Content Marketing

Content Marketing is a strategic marketing approach which focuses on creating and distributing useful, valuable, educational content relevant to your target market of potential patients.

The topics you choose to cover in your content should be strategic.

You should cover topics your patients need. What questions do you get repeatedly from your current patients?

Potential patients would have the same questions. So, create content that answers the top 5 questions you hear most often.

Be sure your content is posted in a strategic manner. Whether you are posting video content on YouTube or sending out content via email, be sure there is a clear strategy.

Don’t just create content without a plan.

For example, if you treat high blood pressure and want to create content about HBP, be sure it is presented in a logical fashion.

You likely cannot cover HBP adequately in one YouTube video, one social media post, or one email.

Therefore, break the content up into a logical presentation like this:


1. Causes of HBP

2. Prevention of HBP

3. Treatments available for HBP

4. Clinical results of untreated HBP

5. Clinical effectiveness of treatment options for HBP

6. Potential complications of HBP treatment

7. Testimonials of patients doing well with HBP treatment


That is not an exhaustive list of topics related to HBP, but it gives you the idea of a how to organize a logical, strategic approach to content creation and distribution.

Each piece of content should end with a mention of the next topic you will cover in order to create curiosity, making them more likely to look forward to your next piece of content.

The content you create must be relevant to your patients and potential patients’ needs. It must address their struggles and offer solutions.

Your content must be useful and valuable. It must reinforce what they already know or educate them on what they don’t know but need to know.

What is the purpose of content marketing?

Content marketing achieves certain goals:

1. Demonstrates you as the authority – When you effectively communicate valuable and useful healthcare information to your potential patients, they begin to recognize you as a great resource for information and the authority on the subject. When potential patients eventually need to be seen for some healthcare issue, they want to see the authority. By your strategic and valuable content, they now recognize you as the authority. So, they are much more likely to make an appointment with you.

2. Creates trust in potential patients – When potential patients read you consistent healthcare content, they develop a “relationship” with you. No, they haven’t met you yet, but they have learned that you provide really valuable information. They have come to trust you. And when they need to be seen, they want to be seen by someone they trust. Because of your consistent content, that is most likely to be you!

3. Reduces patient’s anxiety – Patients are often anxious and reluctant to see a provider. With your consistent, valuable content, potential patients come to believe you can help them. Therefore, their anxiety level is substantially reduced.

4. Video content creates familiarity - I saw a local news anchor out at a restaurant one day. I had seen him almost every night doing the local news. He looked so familiar that I quickly said hello. He obviously didn’t recognize me. It was only then that I realized who he was and that I didn’t really know him. But he looked so familiar to me. If you post video content regularly such as on YouTube, patients will feel like they know you. And patients prefer to see a provider they know. Once they make an appointment with you, how likely do you think they will be to follow your recommendations, since they already know you? The whole relationship is better from the start.

5. Increases Search Engine rankings – By posting valuable content that people read, the online search engines recognize you and your following of readers. Therefore, you will rank higher in local searches online. Ranking higher is important, because the top three ranked providers receive the majority of calls or scheduled appointments resulting from online searches.

6. Creates an audience – When you post valuable healthcare content consistently, you develop an audience of people who learn from you and appreciate your information. Not all of them have the problems you are addressing. But they may have a parent or child who does. But when the relative needs to be seen, they will come to you. They may not all live in your area. But some will travel to see you because of your content.

And remember, in Direct Response Marketing, your content needs to always have a call to action. Every post you write, video you shoot, or email you write needs one. You should alternate the calls to action between, “Make An Appointment Now” to “Download This FREE Report” to “Sign Up For Our FREE Email Newsletter” to whatever makes sense for your topic and your practice.

Your posted content can occur in many different forms such as:

Blogs                                                 Case studies

Social Media posts                         Emails

Ebooks                                              eNewsletters

Podcasts                                           Print newsletters

Videos                                              Webinars

Discussion forums                         Websites

Instructional guides                      Research reports


That is not an exhaustive list, but there are many formats available for you to package and distribute your valuable content.


Content marketing is very useful. Every doctor should be taking advantage of it.


It is a way to not only acquire new patients but also to retain more of your existing patients.

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