Attracting Millennial Patients to Your Practice
As of 2019, Millennials are the largest living adult generation in the country, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Defined by the Pew Research Center as those born between 1981-1996, this demographic likely makes up a large portion of your patient base — or at least they should.
If you’ve historically treated mostly baby boomers and Gen Xers, you might be having trouble attracting the Millennial crowd. This group is markedly different than their older peers, so you need to change your approach to connect with them.
Here are a few tips to help fill your waiting room with Millennials.
Offer Online Scheduling
It might sound a bit wild, but tech-savvy Millennials aren’t into picking up the phone to make appointments. This demographic prefers the convenience of online scheduling, because it allows them to book appointments 24/7, without any chance of having to wait on hold. If given the choice between your practice and another — seemingly equivalent — behavioral health team, they will likely choose the one with online scheduling abilities.
Be Upfront With Costs
Millennials don’t want to be overcharged for healthcare. This group isn’t afraid to comparison shop for services and their extreme comfort with technology makes doing so easy for them. They appreciate practices that offer transparency, so posting a price list for your services on your website— or being easily forthcoming if they reach out — will score you major points with them. This creates a sense of trust that patients must feel for their behavioral health practitioners.
Create an Instagram Account
One of the basic rules of growing your practice is knowing where prospective patients are and getting in front of them. In the case of Millennials, that place is Instagram. This social media platform is hugely popular with this young demographic, so create an account for your practice. Post content regularly and use relevant hashtags to appear in search results. Having an Instagram presence will help your practice feel more relatable to prospective patients and allow them to learn more about your services.
Invest in Your Online Reputation
When choosing a behavioral health provider, Millennials do their research. If you’re rated poorly — or haven’t even claimed your profile — on popular review sites like Yelp, Google, and Healthgrades they won’t contact you. Take charge of your online reputation by claiming your profile — if you haven’t already — and asking satisfied patients to leave reviews.
Give Back to Your Community
Known for their philanthropy, Millennials prefer businesses that share their charitable mindset. Get their attention by becoming involved in your local community. For example, you might sponsor a youth softball league, volunteer your services at a free clinic, or contribute to local charities. This is a great way to show you care about the community as a whole — not just making money in it. Millennials will take note of your kindness and will be more likely to choose you as a provider.
Ready to expand your team? To learn more about how we can help you find top behavioral health talent, contact us today at (513) 651-9500 or by email at [email protected].