Dr. Peter Wishnie is a podiatrist with Family Foot & Ankle Specialists. What makes him unique isn’t just the phenomenal success of his practice; it’s that he understands what so many podiatrists don’t: The key to effective podiatry marketing is never to stop learning. With his zeal for building a better practice and our assistance, Peter has been able to keep moving, keep learning, and stay ahead of the game for six years—and the success of his practice shows no signs of slowing.
To find out exactly how Peter has achieved such success I sat down with him and got his thoughts on running a successful marketing campaign. What I found was that for Peter, three principles guide his daily marketing efforts.
#1: Make Marketing a Team Effort
Many years ago, Peter began to employ others to take care of the majority of his marketing needs. He knew that his job was to “keep up with medical evolutions, not marketing evolutions.”
This is not to say that Dr. Wishnie isn’t involved in his marketing operations—after all, he’s deeply involved with Rem Jackson’s Top Practices and writes much of his own content—but from day one, he decided that he couldn’t be both podiatrist and marketer. Peter hired on a marketing director years before other podiatrists did so, and since that day he’s been involving his entire team in the marketing of his practice.
“People ask me, ‘You’re a busy podiatrist, how do you manage to get so much content up?’“ said Peter. “The answer is a group effort. All of our podiatrists write, I’ve hired medical students to write for me, and when I need to I write too. But no matter what, I get the content up; it’s a top priority and I don’t ever say, ‘I can’t do this because I don’t have the time.’ That’s simply not true; anyone can make the time to improve their practice.”
 |
| Proof Positive That Peter and His Team Are Winning At Content Creation |
Peter knew that an integral part of his team would be a podiatry website and SEO company. For Peter, the right fit is a company that has “the knowledge necessary to give individualized marketing services and who, most importantly, knows exactly how the web marketing landscape is going to change—before it changes.”
Before hiring FWM, Peter had a website that was static. It was nearly impossible to change, and he most certainly didn’t have a relationship with the company who hosted the site. Now, Peter and his marketing director have the ability to update their website at any instant and to speak with our team whenever they wish. With Peter, it truly is a team effort.
#2: Run a Tight Ship
What sets Dr. Wishnie apart from many other podiatrists is his dedication to running a highly efficient, patient-friendly practice. He has long recognized that proper practice management is just as important a component of a successful practice as marketing: that a podiatrist can have the best web marketing ever, but if patients aren’t treated well when they enter the office, he’ll miss out on countless referrals.
“For many podiatrists, their practice is totally chaotic; there is no order,” muses Peter. “This is where I come in. I work with Rem Jackson as a practice management consultant. I help other podiatrists clean house and establish organizational systems that help ensure that when people call, they make an appointment and they keep it. So that from the moment a patient walks in the door to the moment she leaves, she gets ‘wow’ service. And when a patient gets wow service, she refers.”
And this focus on image—on patient experiences—doesn’t end when the patient leaves the office. Dr. Wishnie knows that even with a personal recommendation from a current patient, people head to the Internet before they pick up the phone. So physicians must have an ironclad website and social media maintenance plan. They have to be adding content that not only builds their brand but speaks to and alleviates potential patient’s greatest fears. One of the ways he suggests podiatrists build this trust is through video.
#3: Embrace Video
Video is no longer the future of physician marketing; it’s the present. Peter knows this well and has made the most of this form of content by shooting videos both in our studio and in his office. Peter then posts these videos to his website and YouTube Channel.
Peter’s videos have done very well. His most popular video covers the treatment of plantar fasciitis and has over 60,000 views. And while this is one of his older videos—shot by FWM five years ago—his newer videos are performing well too. A video explaining plantar wart treatment is only eight months old and it already has had over a thousand views. Really fantastic for a podiatrist! As an added bonus, Peter believes that the videos are great for online dating.
“The videos are great for online dating,” jokes Peter. “I just sent them to my site to woo them with my videos!”
Okay, But Is it Working?
Peter gets a minimum of 10 patients a week directly from his website. Not contacts: actual paying patients. Because of his team-centered approach and his embrace of video, quality content, and social media he finds that even people outside of his geo-targeted locations in New Jersey are calling on him to treat their feet.
We are proud to call Peter a member of our team and can’t wait to see the level of success the next six years bring him. Much love, Peter! Keep up the good work!
Are You Wondering If Your Law Firm Or Medical Practice Website Is Standing Up To The Competition? It's Likely Time For A Website Redesign.
If you're convinced your website is outdated, chances are it is. Help is available, however. Please contact us online or call our office directly at 866.497.6199 to schedule your free website redesign consultation with our experienced marketing team. We have been helping clients throughout the United States and internationally since 1998 and are confident we can help you not only reach but exceed your goals.
