How Digital Marketing Can Transform Your GP Surgery: A Guide for Practice Managers
As a practice manager, balancing patient care with the operational demands of a GP surgery is no easy feat. One area that can make a huge difference to your surgery’s success is an effective digital marketing strategy. Whether you’re aiming to boost patient registrations, engage your community, or improve your online reputation, digital marketing can help you achieve these goals—and more. In this blog, we’ll explore how digital marketing can transform your GP surgery and why it’s an essential tool for practice managers.
1. Improve Patient Engagement with Social Media
Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are powerful tools for connecting with your local community. As patients spend more time online, leveraging social media for healthcare has become an effective way to improve communication and patient engagement.
With an active social media presence, you can:
Share important updates about surgery hours, services, or seasonal health tips (e.g., flu vaccinations)
Educate patients with regular posts about preventative healthcare, wellness tips, and news
Foster a sense of community by celebrating local events or highlighting patient success stories
2. Boost Patient Registrations with Targeted Campaigns
Attracting new patients is crucial for any GP surgery looking to grow. A well-executed digital marketing campaign can target potential patients in your local area and bring them through your doors. You may choose to target newly built housing estates, specific communities or people who are new to the area.
Here’s how digital marketing can help:
Google Ads and Social Media Ads: Target specific demographics, such as families in your catchment area, by running ads that promote patient registration or highlight your surgery’s unique services.
Local SEO: Optimise your website so that when potential patients search for “GP surgery near me,” your practice appears at the top of the results. This can dramatically increase your visibility and drive new patient registrations.
3. Enhance Your Surgery’s Online Reputation
A positive online reputation is critical to attracting new patients and building trust with your existing ones. Unfortunately, negative reviews or a lack of feedback can deter potential patients. Digital marketing helps you manage and enhance your online reputation effectively.
Google My Business Optimisation: Ensure that your Google My Business profile is complete and up-to-date with your location, services, opening hours, and contact details. Encourage satisfied patients to leave positive reviews, which can greatly influence new patient decisions.
Responding to Reviews: Address both positive and negative reviews with timely and thoughtful responses. This shows patients that you care about their feedback and are committed to providing excellent service.
Social Proof: Share positive patient testimonials on your website and social media platforms. Testimonials act as social proof and can significantly boost trust in your surgery.
4. Increase Efficiency with Automated Communication
Running a GP surgery efficiently requires automating certain patient communications. Digital marketing tools can streamline how you communicate with your patients, saving time and reducing administrative burdens.
Automated Appointment Reminders: Use SMS or email to automatically remind patients of upcoming appointments, reducing the number of missed appointments.
Follow-Up Messages: After appointments, send automatic follow-up messages to gather feedback, ask for a review or encourage patients to book future check-ups.
Health Campaigns: Set up automated campaigns that remind patients about seasonal health checks, flu vaccines, or other important services.
Digital marketing offers GP surgeries endless opportunities to engage with patients, attract new registrations, and grow your practice—all while staying compliant with industry standards. As a practice manager, investing in digital marketing is one of the most effective ways to optimise your surgery’s operations and patient care.
If you’re looking for digital marketing support tailored to your GP surgery, Incrementum can help. We specialise in healthcare marketing strategies that deliver measurable results. Get in touch today to see how we can help your practice thrive in the digital age.