When it comes to marketing, it’s all about constructing a strong message and story. Usually, you can communicate the same points in several different ways. There is no single template that you should always follow, however if you are having trouble communicating a new service or product, we have a go-to method that typically results in new patients.
Instead of telling you our secret, I’m going to show it to you in an example. The following stories are fictional but the scenarios are very real. If you had to pick which practice to go to based on one paragraph of content, who would you see?
Practice 1 – Points Orthopedics
Points Orthopedics now offers a new minimally invasive hip replacement. This procedure allows the surgeon to approach the hip from the front, rather than the side or the back, and uses a muscle-splitting approach, which means exposing and replacing the hip through a natural interval between muscles, as opposed to cutting the muscles and reattaching them. The rehabilitation is easier and accelerated. Patients can expect a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery.
Practice 2 – Group Orthopedics
“The arthritis in my hip was causing so much pain that I had to stop refurbishing my 57 Chevy with my son. I was suffering from arthritis for over 10 years. It started out as stiffness but it got so bad I finally had to do something about it. I had seen several orthopedic surgeons but what ultimately made me decide to go to Group Orthopedics was the expertise of my surgeon and the fact that he offered a new minimally invasive hip replacement procedure. Thanks to Group Orthopedics, within weeks after my surgery I can walk around freely, I’m no longer in pain and I’m back at the weekly Main Street Car Shows.”
If you picked practice #2, you are in the majority. It is very obvious the difference between the two pieces of content, but let’s break it down to see why it is so effective.
“The arthritis in my hip was causing so much pain…”
The first sentence establishes a common symptom of people in need of a hip replacement surgery. Someone else suffering from arthritis of the hip would instantly relate to the patient.
“…that I had to stop refurbishing my 57 Chevy with my son.”
You don’t have to be a classic car fanatic to relate this patient. We were able to establish a personal interest that was taken away from this patient because of pain, which is something anyone can relate to. It also shows a glimpse into the patient’s life and personality as a handy man car lover that enjoys spending time with his son.
“I was suffering from arthritis for over 10 years. It started out as stiffness but it finally got so bad I had to do something about it.”
This establishes a length of time the patient was suffering and when their story began. It communicates to the reader, “I understand what you are going through because I went through it to, but there is something you can do about it.”
“I had seen several orthopedic surgeons but what ultimately made me decide to go to Group Orthopedics was the expertise of my surgeon and the fact that he offered a new minimally invasive hip replacement procedure.”
This patient did his research and got second opinions when finding his doctor. The reader should to get their own second opinion, but if they trust the person in the story, their mindset may be that this person did all of the research for them already. It also shows that the surgeon is progressive and offers a new procedure that other surgeons may not.
“Thanks to Group Orthopedics, within weeks after my surgery I can walk around freely, I’m no longer in pain and I’m back at the weekly Main Street Car Shows.”
Without explicitly saying it, we have communicated that this person had a speedy recovery. This results oriented testimonial demonstrates: Surgery = No more pain = Back to your normal life. The Main Street Car Show establishes a local angle for some of the readers. Reading who know about the Main Street Car Show will trust the story even more because it the story is grounded by something that is very real to them. Add a photo of the patient with his car to tie the entire story together.
78% of consumers trust peer recommendations. By writing a patient story, you establish third party credibility. Don’t just tell people how great you and your services are; let your patients do it for you.
Creative writing does not come naturally to everyone, which is why we have a dedicated content team at Points Group. If you would like to start creating compelling content for your business, call us today for a free consultation. We will also show you how we integrate press releases and search engine optimization into this service.
