In the world of healthcare, trust is everything.
Whether you run a physiotherapy clinic, dental practice, or specialist centre, your patients are entrusting you with their health and well-being.
That’s why many healthcare professionals place high value on word-of-mouth referrals, and rightly so. A personal recommendation carries weight. However, in 2025 and beyond, relying solely on word of mouth is no longer sufficient.
Modern healthcare practices require a strategic blend of traditional referrals and digital marketing to grow, compete effectively, and meet patient expectations.
For personalised advice, contact our team at practiceedge today.
Why word-of-mouth still matters
Word of mouth remains one of the most powerful forms of marketing, particularly in healthcare. It’s built on personal experience, trust, and real-world results. A happy patient recommending your practice to a friend, family member, or colleague can lead to highly qualified, loyal patients.
According to the 2023 BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey, 76% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know, and 84% trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. These stats highlight that whether online or in person, patient opinions carry real influence.
Here’s why healthcare providers continue to value word-of-mouth referrals:
- Credibility: Recommendations come from a trusted source.
- High intent: Referred patients are often ready to book.
- Cost-effective: No advertising spend required.
- Patient loyalty: Happy patients refer others, creating a cycle of growth.
The reality, however, is that word of mouth alone can be unpredictable and limited in scal
Where marketing comes in
Today’s patients are active online. Before booking an appointment, they’re Googling symptoms, comparing providers, and scanning online reviews. Even if someone hears about your practice through word of mouth, they’re likely to check out your website, look at your Google profile, and read reviews before they make contact.
That’s where digital marketing makes a crucial difference.
According to the Tebra Patient Perspectives Survey 2024, 75% of patients have looked online to research a provider, and 69% say a strong online presence influences their decision to book an appointment.
Effective marketing allows you to:
- Reach more people outside your existing network.
- Promote specific services, such as physiotherapy for vertigo or children’s dental care.
- Attract patients in your local area who may not know you yet.
- Appear in Google searches when people are actively looking for help.
- Build your reputation online, even before a patient walks in the door.
Google reports that searches for healthcare terms like ‘doctor near me’ or ‘physiotherapist near me’ have grown over 200% in the past five years, showing that digital visibility is now essential rather than optional.
Marketing supports word-of-mouth, and vice versa
Here’s the truth: you don’t have to choose between marketing and word of mouth. The most successful healthcare practices use both, and they support each other in powerful ways.
Think of it like this:
- A patient hears about you from a friend → Googles your name → Sees great reviews, visits your website, and books an appointment.
- A patient finds you through Google Ads or SEO → Has a great experience → Tells three friends → Those friends check out your site and book.
- You post helpful tips on social media → Someone shares it with a friend experiencing the same issue → They visit your site and become a patient.
Each interaction feeds the next. Marketing amplifies the reach of your word of mouth referrals, and patient referrals reinforce the trust built through your marketing efforts.
And the link is clear: according to HotDoc’s 2020 Google Review Survey, 54% of patients check a clinic’s Google reviews before choosing them, and 77% said they were more likely to book with a clinic that had a 4-5 star rating.
Finding the right balance
So, how can healthcare providers make word of mouth and digital marketing work together?
1. Ask for reviews
Encourage happy patients to leave reviews on Google, HealthEngine, or Facebook. These reviews act as a digital word of mouth, increasing your visibility and building trust with potential new patients.
2. Optimise your website
Make sure your website is clear, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate. Include information about services, practitioner credentials, FAQs, and online booking options.
3. Invest in local SEO
When people search for ‘chiropractor near me’ or ‘kids physio [suburb]’, you want your clinic to show up. Local SEO helps your practice appear in these crucial searches, especially for patients who don’t yet know about you.
4. Use Google Ads wisely
Targeted Google Ads can help bring in patients who are actively searching for help. They work especially well for high-demand services or new practices trying to build momentum.
5. Create shareable content
Helpful content builds credibility, encourages shares, and keeps your practice front of mind. Healthcare content, especially when it offers tips or patient education, is among the most shared online.
6. Track what’s working
Ask new patients how they heard about you. Use this data to fine-tune your marketing strategy and see how word-of-mouth and online efforts are working together.
A final word: it’s about trust, not just traffic
Marketing and word-of-mouth are not competing forces; they’re two halves of a successful growth strategy. Together, they help healthcare practices build trust, attract the right patients, and create sustainable growth.
So while a glowing patient referral is invaluable, it’s your marketing that ensures that referral turns into a booking. When both are working together, your practice isn’t just growing, it’s thriving.
Get in touch with the practiceedge team if you would like to explore how word-of-mouth referrals and digital marketing can benefit your practice.
