If you’re in the business of diagnostic imaging marketing, you have a lot of tools at your disposal. From patient outreach to physician referrals, using your resources effectively is key.

In today’s world, online is the place to focus your diagnostic imaging marketing efforts. As of 2016, over 76% of Americans were searching the web. With the internet becoming easier to use each day, that trend shows no signs of stopping.

Important note: Always be mindful to abide by Stark law and anti-kickback laws that prohibit giving incentives like gifts or money to patients or referring physicians.

Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to gain traction without legal repercussions.

Looking to grow your patient base without any extra marketing effort?

Building your online reviews will attract patients and referring providers alike so you can grow your imaging center without jumping through hoops.

Here’s our secret to getting more 5 star reviews.

These steps will lead to success in your medical imaging marketing

1. Website: Make it specific to you diagnostics imaging center

Your website should be a cornerstone of your medical imaging marketing plan so it’s imperative that it has at least the basics:

• Works on all browsers and devices
• Is designed for users to easily find what they are looking for
• Clearly represents your services

Because your website is the foundation of your business, you’ll want to make it as helpful to your visitors as possible. Here are some areas of development to consider:

• Patient Portal
• Physician Portal
• Online patient forms
• Online payment option
• “Call now” button for mobile sites
• Pricing information
• Exam information
• Equipment information
• Calendar of events and facility closing dates
• Customized landing pages
• An image rotator

Read more tips on setting up a website specific to diagnostic imaging marketing

Pro tip:  Even if your website looks great, user experience testing can help identify pain points for your website visitors so you can address areas of difficulty.

2. Google Places: A crucial step in digital marketing for an imaging center

This one is high on the list because it’s so important. People don’t typically think of Google Places when planning digital marketing for an imaging center, but this is definitely worth paying attention to. People being unable to easily find your facility on Google Maps, means missed appointments, lower patient satisfaction.

What’s more, you want to be the first thing that pops up when someone in your area types in “MRI” or a similar term into Google Maps. You don’t have to compete with the whole world, like you might on a traditional Google search, just with your local area.

The good news is it’s not hard to set up. Just follow these steps:

1. Set up a Google My Business account
2. Verify your business
3. Fill out information about your business

Pro tips:

• Use high-quality images for your listing
• Keep your information up to date (hours of operation, contact information, etc.)
• Set up keywords that people would search to find you

Choose your keywords carefully. Like in any of your other diagnostic imaging marketing strategies, keywords should be terms real people would type into a search, so put yourself in the patient’s shoes for this one.

3. Facebook: Building a business page for your imaging center

Odds are your business either has or has considered a social media account or two. This is one of those medical imaging marketing ideas that is worth investing time in. If you don’t have a Facebook page you can set one up using this guide.

If you already have a Facebook page make sure it’s effective by having:

1. A clearly branded profile picture and cover photo
2. A call-to-action (CTA) button
3. A regular posting schedule
4. Someone to respond to comments and messages on a regular basis
5. Up to date “About” information

Read more tips on building a Facebook page for your imaging facility that will propel your medical imaging marketing efforts

Here’s an example of a page well done:

If you’re already a Facebook pro, here are some more advanced options to be sure you’re getting the most out of your medical imaging marketing ideas:

1. Use targeted Facebook ads to promote your page
2. Measure your success using an analytics tool
3. Use a social media management tool like Buffer to schedule relevant articles to post

Looking for more on how to set up your social media page? This article is a great guide.

4. A Blog: Creating content for your diagnostic imaging marketing

Building and maintaining a blog is crucial for multiple aspects of marketing your imaging services. It’s how people browsing the web for related topics will find you as a trusted resource. It also gives people coming to your website educational information.

The articles you write for your blog can be used in your email marketing and your social media posts. Finally, your blog can help your SEO so your website ranks higher in Google searches.

Determining a blog strategy is the first step. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Determine how much time you can devote to your blog in order to decide on a posting schedule. Whether it’s once a week or once a month, regularity is key.
• Decide who you are writing for. Will this week’s article be written for the college athlete or stay at home mom? Each article should have a clear audience.
• Write actionable content. Don’t write a bunch of fluff. Give your readers clear and helpful information that they can really do something with.
• Quality trumps quantity. Always.

5. Automated and segmented emails

Building an email list is a no-brainer, but it’s easier said than done. Keep things organized by creating groups or segments in your list so you can send out personalized emails to your subscribers.

Any diagnostics imaging email strategy will benefit from automated emails. Consider grouping subscribers by:

• Physicians
• Patients
• Newsletter subscribers

Your automated emails will also benefit from:

• Having multiple ways to subscribe (eg. Facebook, Blog, or in-office)
• Keeping track of where people signed up
• Sending emails on a regular schedule

6. Lead Magnets

You know those pop-ups that offer ultimate guides, or a 3 part lesson? Those are lead magnets and you want them. Putting lead magnets on your blog gets people onto your email list and provides them with valuable information.

Here’s an example:

For a diagnostic facility that might go something like this:

Example:

1. You write a blog article about “What to expect during an MRI”
2. You create a PDF checklist that tells “Everything you need to know to prepare for an MRI exam”
3. You put a lead magnet on your article that pops up or is shown in a sidebar asking readers to enter their email to receive the free checklist

There are lots of tools to use for this. We like Sumo.

7. SEO

A good radiology marketing strategy needs more than just a website and a blog. If you are not showing up until page 47 of a Google search, none of that matters. SEO means finding your keywords and optimizing your site to showcase them.

This is the tried and true process we recommend:

1. Brainstorm keywords that you think people would search for when finding you
2. Use Google Adwords Keyword Planner to see which of those keywords are being searched the most and how difficult it is to rank for each one
3. Pick out your best keywords. These are the ones that are relevant to you, have the highest search volume, and have the lowest competition
4. Use those keywords in the text on your website and blog
5. Repeat these steps for each page and article on your site

Don’t have much time? Keep reading, PPC could be your better bet.

8. PPC

Pay per click ads can be a great use of the dollars in your radiology marketing budget especially if you have a bit of extra cash, but not a lot of time.

Not sure what PPC ads look like? Here are some examples:

To have paid ads on Google like these you will need to set up a Google Adwords account

There is still a substantial learning curve, but there are lots of tutorials that can help. This article is a good resource to get you started.

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This is just the beginning of what you can do. Over time you will get to know these techniques and tools better so you can tailor your strategy to your imaging facility.

If you need more help with laying the groundwork for your radiology marketing plan, or if you want a hand implementing your current strategy we are here to help.

Looking for a better way to market your imaging center to patients and referring providers?

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We specialize in radiology and diagnostics marketing and nothing else. We are here for you when you need us!