1. Why does your clinic need promoters and referrals?
As you know, consumption patterns and communication methods have changed and continue to change due to information technologies. The Internet has been a great showcase for businesses in different sectors and digital marketing and sales strategies have more and more weight in the economic results of companies.
These changes that we commented have not been alien to the health and aesthetics sector and, therefore, it is increasingly necessary to keep up with the latest techniques (in this case marketing) to be competitive and maintain a steady growth rate. And among these techniques we count referral marketing which is necessary because:
1.1. Competitiveness in the healthcare market continues to increase.
More and more clinics are making the leap to digital commerce and offering services and treatments through their website. Both the internet and the latest technological tools make it possible to develop even more attractive and competitive marketing campaigns. But, most importantly, these marketing actions allow us to really know who our potential customers are.
Thanks to this we can improve the conversion capacity of the strategies we implement, as well as take advantage of opportunities that allow us to be more competitive. One of these opportunities is the ability to build loyalty and generate patients who are promoters of our services and attract other patients, since:
1.2. Customers rely more on the opinions of other customers.
In general terms, customers will always rely more on the opinions of other buyers, or on the recommendations of their closest circle. When searching for information about clinics, potential patients spend time consuming content related to other patients’ reviews and success stories. And in the case of recommendations from a circle of friends or family, they know more about the problems or needs of the people around them.
1.3. It is increasingly difficult to close sales and achieve higher retention.
With such a competitive market, customers are thinking more before closing the purchase, i.e. agreeing to have a treatment or purchasing a certain healthcare product. Referral marketing can attract prospects closer to the sales process and more likely to become repeat customers.
1.4. Maintaining the strength and solidity of your brand is also more complicated.
Patients, especially younger ones, may be looking for more than just a service, more than just a treatment. And that’s because, in general, they will prefer brands that align with their own philosophy. If you think about it, repeat patients know your company’s identity very well, and their recommendations can start to generate strong links between referrals and your clinic. Remember that a solid and differentiated brand manages to be more competitive in the market.
1.5. You need to improve your relationship with your clients to grow.
Your bond with your clients has evolved to the point where they are at the center of all your clinic’s objectives: they are your most important asset. Initiating a referral strategy will help you better understand your clientele. You will be able to take advantage of your clients’ feedback to improve your service and enhance your communication. In turn, this will help you improve their satisfaction and your chances of converting them into advocates who get more referrals. But what exactly does it mean to have advocates and referrals?
2. What exactly are brand referrals?
In marketing, referrals are those new customers who come to your company through referrals from other customers and not through other channels, such as, for example, forms on your website, social networks, online ads or other promotions.
It may seem like an ineffective or complicated technique, but the truth is that getting customers through referrals from other consumers can become an important way to acquire leads or contacts as long as you have worked to transform your most satisfied customers into promoters:
3. What are advocates and what do they imply for your business?
The advocates of a business are those most satisfied customers who can drive the growth of a brand through their interaction in the different online channels, through the generation of content and thanks to their active participation. But they can also be the customers who decide to recommend what your brand offers.
