So, you’ve decided to start your own practitioner podcast. You’ve cranked out your first few episodes and are having a blast.
Now what?
Having a podcast is one thing. Turning your podcast into an income-generator for your practice is another. If you’re wondering how to use your podcast as a marketing tool for your practice, buckle up! Let’s explore how you can grow your practice using your podcast.
The Benefits of Having a Practitioner Podcast
Did you know that 1 in 2 Americans over the age of 12 listen to podcasts? This means that over half of YOUR patients are already podcast listeners!
Think of podcasts as the cool hangout spot which is for good reason:
- Podcasts are super easy to access
- You can listen to them whenever you want
- They’re great to play while you’re in the car, folding laundry, cooking dinner and so on. Basically, they’re a multitasker’s dream
The reasons people tune in to podcasts vary. Many listen so they can learn something new. Others tune in to be entertained, stay up-to-date, get inspired, or relax.
Podcasts don’t just benefit the listener. As an alternative healthcare practitioner, podcasts…
- Allow you to help more people than you ever thought possible.
- Position you as a thought leader for your patients and your industry.
- Help you build new friendships. Interviewing other experts on your podcast is a powerful way to provide your listeners with fresh new content from a different perspective. And it helps build out your network. Talk about a win-win!
- Are a great escape from the everyday doldrums. Variety is the spice of life, right? No matter how much you love doing what you do every day, sometimes you just need a little something to spice things up! Podcasting adds a much-needed splash of color to your day or week!
Alright, now let’s get down to brass tacks. How can you grow your practice using your podcast?
How to Use Your Podcast to Grow Your Healthcare Practice
Soooo, there’s a dirty little secret healthcare practitioners don’t really like to admit. It’s that marketing doesn’t come naturally to us (or entrepreneurs in general). Because of that, it’s easy to look past having a regular podcast as a viable method of marketing your practice.
If you’re in the ‘marketing isn’t my jam’ boat, that’s okay! I’ve put together three simple, highly effective strategies you can use to start promoting your practice using a podcast.
Strategy 1: Share a Lead Magnet With Your Prospective Patients
It’s no secret that email marketing is a fantastic way to grow your practice. Sending regular emails delivers an eye-popping 4200% return on your investment.
When it comes to building your list, you’ll want to attract and influence two kinds of readers:
- Your current patients, also known as your raving fans
- The people who may be interested in working with you but haven’t booked an appointment with you… yet
You should already have the email addresses of your existing patients so let’s focus on how to capture the emails from the people who haven’t joined the club.
The best way to do that is to offer them something free in exchange for their email address. This is called a lead magnet. It can be a checklist, e-book, guide, video training, etc.
Once you have that freebie, make sure to:
- Share it during your podcast episodes
- Add the link in your show notes
- Include it on the landing page for your podcast
Strategy 2: Ask Your Listeners to Share the Episode
People love sharing things of value. But sometimes, they need a gentle reminder to do so. When you’re wrapping up your episode, invite them to share the recording with a friend or family member who would benefit from the information.
You can also do this when promoting your episode on social media or in your emails. Simply change up the language across the platforms to keep it feeling fresh. Here are a few ways to invite your listeners to share the episode:
- In your episode: “If you loved this episode, would you do me a favor? Share the line with a friend who needs to hear this.”
- In your email: “P.S. Please feel free to forward this episode to a friend!”
- In your social post: “Tag someone who needs to hear this information!”
This gets your podcast episodes into more ears. The more ears you have listening, the more potential patients will want to check you out – or book an appointment.
Strategy 3: Offer Discovery Calls on Your Episodes
Most practitioners offer some type of discovery call or initial consultation. The goal of this type of strategy is two-fold:
- To make sure you understand their unique challenges.
- To determine if you’d be the best fit for what they need.
These discovery calls act like a gatekeeper for your practice. They help you let in the right people and refer out the ones that aren’t the best fit. Simply put, to get more new patients, you’ll need to schedule more discovery calls.
Here’s how you can let them know what you’re up to. At the beginning of each podcast episode, invite your listeners to schedule some time with you. Make sure to include the link in your show notes.
If you try this strategy out, remember to keep the link to schedule your discovery calls the same. A listener might tune in the day you drop the episode or one year later. Keeping the same scheduling link helps to make sure they can find you. no matter when they listen.
Grow Your Practice Using Your Podcast
Podcasts are soooo much fun and can create a special kind of magic for your practice. If you’re looking for a new, fresh way to grow your practice, look no further than a weekly or twice-monthly podcast!
Choose one of the tips above to start promoting your practice on your podcast. You might be amazed at how quickly the momentum will build!
