Introductory offers for new patients are a great way to boost your patient numbers and can be an effective marketing tool to gain quick traction on your competitors. When combined with a strategic healthcare marketing campaign including SEO or Google Ads they can achieve even greater results . Below, we cover the new patient offers that work, helping you to stand out from the competition and grow your business.
When choosing the type of new patient incentive you want to offer there are a few things you need to be aware of. Your offer needs to be comparable to your local competitors but still needs to stand out from the crowd. Start by looking at what your competitors are offering and think about how you can offer something better. This doesn’t always have to mean a higher discount either – think about what value your business can provide that is different from the rest.
Be aware of the advertising guidelines for healthcare practitioners set forth by government regulation. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) comprehensively outlines what you can and can’t do to keep your new patient offers compliant and avoid potential fines.
Here are 5 new patient offers to consider implementing:
1.Comprehensive Assessment Packages
Creating an initial appointment package that includes core services is a great way to offer new patients a value packed bundle that covers all their initial needs. For example, a package for a new dental patient may include a comprehensive examination, x-rays, oral hygeine assessment, bite evaluation, scale and clean, fluoride treatment and a personalised oral health treatment plan.
2. Welcome Packs
A welcome pack is an additional gift or resource you include in an initial appointment to add extra value and set your patients on the right path for success. Welcome gifts should be practical and relevant, for example a physiotherapist may offer resistance bands, hot or cold packs, massage balls, stretching straps or recovery creams or gels.
3. Tools and Resources
Put your knowledge and experience to use and create a take home resource for your new patient. This could be an ebook, fact sheet, video tutorial, exercise guide or recovery tips. Alternatively, if you don’t have the capacity to create your own resource, giving your patients access to an existing tool such as a health tracking app can provide additional value and help them along their path to treatment or recovery.
4. Initial Consultation Discounts
Discounted initial appointments are the most common form of new patient offer and can often be the most effective. Many people perceive healthcare to be a costly affair, especially within allied health services such as physiotherapy, chiropractic, osteopathy and podiatry. A special offer can help to break down initial barriers to booking in a straightforward manner with clear benefits for the customer.
With many clinics offering these already, ensure your offer is comparable but unique. Discounts can be specified as $off or %off. Make sure your offer clearly displays terms and conditions to ensure AHPRA compliance.
5. Gap Free Offers
A Gap free offer can be appealing for patients with private health insurance cover, as there’s no out-of-pocket expense experienced. These offers have always worked well in the past, particularly if your clinic is listed among a particular health funds list of preferred providers, but do limit the benefit to those with private health insurance. Some practices offer a combination offer covering a gap free price for those with insurance or a reduced initial price for those without.
Creating a successful new patient offer comes down to knowing what resonates best with your business and your target audience. Consider what your practice can offer that provides a clear and attractive benefit to a potential patient and what sets you apart from the local competition, and use this as the basis for designing a powerful incentive that effectively drives new patient numbers.
If you would like to know more about ‘New Patient Offers’ to attract more healthcare patients, contact practiceedge.
