Patients have higher benchmarks and are probably more emotional when it’s time to leave a review about their hospital experience – leading to criticism that can significantly affect a center’s reputation.
This is why a medical reputation management strategy is essential in helping to protect the reputation of any practice or clinic.
Reputation management for medical practices looks at the overall picture by monitoring online reviews and ratings as well as tuning into conversations about them to respond appropriately.
Your Practice’s Online Reputation Is Important
Unlike other industries, healthcare providers undergo “two layers of reviews,” said Tim Clarke, Rize’s Senior Reputation Manager.
One for the individual doctors and another for the practice itself. This distinction essentially doubles the potential impact of online reviews on medical practice.
As Clarke said, patients are emotional and have high standards and expectations for medical practices. This is also true in medical practices “still learning on the fly” about COVID testing and other related issues.
Therefore, online reviews can profoundly impact patient expectations before they step foot inside your clinic.
When a practice consistently receives excellent reviews, prospective patients are more likely to approach their appointment with a positive attitude, anticipating a great experience.
However, negative reviews can impact patient trust, cause anxiety and potentially result in patients seeking care elsewhere.
In fact, according to a survey by Software Advice, over 90% of healthcare patients use online reviews as the first step in researching physicians and hospitals.
And if you only have four stars in your ratings? You can expect that 38% of patients won’t even consider you at all, according to BrightLocal’s 2023 Local Consumer Review Survey.
Therefore, incorporating medical online reputation management into your practice’s overall strategy is an investment in long-term growth.
Encourage your patients to leave reviews on popular platforms and take their feedback into account to improve your services.
By valuing your patients’ opinions, you create a culture of continuous improvement and growth, ultimately leading to a stronger reputation and increased patient satisfaction.
Benefits of an Effective Medical Reputation Management Strategy
Getting more 5 star reviews isn’t just for show, though. Reputation management for medical practices can also bring a number of tangible benefits.
Enhance Your Brand Recognition
A strong, positive medical online reputation management strategy can help you cut through the clutter in the healthcare industry, allowing patients to distinguish your practice from competitors easily.
When prospective patients are searching for a doctor, they will likely pick one with an impressive track record of success and patient satisfaction.
A well-orchestrated medical reputation management strategy can help to amplify your successes and position your brand as an industry leader, ultimately encouraging more potential patients to choose your practice.
Generate More Leads for Your Practice
As your practice’s reputation improves, so too will the number of referrals and recommendations you receive.
Happy, satisfied patients are more likely to recommend your services to friends and family, multiplying the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
Not to mention a strong reputation will also lead to improved online visibility and search engine rankings, further driving new patients to your practice.
Generate More Sales in the Long Run
As your reputation builds and more leads flow into your practice, you will see an increase in new and returning patients.
As you generate more sales over time, you can then make investments in critical practice areas such as:
- Staffing
- Equipment
- Facility upgrades
The long-term benefits of a robust medical reputation simply cannot be overstated.
Here’s a List of Successful Medical Reputation Management Campaigns…
But is it really worth it? As the results show, yes. Here are some cases that prove the value of medical reputation management campaigns.
1. Arizona Colon and Rectal Center
The Arizona Colon and Rectal Center partnered with Rize to overhaul its online reputation.
At the outset, the practice had a limited online presence, resulting in few reviews for prospective patients to assess their services.
Recognizing the need to enhance their digital footprint, Arizona Colon and Rectal Center implemented a multi-pronged approach to their medical practice reputation management.
Arizona Colon and Rectal Center used a combination of the following strategies:
- Review landing page
- QR code technology
- Partially-automated review requests
Using these strategies, Rize was able to help the center generate a staggering 111 new reviews.
Most importantly, the center retained its perfect 5-star rating throughout this process, highlighting the effectiveness and efficiency of their campaign strategy.
2. Family First ER
Family First ER experienced a similar challenge, having just a handful of reviews before enlisting Rize’s support.
Aware of the potential positive impact of a robust online reputation, they revitalized their medical practice reputation management strategy.
In collaboration with Rize’s medical reputation management services, Family First ER launched a strategic, fully automated email and SMS review request campaign.
This approach allowed them to engage patients at opportune moments, thereby increasing the likelihood of receiving positive feedback. Consequently, their average rating soared to an impressive 4.8 stars, effectively positioning them as a top provider within their community.
3. Georgia Bone and Joint
Starting from a mere 15 reviews within nine months, Georgia Bone and Joint sought to amplify their online presence.
By leveraging the Rize review tool, they received an astounding 289 new reviews – a nearly 20-fold increase!
The rapid influx of reviews fortified their digital standing by providing prospective patients with valuable insights about the quality of care and service the practice could deliver.
Additionally, higher review numbers often correlate with more patient trust and credibility, making Georgia Bone and Joint a standout choice among its competitors.
How To Get 5 Star Reviews From Your Clients
While you may already have an idea of how to improve your medical reputation management, there are simple strategies that you can implement quickly and effectively.
Here are some of the best online reputation management tips to get 5 star reviews from your clients.
1. Ask for Reviews and Make It Easy
Sometimes, all you need to do is ask.
Your patients might genuinely want to leave a review but haven’t thought about it or been prompted to do so.
Make it a point to encourage patients to provide feedback when they visit your clinic. Train your staff to ask patients for reviews after their appointments courteously.
Clarke says that QR codes work best for medical practice reputation management. The urgency and face-to-face personal request work better than sending emails and SMS later.
Place QR codes in strategic locations in your clinic or even print them on your business cards.
When your patients scan the code through their smartphones, direct them to your review page on popular platforms like Google or Yelp.
2. Send Thank You Cards and Follow-Up Emails
While in-person requests are most effective, there’s still value in sending thank-you cards and follow-up emails to your patients after they’ve received your services.
A heartfelt thank you can remind your patients that they are valued and appreciated and increase the likelihood that they will leave a positive review.
If you’re hesitant about requesting a review in person, including a simple request in your email or thank you card can also help prompt a response.
3. Respond to All Positive and Negative Reviews
Reputation management for healthcare isn’t just about accumulating positive reviews. It’s about addressing both praises and concerns. Respond to every review, whether positive or negative, with gratitude, understanding and empathy.
For positive reviews, thank the reviewer and express your pleasure in providing them with exceptional service. This helps build rapport and trust, motivating them to share their experience with others and keep coming back.
For negative reviews, listen to the patient’s pain points and make a genuine effort to address their concerns.
Offer apologies, resolutions and reassurance that you’re working on improving your service. This reputation management for healthcare strategy shows that you take their feedback seriously and are committed to ensuring their satisfaction.
Leveraging Your 5-Star Reviews To Generate Leads and Close More Sales for Your Medical Practice
Of course, accumulating 5 star reviews from your clients isn’t the goal – it’s all about growing your practice.
Here are three simple ways you can use your 5-star reviews to generate more leads and generate more sales for your practice.
1. Display Excellent Patient Reviews on Your Website
Having good reviews is one thing, but displaying them prominently on your website is another.
Highlight the positive sentiments of past patients and showcase them on your home page, landing pages or other areas of your website where potential customers will see them.
Clarke and the whole Rize team regularly use review and healthcare reputation management widgets that display positive customer sentiments throughout the websites and landing pages of medical practices.
This will help potential customers trust the service they are looking for and build confidence in booking with them.
2. Use Review Acquisition Tools on Your Emails
If you’re not actively seeking out new reviews but still want to generate some, Clarke also suggests using review acquisition tools such as email campaigns or signatures on your emails.
This simple step in healthcare reputation management helps get more eyes on your reviews and ensures people know where to leave feedback if they feel inclined to do so.
It also lets potential customers know you take pride in providing excellent service and are keen to ensure each patient has a great experience with you.
3. Utilize Reviews To Increase Social Engagement
Utilizing reviews as part of your social strategy helps create engagement, increases brand recognition, builds loyalty and encourages others to follow suit by leaving their own feedback too!
The best way to do this is by sharing snippets of positive customer comments alongside images or videos relevant to the customer’s review topic – this will ensure people remember why they left their positive feedback in the first place!
Work With Rize for All Your Medical Reputation Management Needs
No matter how excellent your services are, reviews from patients and customers are essential for the successful growth of any medical practice.
That’s why it’s critical to understand the importance of online reputation management for medical practices and know how to use patient reviews to your advantage.
To make sure you’re getting the most out of your review requests and managing them efficiently, consider working with Rize – an online reputation management company – which offers a comprehensive set of medical online reputation management services, including:
- Review widgets
- Review monitoring services
- Review response services
- White-label reputation management
Rize has developed robust reputation management for medical practices to help them manage their reputation and grow their business. We manage your reputation while protecting your client’s privacy.
By leveraging our medical reputation management services, you can get more 5 star reviews, improve your online presence, brand recognition and generate more leads for your practice.
Contact us today or call us at 866.325.0303 to learn more about the best online reputation management services for medical businesses and start improving your practice’s visibility!
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