NP Business Tip: Marketing Online, Web 2.0 Style.

These days, more and more patients are search for and finding their providers on the web. This was pointed out to me recently by a Blue Cross rep who was encouraging providers to update their online profiles.

This is great...but what's even better, is they are also using other online locations to find their providers. For you...it's a great way to let them learn a bit about you, your practice, your philosophy and just where you are in the world.

Since this is a relatively new "marketing arena", not many health care providers are participating as of yet. Therefore, it's a great time for you to get involved and carve out your niche. And it will literally cost you very little if anything, thereby preserving your marketing budget.

NP Directory Sites

There are more and more places you can list your business and practice online. Most, but not all of these sites are geared toward the health care consumer finding you. Here are a few options:

• www.NPClinics.com, a service of NP Central
• www.NPFinder.com, a service of AANP (you must be a member)
• www.NPBusiness.ORG has a page where I've listed NP practices as well as NP blogs/websites. If you'd like to be listed, just drop me a line.
• www.NursePractitionerBusinessOwner.com -- will be offering a page for members to list their sites. It will be open for public searching and viewing.
• www.google.com/local/add Add your business to your local Google listing. Believe me, patients are looking for you and this is a great way to make sure you stand out. Very few practices are doing this, yet I hear all the time that patients are looking online for their providers. A website is not necessary, but it is helpful.

Social Media

If you try and keep up with social media today, you'll likely find yourself suffering from vertigo. It's amazing how quickly these sites have sprung up. However, there are three I recommend you get involved with.

• www.Facebook.com Facebook can be a bit intimidating at first. However, once you develop your profile, you can link back to your practice, add information about your practice mission, services offered etc. You can change your privacy settings to allow anyone to see it. In addition, you can add business pages as well. Done correctly, this may be a substitute for your practice website.
• www.LinkedIn.com. Linked in is considered a professional networking site. There are a few groups for NPs there, and I've certainly made some great contacts myself. However, it's another place that potential patients are searching for providers.
• www.twitter.com. Twitter is what is known as a micro-blogging platform. You can only "tweet" a total of 140 characters per "tweet" or message. So how on earth can people find you there? Give patients valuable information that leads them back to your site. For example, if you have written something on your website (or your Facebook page), you can tweet about a new post on "Do women really need a pap smear?" and direct them to that post or article.

While all this seems overwhelming, it's not. Just work on one of these at a time...I'd start with Facebook. You will most likely notice a difference.

And be sure and "follow me" on Twitter, add me as your friend on Facebook, and join my network on LinkedIn. I'll see you there.

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·  Progress Notes Issue 25: Before You Market ·  Progress Notes Issue 24: Getting Unstuck ·  Progress Notes Issue 23: A Website for Your Business ·  Progress Notes Issue 22: Choosing an Office ·  Progress Notes Issue 21: Practice Location Considerations