A Guide to Millennial Patient Marketing

When it comes to attracting new patients, a key focus for doctors is millennial patient marketing.

There an estimated 75 million millennials currently in the U.S. According to Pew Research, the oldest “Millennial” was born somewhere between 1977 and 1981.These are men and women born during the technological revolution. They have different interests and values.

This means that doctors need to focus on millennial patient marketing just as much as any other generation. But to do so requires a different mindset and approach.

To attract younger patients, here are 6e tips from the marketing industry to increase the value of your millennial patient marketing.

1) Yelp Reviews Matter

It is a common practice for patients today to use Doctor Review Websites as the main source for their choice of doctor.

When it comes to millennial patient marketing, this especially true. According to a consumer survey from PNC Healthcare, 50% of Millennials use online doctor reviews to select care providers compared to 40 percent of Baby Boomers and 28 percent of Seniors.

At the very least, you should know the Top 10 Online Review Wesbites for Doctors, and have a presence on Yelp. Take the time each month to manage and curate your reviews. See what people are saying about you and your medical practice. Encourage your patients to review you on yelp, to ensure the reviews are positive current.

2) Mobile Enabled Website

Setting up a medical practice website can be a daunting task for doctors, but perhaps more important than the website is the mobile site. Millennials as a generation are 85% more likely to use their cellphones to view websites than desktops. Having your medical practice website mobile optimized is very important. It also helps with overall google rankings, so it is worth the effort.

As long as it’s clear and has basic information, your practice website doesn’t need to be anything complex or fancy. You could also consider hiring a marketing company or consultant to set one up for you.

3) Consider an App

A survey from Salesforce found that 71 percent of millennial patients would like to have their providers use mobile apps to book appointments, share health data and manage preventive care. While you may not have the funding o build your own app, there are many third party mobile apps and EHR systems that can help you have a more app-centric medical practice.

4) Student Programs

As a group, Millennials may be the most cost effective to treat. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the cost of treating 18 to 24 year olds averages $1,834 per person annually, up to $2,739 annually for people ages 25 to 44.

For this reason, it may be worth letting Millennial age students know they can have care at your medical practice. If you work with specific insurance providers, very often they can offer discounts for health checkups or simple visits. Let your patients know this, and you will attract more Millennial age patients.

5) Online Bookings

According to a survey conducted by medical scheduling company ZocDoc, 93 percent  of Millennial patients do not schedule preventive physician visits, but prefer to walk-in when not feeling well.

If your practice allow patients to access their medical records online or send secure emails to staff, this is a great step forward. Another key factor is the ability to book an appointment online through a service such as ZocDocs. Offering this may be a way to attract them to your medical practice.

6) Offer Telemedicine visits for Millennials

In general, Millennials prefer to communicate electronically, and they always prioritize convenience. A recent survey also found that 74% of millennials are interested in using telemedicine.

Offering an option to do Virtual Visits with your Millennial Patients may be the key to encouraging them to visit your medical office. If you can engage with them virtually for checkups or small concerns, they are more likely to think of you as their doctor for life.

If you’re serious about Millennial Patient Marketing a lot of it comes down to building your exposure online and displaying your medical practice’s tech-savvy mindset. And of course, as Milliennials grow older, they will stay with you and bring future generations along with them to your practice.