
Maybe business is good, but it could be better. Maybe you built a new exam room or hired a new doctor and you want to keep ‘em busy. Maybe business is great, but you want to take your image to the next level. There are lots of reasons to brand and market your business, but no matter your reason, you’re not alone in wondering “Where do I start?”
We have these conversations with business owners almost every day, and here is a peek behind the curtain as to our approach, and how we might prioritize what to tackle first. And don’t fret if you’re not ready to flip the switch and launch an intensive, integrated marketing campaign; sometimes a little can go a long way.
More than a logo
Your brand is so much more than a logo. Your brand is how you’re perceived, and everything you do that people see helps to form their perception of your brand. Take a look at everything: your colors, your website and signage, the tone of voice in your Facebook posts, your reminder emails and billing statements, etc. What these look like and what they say to your patient is your current brand.
How Swim can help:
After you’ve assessed all of these pieces, you may discover that some are out of date. Maybe fonts are being used inconsistently, or you don’t feel like they create an image that reflects your clean, modern facility. Swim can help with a brand reboot. We will dig into your brand and figure out who you are, at your core, and how that will connect with your patients and potential patients. We can then create what you need – from a new logo to brand standards – to insure your brand looks its best and is consistent across every patient interaction.
Start with a website
You know the value of a first impression and, in today’s world, your online presence is likely just that for many of your patients-to-be. A strong website will match your logo and your ideal patient experience. But it will also solve simple problems like providing easy access to frequently requested information so your receptionist isn’t fielding the same call a dozen times each day. In other words, you shouldn’t have to work on your website; your website should work for you.
How Swim can help:
At Swim we design responsive websites (the design looks great, no matter the screen size) that put your brand first. And, if part of your brand means an easy, pleasant patient experience , this means that your website should be designed with them in mind. We can also program features around your workflow, so you can spend more time with your patients, and less time updating pictures.
Draw people in
There’s a lot of jargon out there about how to attract people to your website and fill up all of those appointment slots. Don’t get overwhelmed: here’s a super basic breakdown of two key terms which can help enormously.
SEO: Search Engine Optimization. This is the practice of adding content to, and developing your website and web presence, so that search engines, like Google, find you when people are looking for you.
SEM: Search Engine Marketing. This is paying search engines, like Google, to have your website pop up to the top of the page when people search for terms related to you, like “best doctor near me” or “eyeball specialist.”
How Swim can help:
SEO: There are a lot of different “tricks of the trade” on this. From keyword research to link building to page response time to ensuring a positive mobile-first user experience, we make sure we check every box when building your website.
SEM: There are many tools to create ads that lead people to your website, and we’d love to use them to help you turn potential patients into happy clients. We do the research to find where your target audience is coming from and how we can best reach them to drive them to the information they’re looking for.
What’s the Plan, Dr. Stan?
Your brand is strong and consistent? Check! Your website is working for you and your patients? Check! Now what?
How Swim can help:
The possibilities for using marketing and advertising to get your office or clinic in front of the right people are limitless. That’s why we like to make a plan:a strategic marketing plan, to be exact. We’ll sit down with you, understand what your business goals are, and do our homework to figure out who your target audience is, what drives them, and the best way to connect them with you. We’ll then lay it out in a plan so we can focus your marketing dollars on consistent and strategic messaging.
Then, whatever the plan calls for, we’ll work with you to see it through. Whether it’s creating video for TV or social, ads for billboards or brochures, or walking through Nicollet Mall with a canoe, we’re your partner for getting attention from the right people for your business, and turning attention into appointments.
Ready to jump in? Send us a note!