For healthcare professionals, the days of hanging your shingle and waiting for the ravages of flu season to bring in a steady supply of patients is over. Like every other business model out there, the healthcare field, from community clinics to famous national brands, finds itself in flux as it adjusts its marketing to reflect the expectations of an increasingly technologically adept and mobile patient pool.

Healthcare consumers today are as likely to google your practice from your parking lot as they are to google your reputation before they even pick up the phone to schedule an appointment. Your content marketing must therefore not only demonstrate relevance to the end user but also deliver it in digestible morsels and on-the-go.

With that in mind, what are the best strategies for healthcare organizations, doctors, and physician practices for marketing their services?

The following list may sound like industry buzzwords, but they are content and social media best-practices:

• Quality content
• Authentic engagement
• Brevity, brevity, brevity
• Mobile access

Relevance and the Art of Quality Content

Organic content. An increasingly jaded shopping public is at the heart of the move toward organic and relevant advertising and content. With a constant barrage of images, messages, and sound bites from billboards, radio commercials, and even from elevators, we tend to tune out the noise of incessant advertising.

Quality over quantity. Engaging customers and potential customers in a meaningful dialogue means placing quality over quantity, which translates into providing genuine service and eschewing the delivery of canned commercial messages that people purposefully ignore.

Relevant resource. Today, most consumers turn first to the Web when seeking out answers to health-related questions. Accordingly, under the right circumstances, the Internet is the ideal platform on which to build a public relationship based on the most private of matters. Perhaps it is the anonymity afforded patients as they explore what ails them before committing to potentially expensive treatment options; regardless, by featuring salient and actionable advice on a variety of helpful topics, your site becomes the go-to resource for trusted medical information.

But, be clear that online content is not medical advice. Offering expert advice on healthcare can be challenging. Of course, the best course of action is for a patient to make an appointment. However, people's need for instant gratification is even stronger when they are thinking about their health or the health of a loved one. Be clear that you, as a medical marketer, doctor, or healthcare organization, are not offering advice on your website—that research and facts on your site are merely medical best-practices. Encourage readers to contact their physician to discuss their individual needs. Your attorney is a great resource for protecting your ability to engage with prospective patients online safely and conscientiously. By providing expert content, you resonate with your readership and can transform your practice from a random Google search result to a trusted resource in healthcare.

Social Media and the Art of Conversation

For those clinicians and office managers looking to define their "voice" when reaching out to prospective clientele, experience on social media platforms such as Facebook can be highly instructive. The personal and sharing nature of social media makes the platform an ideal avenue for healthcare professionals who want to establish themselves with an increasingly engaged consumer-base.

Genuine engagement. Industry experts note that one of the rising trends in healthcare is the growth and reliance on these social media forums in the engagement of prospective patients. Successfully generating positive buzz regarding your practice's performance and services is a powerful influencer. One of the major advantages of this format is that it allows for the display of third-party endorsements. When casting about for a medical service provider, consumers react favorably when presented with positive feedback from patients who are just like themselves.

Draw from trusted help. As a healthcare provider, caring for patients is your first job. One of the most empowering things you can do for your medical practice is to learn when to delegate. Enlisting the services of a professional public relations firm or integrated marketing agency can help ease the time-consuming nature of social media. These skilled cadres of experts know the ins-and-outs of engaging a distracted public so you can get on with the important work of helping patients feel better. These marketing professionals should also know how to use analytical tools designed to measure the efficacy of your online efforts.