5 Clever Marketing Strategies for Bariatric Practices

Marketing Strategies for Bariatric Practices

Bariatric surgery is becoming more and more popular as people struggling with weight issues look for solutions. As a bariatric practice, you have the opportunity to help people change their lives for the better. But how do you grow your practice so that you can help even more people? The answer is digital marketing.

Here’s 5 effective digital marketing strategies that, as a bariatric practice, you can use to discover the right people looking for the procedures you offer and ensure they turn from users into customers:

1. Search Engine Optimisation

One of the most effective tools for digital marketers to use is the free option of indexing on search engines like Google. If you’re able to offer relevant and easy-to-read content for users looking for bariatric procedures, taking into consideration appropriate keywords, you can drive traffic to your practice through appearing on organic searches. Search engine optimisation, also known as SEO, is the process of making your site more consumer friendly to appear higher on search engines and therefore gain more valuable traffic.

Search Engine Optimisation has some key advantages:

  • SEO generates visibility with organic and unpaid searches.
  • SEO alternates depending on your customer and your product.
  • SEO helps you establish a clear online presence.

2. Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

If search engine optimisation is proving too difficult to get a grasp of, then you can always pay for advertising on search engines through PPC. This method allows you to bid in an auction for placements on search engines like Google and is an effective way of finding people who already know and are researching bariatric and weight loss opportunities. Since you pay for a click as the name suggests, you’re guaranteed to generate traffic to your site through this method.

When consumers use a search engine like Google, they’ll see promoted advertisements based on the search they’ve carried out. Search engines like Google tend to prioritize these advertisements over organic listings, and so therefore it can be a more lucrative and effective way of generating the traffic needed.

Key advantages of PPC advertising:

  • You can measure the performance of your ads
  • You can show your ads on search engines with keywords that are relevant to your practice
  • You can target ads to people who live in your area

3. Paid Social (Facebook and Instagram Ads)

Social media is used by at least half the world’s population and is a gateway for people to express themselves and share memories with friends. Because of this, there are plenty of opportunities to reach people who may be interested in visiting a bariatric practice as some targeting opportunities allow you to target those who may be most interested. This could come in the form of those who like pages relating to healthy eating and exercise who may have tried other options.

Unlike PPC, paid social advertising is a great way of reaching people with interest who may not already know about bariatric surgery as a weight loss opportunity. Since paid social media also sits within organic social channels such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, they also provide a place for generating communities that you can interact and engage with. If this is done successfully, you can drive a community that is self-sustaining where individuals support potential customers and inadvertently turn them into customers.

Key advantages of social media advertising:

  • You target your audience based on demographics and interests
  • You can track the success of your ads
  • You can select campaign objectives based on your goal
  • You can reach a large number of people

4. Inbound Marketing Funnels

Lead generation funnels are a great way of generating customers depending on a user’s action. These funnels usually come in four stages which include: driving awareness, generating interest, creating desire and then curating an action. You can utilise other steps in this article to create this funnel, for example you could drive awareness through paid social ads that reach your intended demographic, create interest through informational content that appears organically on search engines, create a desire through newsletters that provide discounts and then lead this into an action on your website.

Driving awareness: When users are searching and or engaging with content that you produce, you’re generating awareness which can then later be used for the purposes of seeking interest.

Interest: Once a user has engaged with your website, you can spark their interest with article content and ads that turn their interests into desires or consideration.

Consideration/Desire: Now that they know about your brand/product, have shown an interest in the topics you speak about and represent, you can create a desire or consideration through coupons and sale opportunities.

Action: That sale opportunity should then lead them to the final destination of becoming a customer through a clear call-to-action such as a buy now/enquire now button via your page.

5. Email Marketing

If you’re able to provide value through newsletters and subscriptions, then you can build a lead generation funnel that turns users into customers through email. Email marketing provides an opportunity to regularly update clients on new promotions whilst also allowing customers to find out when you offer coupons or have a sale. For example, you could post on social media about your newsletter which gives free tips on weight loss opportunities and healthy eating. You can then turn those subscribers into customers by offering deals and discounts to your most avid readers. Since you’re able to build a community and relationship through this method, it’s a lot easier to steer users down the funnel.

Related: Bariatric Practice Digital Marketing Agency

In Conclusion

To conclude, while bariatric practices may find it difficult to reach and inform the right customers, digital marketing efforts can help drive awareness on weight loss opportunities that might not have already been considered, whilst intent-based marketing in the form of PPC can help deliver actions that turn your users into customers. It’s always important to consider the whole funnel when you’re marketing your business, and generating awareness, consideration and action can be carried out by utilizing the 5 digital marketing efforts we’ve addressed in the article.