Busy pharmacy owners often find it difficult to make time for marketing. It’s easy to get stuck taking care of the everyday operations of running your pharmacy and to forget about promoting your business.
Still, you know marketing is essential to growing your business. That’s why we compiled a list of five easy marketing techniques that you can use to get the word out about your business.
You can apply all of these methods at your pharmacy without taking time away from your practice. And, you don’t need a marketing degree to start them either. Give some—or all—a try.
1. Create a website
A website is an easy marketing tool for your business. People search online for the services they need today more than ever. Marketing your pharmacy online allows you to reach potential customers and to continue relationships with your current ones.
An easy-to-navigate website with clear information looks professional and establishes your pharmacy as a reputable location for customers to fill their prescriptions. After the initial investment to create the website, the exposure your business receives will continue to pay off.
2. Use Facebook & Twitter
Social media provides the ideal solution to promote your business and save money. You can create accounts for your pharmacy on Facebook and Twitter for free. All you spend is the time to set them up and to maintain them. That’s the key though. You need to maintain them or they won’t do anything for you marketing-wise. For more information on using Facebook and Twitter for your pharmacy, check out our guides:
Facebook Guides for Pharmacies
Why Your Pharmacy Needs a Facebook Page
How to Create a Facebook Page For Your Pharmacy
8 Ideas for Your Pharmacy’s Facebook Page
How to Grow Your Pharmacy’s Facebook Page
Twitter Guides for Pharmacies
Why Your Pharmacy Needs to Join Twitter
How to Set Up Twitter for Your Pharmacy
What to Post on Your Pharmacy’s Twitter
What is a Twitter Hashtag? And Why Does It Matter to My Pharmacy?
3. Promote with direct mail
Whether you want patients to come in for a flu shot or start getting their prescriptions filled at your store, a carefully planned direct mail piece can increase foot traffic at your pharmacy. Part of what makes direct mail promote so well is that it gets right into your customers’ personal space—the mailbox. A direct mailer can stand out, grab your customers’ attention and encourage them to act.
4. Increase patient referrals
Marketing your pharmacy isn’t just about promotions. It’s also about networking and word of mouth. As a pharmacy, getting patient referrals from physicians is one of the best ways to market your business. Build relationships with the physicians in your area, so they’ll refer patients to you. Let them know that you’re available to answer any medication-related questions they may have, and also tell them about any additional services you provide that may help their patients, like diabetes education classes or delivery services.
5. Send an e-newsletter
Maintain your relationships with your patients in between their monthly prescription pick-ups with an e-newsletter. An e-newsletter from your pharmacy can provide patients with valuable health, wellness and medication information. You can also use it to offer promotions that get patients in your store. Send out a weekly or bi-monthly e-newsletter for powerful and cost-effective marketing.
