The Power of Asking: 5 Effective Marketing Strategies to get Patient Reviews

What if I told you your patients have the power to take your practice to the next level?

It’s pretty simple too. To grow your online presence, the secret lies in your patients’ reviews.

Don’t believe me? Harvard Business Review reports that patient rating is a great factor in influencing other patients to choose their primary care provider. The study also reveals that 37% of the respondents avoided physicians with bad ratings.

So how do you improve your doctor ratings on review websites and social media? The easiest and fastest way to do it is to solicit more reviews from your patients.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss five creative ways how to ask patients for reviews to improve your ratings and increase visibility on search engines like Google and Bing.

The next step is to create a social media post asking your patients to leave a review with a direct link to your review page like your Facebook business page. Follow up by sending them a direct message on social media after their appointment. Provide a step-by-step guide to make it easy for them to follow through.

You can also take advantage of your platform’s advertising feature to reach your existing patient base. For instance, Facebook ads can promote copies to ask patients who have experienced your service to leave a review.

2. Ask for Reviews in Person

Asking for reviews in-person is another effective way to increase patient acquisition and also get real-time feedback. When your patients are clearly satisfied with your service, all the more that you should ask them for their review.

Streamline your review collection process by using guide questions and establishing a protocol for your staff members to follow.

Incentives are another great way to encourage patients to leave reviews about your practice. You can offer discounts or free services in exchange for a review – just make sure you’re not breaching any laws and regulations related to patient feedback.

3. Automated Follow-Up Emails or Texts

Did you know that good emails have an average open rate of 21% while SMS messages have an average open rate of 98%?

Automating your review solicitation process through e-mail and SMS can definitely streamline your efforts while increasing your chance of getting patient feedback.

You can set your personalized review requests to be automatically sent to each patient right after their appointment. Make sure to include the link to your site or your profile on reputable review sites like Google My Business, WebMD, Healthgrades, and Track Your Doctor.

To get your patient’s e-mail, you can direct them to a digital form prior to their appointment. You can also ask for their contact information by including a section for them to write down in your patient intake form. Once you’ve collected both their e-mail and mobile number, you can send them a request to review your service after their appointment.

4. Landing Page for Reviews

Creating a dedicated landing page on your website is an effective way to funnel your potential patients to leave a review. Make sure this page is easy-to-find and user-friendly by using copies that tell your patients exactly what to do. Easy-to-read texts such as “Leave Us A Review” or “Share Your Experience With Us” gives enough clarity for patients to potentially leave a review.

Consider adding testimonials from previous patients. Patients who are on the edge about leaving a review might need this as a final shove. Displaying badges and awards can also add credibility and demonstrate that you are well-regarded in the healthcare industry.

A good newsletter provides value to your patients and includes updates about your practice. Your newsletter needs to tell a success story about what you’ve done and the impact you’ve created for your target demographic. Doing this helps direct your patient’s attention to recall what they appreciated about your service.

Your newsletter should also include a call to action to leave a review. A simple message like “We’d love to hear your thoughts” can be the push they need. Make sure to include a direct link to your profile on physician review sites or your social media page and a step-by-step guide on how to leave a review.

FAQs

How do you appropriately ask a patient for a review?

Always give a clear step-by-step guide on how to leave a review. Some sites you can refer these instructions to are platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, WebMD, Track Your Doctor, and even your website. The key to getting your patients to leave a review is to make it easy for them. Once that’s done, always remember to thank them.

How do you get good patient reviews?

Your patients’ response to your service is something that you can’t control, so the best thing you can do to increase your chances of getting favorable reviews is to always deliver. Set up a checklist that guarantees the quality of the patient experience, such as fixed waiting time, good bedside manners, clear-cut pricing for your services, and proper staff training. When you build a patient-oriented service, patients will notice.

Conclusion

Soliciting reviews from your patients through efforts such as in-person follow-ups, social media, and automated e-mail and SMS is an efficient marketing tactic that you should integrate into your patient acquisition-building efforts. With this strategy, you are able to funnel valuable feedback from more satisfied patients to reputable review sites and social media.

By learning how to ask patients for reviews and using the right tools, you can leverage an online reputation that’s sure to land more appointments with potential patients.

Start managing your online reputation by claiming your profile on Track your Doctor. Once you’ve created an account, promote your profile to get more reviews and improve your doctor rating. Be sure to attract more patients as they read your reviews and learn more about the quality of your service.

Table of Contents:

1. Leverage Social Media