In marketing your audiology practice, you have a whole “toolbox,” so to speak. This toolbox is full of marketing tactics and practices that can bring your practice to new patients and help them connect with you. In fact, a moment of connection is the key point in acquiring a new patient or gaining a patient’s compliance with a specific treatment.
So, in order to create this moment of connection, you need to choose one of the tools from your toolbox. You could use emotion like curiosity or empathy, or even fear, which all have their places. However, maybe it’s time for your practice to employ a tool that might be a little underused in a serious medical field like audiology: humor.
Humor is a great tool for creating a bond with your patient or potential patient. True laughter is an involuntary response, and if you can get your patients to laugh, you are well on the way to building a positive, productive relationship with them. For example, did you know that humor has been linked to higher message recall? This means that if a patient finds your message humorous, they will be more likely to remember it later.
That’s what you want – a connection that sticks. Here are two easy ways to incorporate humor into your practice marketing:
- Tell a joke.
Do you know any audiology-related jokes? If you’ve been in the field very long, you probably do. A joke is a simple way to break the ice, whether it’s in introducing your practice to a potential patient, in meeting with a new patient for the first time, or in discussing a treatment method with an existing patient.
Jokes can often lighten the mood, especially if you are discussing a serious subject like a person’s hearing health and treatment. If your joke is funny enough to be memorable, potential patients will remember your practice when they need an audiologist.
- Share a cartoon.
Professionals in various medical fields have found cartoons to be an effective way to connect with patients in a fun, light way. Plus, a cartoon can sometimes explain a difficult topic in a way that is easier to understand (and more fun to hear) than the way you would clinically explain it.
Consider sharing cartoons on your practice’s social media pages, using one in an online or print ad, or posting them around your office and in treatment rooms. Cartoons can be a great way to bring up topics like treatment options, expectations, and conditions.
With the right type of humor, you can engage more people in a positive, fun way. This will have them coming back for more – and if they’re coming back for more laughs, they’re also coming back for more appointments.
A quick word of caution: use humor appropriately. In some situations, humor is not appropriate. Also be aware of whom you share humor with; everyone finds different things humorous, so it’s not exactly a “one-size-fits-all” marketing tool. Be sure to avoid tasteless or offensive humor, and pay attention to your timing. Make certain that your humor is “on brand” for your practice, and don’t use any jokes, cartoons, or memes that you don’t understand.
With these simple tips, you’re ready to bring humor out of your marketing toolbox. To learn more about how you can use humor, plus more ways to gain new patients, we encourage you to contact us today at AudiologyPlus. We’re here to help your practice grow!
