Medical Marketing Enterprises, L.L.C.

Website Optimization, SEO, Reputation Management for Medical Practices

Two Birds with One Click | Updating Your Digital Platforms Automatically

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Automatic Updates for your website and social media | Healthcare and Medical Internet MarketingWith one click you can update your website and your social media platforms.  Automating the process will streamline the process and make updating your entire digital presence easy…and fun!

Connect Website to Social Media

Most CMS (content management systems such as WordPress) can be automatically connected or linked to your social media accounts.  Once you publish a new article on your website, a plugin will automatically generate a link on your social media account notifying your followers of your article.

For instance, once an article is published on my retinaeyedoctor.com site, a link is automatically sent to Facebook and Twitter.  A link, not the article, is posted.

Connect Website to Email Handler

On websites with RSS (most, but especially WordPress), updates are sent to an email handler. Email handlers (email marketing, email autoresponder) take the RSS feed and generate emails to your followers, subscribers and patients with information about your new article.

So far you have automatically updated your entire following, subscribers to your website and followers on your social media platforms…with one click.

Other Time Savers

Re-purpose Your Content

Publishing the same content using audio files is a great time saver.  For instance, a video can be repurposed on a podcast.  The audio file can be easily converted to a podcast and also be transcribed for use on your website.

Editorial Calendars

These can save you time by developing a process to create articles from ideas/topics to actual publication.  It is a great way to keep track of the progress of your articles/content.

Templates and Blueprints

Developing a routine is crucial to producing content efficiently and decreasing the amount of work needed for each publication.  Whether you are writing an article, recording a video or podcast, templates and blueprints are terrific ways of keeping you organized and improving efficiency!

The more you can do to improve efficiency, reduce drudgery and make your digital efforts, the more you will enjoy your marketing project.

If you have questions or concerns, please leave a comment below!

All the best!

Randy

New Podcast!

In August 2016, Russell Faust, M.D. and I launch a new podcast on Healthcare and Medical Internet Marketing. I invite you to download on iTunes and subscribe to our blog, RussandRandy.com!

iTunes Cover Art

 

Healthcare and Medical Internet Marketing
Healthcare’s Rx for Web and Social
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Your Website Should Be “Under Construction”

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Medical marketing enterprises. Every great website should be under constructionEvery great website should always be “under construction.”  Of the three types of sites;  resource, marketing and interactive, only the resource site is ever really finished.

And you know I’m not talking about web design.

Great websites must remain dynamic whether by adding a constant stream of great content or with user generated comment vis-a-vis threads and conversations.

Content Marketing is Best

Blogging, or content marketing, remains the most important marketing strategy for your medical practice or small business.  While many businesses promote their use of a social media marketing strategy, blogging remains #1 in terms of ROI, branding and value.

The success of content marketing can be easily measured.  Visitors, bounce rate, comments, click through rates are all metrics showing the likes and needs of your patients, your customers.

The expense of time spent on a social media campaign is less tangible perhaps only because social media efforts ultimately draw attention to a great website that is “under construction.”

Value, Dedication, Commitment

Your content provides your patients with value.  Your articles provide solutions (answers) to their health specific questions.  Moreover, your consistent writing also displays a level of dedication and commitment that sets you apart from your competitors.

Value is the key to any website, but by continued and consistant writing, your dedication and commitment turns you into an industry expert.

Your content also remains the key factor to obtaining great SEO…unmatched and immesurable with any social media campaign.

What Can You Do?

Develop a long range objectives for your practice, i.e. define your marketing goals.

Write articles consistently on topics related to your long range initiative (SEO best practice).

With time, your articles will begin to reach out to your patients, compelling them to write and leave comments.  Make sure to answer each of the comments in a timely manner, thus creating a dialogue.  This visible interaction and engagement is the heart and soul of a blog and will eclipse any social media based campaign with respect to ROI, branding and providing value to your patients.

Both content marketing and engaging your patients online present time challenges and require consistent and continued publications and responses.  

A great website, therefore, is never completed and, hence, is always “under construction.”

To Your Growth And Success!

Randy

Randall V. Wong, M.D.
Medical Website Optimization
www.MedicalMarketingEnterprises.com

Google Plus: Lots to “Like”

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Google Plus and Author Rank, Medical Marketing Enterprises.There are 3 reasons to use Google Plus.  After starting your Facebook, I recommend starting your Google Plus Account.

Your Google + account will now get you noticed on a Google Places, can aggregate any reviews about your practice (from other sites other than Google), selectively share information via Circles with new and old colleagues and starts your Author Ranking!

Google Local and Business Page

Starting a Google + Business page simply requires a free Gmail email address.  Follow the directions to get your practice indexed on Google +.

As Facebook and Google Plus plan their local search strategies, you want to make sure either you create your business page or claim one which already exists.  Simply make sure your contact information is correct.  With time, you can add more information.

Google Circles: Selective Sharing

A unique feature of Google + are the “circles.”  Circles are different groups of people based upon a common interest or relationship, for example, Friends, Family, Business, etc.

This allows you to pick and choose the group of friends with whom you’d like to share information. You can use “circles” to customize your communications….you can tailor who you’d simply like to follow versus people you’d like to share information.

At the outset, Circles are the same as “Friends” on FaceBook, but Friends lack the ability to share vs. follow and sharing may not reach all of your followers. (Facebook does not share all of your posts with all of your followers).

Circles allows  you to wear several hats yet use the same account.

Author Rank

Author Rank is the newest variable introduced last summer for SEO.  Simply put, author rank, measures your expertise and contribution to the Internet on any particular subject.  How your Author Rank is computed is another post.  The greater your Author Rank, the more credible and trusted you are as an expert.

The higher your PageRank, the higher your rankings.  Now, the better your Author Rank and PageRank, the higher your rankings.

This means two articles with very similar content, i.e. with the same PageRank, will now be ranked differently based upon Author Rank…the article written by the author with the highest rank (i.e. trust and credibility) wins!

Google Authorship via Google Plus Profile

Establish your Google Authorship!  The next goal is to inform Google which is/are your website(s).  Uniting your Google Plus profile with your particular website(s) alerts Google of your Authorship.

In your Google Plus profile, list the website(s) to which you contribute.  In your websites, attach the code to your Google Plus profile.  This is most easily done by creating a hyperlink using your name as anchor text back to your Google Plus profile page, or make sure you are using Genesis on WordPress!

WordPress and Genesis

The newest version of Genesis recognizes author rank and allows you to marry your user profile with your Google + profile by simply entering your profile code into your WordPress user profile….done!

To your Success!

Randall V. Wong, M.D.
Medical Website Optimization
www.MedicalMarketingEnterprises.com

My Favorite Social Media Platforms

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Start Facebook Business Page only after website is completeWhen you are ready to start using social media, I recommend starting Facebook and Google +.  Start them only if your website is up and running…and in that order.

Social media platforms are great and very powerful, but if you are not ready for social media, no need to draw attention to a website that either doesn’t exist or is horribly stale.

Your primary reason for starting is to broaden exposure of your website, thereby marketing your practice…and to get indexed on local search.  Both Google and Facebook have likely already indexed your office address as a local business.  More and more, readers are using FB and GP for “local search,”  that is, looking for doctors and other businesses while logged in to FB and/or Google Plus.

Setup Facebook First

Establish your Facebook first.  It is the largest social media platform filled mostly with friends and family.  Not only will you know many of your new “fans,” but, it will be much easier for you to find someone to help you get started.  Starting will be less onerous!  Chances are that someone in your own home or office can show how to get started.

Facebook is a great way to politely remind your friends and family the nature of your business and what type of medicine you practice.  Most of us don’t like to “advertise” to our friends, yet most of our friends and family would indeed prefer to use our services because of our relationship.  Your friends may be too bashful to ask you directly about talking shop or are too embarrassed to admit they forgot your specialty,  but they can look you up easily on FB.

Set up a Facebook Page or claim ownership of a pre-existing page (sometimes you’ll find your business is already listed on FB).  You don’t have to duplicate the information on your website, but do make sure you have accurate contact information.  Second, make sure you have a link to your website.

Readers interested in becoming your next patient, as is true for all social media platforms, will find their way to your website.  Your FB page (and other social media platforms) simply draw attention to you and your website.

“Liking” Facebook

In your office and on your website, ask your patients to visit your Facebook page and “Like” you.  “Liking” you ensures that everyone who does so will receive all updates made on your Facebook Page.  Also, the more likes a page receives, the more a business page will be displayed during local search.

Lastly, make sure Facebook Page is linked to an email address.  Comments and “Like” notifications will be emailed to you so you an monitor FB without logging in!

What Do I Write on Facebook?

Announce your most recent articles posted on your website.  You’ve already spent lots of time and energy writing some great content, now use your new social media accounts to share your stuff!  As you gain confidence, you’ll want to add news about the office, media releases about health related events, etc.

The idea is to let people know about your office, the type of medicine you practice, you are willing to engage in social media and you have a website.

With time you’ll find others will take notice and will be following your postings on FB and GP.

To your successs!

Next time…Google Plus!

Randall V. Wong, M.D.
Medical Website Optimization
www.MedicalMarketingEnterprises.com

 

 

 

Easy Steps to Following a Website

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To Follow as website is easy with RSS and Email. Also, Social Media can be useful.Allowing your readers to follow news and events of your medical practice is easy and automatic.  Using RSS feeds and even social media is easily done and the process is completely automatic.

“Following” allows your readers to keep up to date without manually visiting your website.  “Following” is automatic.

On the other hand, allowing your readers to follow your website is easy to do with RSS/Email and social media….if you are ready.

 RSS and Email

These are the most common ways to follow a website.

RSS (really simple syndication) is a very easy, and anonymous, way to receive information about a new post on a website.  Your readers subscribe by clicking on the RSS Icon .  This is usually now located in the upper right portion of a webpage.

Every time new content is published, the new article is sent, via the RSS feed to your “reader”, also known as an “accumulator.”  Your “reader” (for example, Google Reader) then collects all the RSS feeds from various sites and keeps them in one place!

Most websites (and your medical site should, too) also allow subscription or “opt in” via email.  By rendering their email address, patients can receive updates via email.  Simple.

Social Media Icons

Choose a social media platform easy for you to use and convenient for you.

By convenient, I mean easy for you to use and is something you’ll use often.  If using a social media platform, such as FaceBook, Twitter or LinkedIn is a drudgery, then don’t choose this as an option to follow a site.

Stick with RSS and/or email instead.

Remember social media platforms are great ways to follow a website and should not be expected to replicate all the information found on that website.   Social media simply draws attention to a website.

Social media platforms each appeal to its own demographic (for instance, YouTube and Pinterest may appeal to visual learners).  Twitter users (microbloggers) enjoy short and direct messages.

What Can You Do?

As a reader, don’t stress over the plethora of social media available.  Choose one or two offered by that website.  Very few webmasters are able to keep more than a few platforms up to date anyway.

As a webmaster/owner/practice administrator, don’t stress that you even have to use social media. Make sure that you provide an “opt-in” and RSS.  Only add social media when you are ready.

RSS feeds are generated automatically from your WordPress CMS (content management system).  You may link the feed to either Feedburner.com (free) or aWeber.com to email your subscriber list.

When you are ready, consider adding social media.  Choose one at a time.  Remember;

  1. You do not have to participate in every SM platform (it’s impossible).
  2. Participating in too many can be a mistake (you fail to keep them current)
  3. Placing too many icons on your website may look impressive, but probably says you don’t know what you are doing!

To Your Growth And Success!

Randy

Randall V. Wong, M.D.
Medical Website Optimization
www.MedicalMarketingEnterprises.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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