Advantages of Using Social Media in a Healthcare Practice

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How to Communicate More Effectively with Patients
Through Marketing
Its one thing to talk with your patients
face-to-face, and yet another thing to talk to
patients or potential new patients via the
written word. Many doctors, dentists and
healthcare practitioners feel uncomfortable with
this process or unqualified as professional
marketing writers. If you are among them, heres
how you can make your written communications more
effective. In a previous post, we summarized the
prevailing attitude of the American consumer as,
So what? Who cares? Whats in it for me? Once
you understand this, you can begin to communicate
with consumers in a way that appeals to their
whats in it for me attitude. If you have ever
created your own marketing materials (brochure,
letter to patients, promotional flyer, etc), you
might want to review them after you read this
article. The first thing you should look for is
how many times you use words such as we and
our in your communications. How many times have
you started a letter, a sentence or a paragraph
with We? Then look at how many times you use
words such as you and your. Compare your
totals. Why is You So Important? Your goal is
to make the reader feel important to you by
speaking to them and their needs directly. Using
the word you as often as possible (without
making it seem forced) is one of the most
effective ways to accomplish that. It draws the
reader closer to your message. Conversely,
clients and marketers who use lots of we, our
and us in their messaging are putting distance
between themselves and their
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• readers. The reader wants to be the focus of your
  message but comes away with the feeling that you
  are the focus of your message. When the reader
  asks the inevitable whats in it for me
  question, the answer will be nothing.
• Which of these two messages are you likely to
  respond more favorably to?
• The e-brochure is our newest state-of-the-art
  digital media product.
• The new e-brochure helps you reach your online
  audience more effectively.
• The first choice is we-oriented and contains no
  benefit to you, the reader. The second choice is
  you-oriented and benefit-driven. By telling
  your audience Whats in it for them you will
  make your message considerably more effective.