5 online marketing tips for pharmacists
These days, online marketing is a crucial part of entrepreneurship. But for pharmacists, it can feel like a stumbling stone. It’s not evident to put yourself out there, since differentiating on product level is only possible with cosmetics and similar items. The medicine that you sell is the same as your competitors are selling. Yet, it is possible to stand out in the crowd. Just because you can’t fully distinguish yourself with your product range, doesn’t mean you can’t be some steps ahead of your competitors. This article aims to help you with that. Let’s bring your (online) marketing to a higher level together.
1. Stand out with your services
Pharmacists are an important advisor to their patients. You don’t just sell medication: you also serve as their guide. It’s not unusual for pharmacists to offer certain health services to their patients – sadly, the latter are often not aware of this. Think of guidance to quit smoking, medication plans, homecare and more. Offering such services is one thing, communicating about them is another. There’s more to it than mentioning them in your pharmacy. It is important to ‘sell’ your services online: on your website and other online channels. Such services require their own page on your site, taking your SEO (search engine optimization) into account.
2. Actively boost your online presence
Pharmacists can’t advertise on medication, but they can boost their beauty products and non medical product range, as well as their services. Your first goal is to invest in your SEO. The next step is to start with SEA (search engine advertising), which will generate traffic to your site. You show the public what unique services and products you can offer them, and Google will perceive you as a more relevant website, improving your ranking in search results. Let’s not forget that it’s also worth investing in your own webshop. This too improves visibility, user friendliness and allows you to easily advertise your product range.
3. Be on social media
When creating social media profiles, you’ll strengthen your online presence while also broadening your reach. Since it’s also possible to advertise on these channels, you instantly have more opportunities to advertise your health services. You can target specific people, based on their interests and habits. It’s even possible to set up local advertisements, just like with Google advertising. Perfect for putting your services out there to your neighbourhood: both longtime and new residents will quite possibly see what you have to offer.
Both Facebook and Instagram are very interesting to reach your patients. You can use these channels to share relevant information, as well as giving people a peek behind the scenes. Think of pictures of your coworkers, how you work … Instagram is the perfect medium for this approach, definitely when using their stories. When you show the human side of your pharmacy, you show a certain transparency to (future) patients, making it easier for them to trust you as their pharmacist.
4. Post relevant blog articles
There’s a lot of people out there with unanswered health questions. From losing weight and skincare to supplements and vitamins. You can give them their answers by posting blog articles. Let people know they can count on your expertise, and they will be more likely to order the solutions that you offer in your pharmacy (be it online or in-store). Don’t worry: you don’t have to write these articles yourself. The Lochting platform offers you a wide range of relevant topics that you can publish on your website, as well as share on your social media.
5. Link your webshop to your blog articles
The articles that you’ll share, won’t just offer an answer to a health question. In many cases, you will have a solution to the patient’s needs in your product range. This is exactly why it’s important to link your webshop to your blog. That is: show relevant items on your shared articles. Think of sunscreen for an article on how to avoid getting burned on your holiday. This will boost your sales, as people will be more likely to buy your solutions to their problem after reading your advice – which they can order instantly at the end of the article. Now that’s how you do user friendliness. People didn’t need to go to you. They gained your advice and ordered what they needed to solve their issue, and all of this when it suited them best.
Looking for more specific tips for your pharmacy? The Lochting marketing team would love to help you out with custom advice. Let’s get in touch to boost your online marketing together.