Yelp , StumbleUpon , Digg ? “ There ’ s no time ; it ’ s too hard ,” the tape in your head goes into overdrive . . . You can ’ t fit one more thing in your day . The solution is out there for you to jumpstart your online marketing program .
1 . Your Pharmacy Should Be Visible Everywhere .
Ninety-seven percent of consumers research products or services online before calling a business for services or buying a product either online or in stores . The days of looking up a business in the yellow page book are quickly becoming obsolete . Consumers have become very savvy and targeted to their needs and as a result , search for everything online first . Is your pharmacy showing up on the first page of Google , Bing , and other search engines ? Do you have a good ranking , with multiple entries ? If not how will they ever find you ? Do you have a review system so customers can write a review telling the world how great your business is- this helps with the search engine rankings ! This also gives you testimonials to use on your Web site .
Word-of-mouth marketing can be encouraged via channels like Facebook , Yelp , and Twitter . According to the American Marketing Association , Facebook alone has 750 million active users . Consumers trust recommendations from friends and other online users . Connecting with your current customer base online will show them that YOU are the expert who cares about their healthcare and pharmacy needs . Turning them into raving fans that write great reviews for you on sites like Yelp , and will refer your store & services to their connections , and will translate into more customers coming into your store and increased profits .
2 . You Must Have a Unique Selling Proposition ( USP ).
In a nutshell , what makes you unique , what makes you stand out in a crowded marketplace online and offline ? If you don ’ t know , then it ’ s time to create something .
With shrinking third-party reimbursements you need more profits coming into your store . Firstly you can expand YOUR specialty niche . This does not mean you must now start “ specializing ” in oncology , HIV , Diabetes or compounding . What ’ s YOUR unique specialty ? If it is a “ specialty ” disease state that ’ s great , but if not , what is YOUR uniqueness ? Pick it and run with it ! Use that as your platform for increasing your marketing profile and use it EVERYWHERE in all of your marketing materials .
3 . Being Found Online Will Help Stop the Customer Drain to Your Competitors .
Now that you have a USP , you must exploit that uniqueness . When your customers are looking for information and services online – Be There !
Make certain your Web site is “ optimized ” for search engines with the right keyword containing content , so your customers and prospects find your site online . You get found online not only through your Web site but also through social media sites like Facebook and YouTube . This brings us to point # 4 .
4 . Video is Mission Critical .
YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world just behind Google . It stands to reason that video is mission critical to your online and mobile marketing plan .
Creating video is simple . Use your smartphone or buy an inexpensive video camera . Then look into the camera and give a one minute tip or pointer to your target audience ( your primary customers ), upload the video to your YouTube channel they will thank you for it , and the search engines will reward you by giving you a better ranking .
5 . Mobile Marketing Is Necessary . Nielsen forecasts that one in two Americans will have a smartphone by Christmas 2011 . Ninety-seven percent of cell phone users have their phone within three feet of them 24 hours a day . 1 If you want your customers to refill their prescriptions on time , send them a text message !
Response rates for mobile campaigns range from 4 to 25 %, and some companies have seen rates as high as 43 %! 2 Many emails remain unopened or are overlooked . However , everyone reads their texts ; therefore mobile marketing , SMS , and coupon campaigns are the next big thing . Your pharmacies can use mobile marketing campaigns in positive ways for