How to Attract New Movers to Your Hospital

New movers into your hospital’s primary service area are a ripe marketing opportunity. According to the US Census Bureau, just over 10 percent of Americans moved in 2018. That’s down from a high of 21.2 percent in 1951, but it still represents a significant segment of potential consumers in most markets.

If you can reach new movers early and distinguish your hospital or health system, you’re more likely to be their choice of provider when one is needed. Of course, simply being first isn’t enough. You need to have a solid strategy to create loyalty among people who have never used your services. Here’s how.

Excited Family Carrying Boxes Into New Home On Moving Day

1. Decide On A List Strategy

New movers aren’t new for long. You’ve got to get to them early. Depending on the size of your service area and how many new movers you have coming to your area, you’ll want to purchase lists monthly or bi-monthly. Don’t wait longer than two months to reach out to a new mover.

The good news is a lot of the content that goes into a new mover’s campaign is evergreen, so you’ll only need to update it every year or so.

2. Roll Out The Welcome Wagon

New movers have a lot going on. Unless they have an immediate medical need, they’re probably preoccupied with setting up house and finding the nearest gas station and grocery store. Don’t go in for the hard sell at first. Your first communication might be simply welcoming them to the neighborhood and offering them something for free. Speaking of…

3. Offer Them Something For Free

If only one thing stays the same in marketing, it’s this: People like free stuff. But you’ve got to think beyond the refrigerator magnet. And since new movers are a relatively small group in comparison to most of your marketing efforts, it’s OK to spend a bit more per piece. Some ideas to consider are branded digital thermometers, first-aid kits, growth charts and electric outlet covers for new movers with young children, food diaries and pillboxes for seniors. It’s helpful if you can select a tchotchke that is related to health and wellness that reinforce your services.

Then again, who says your giveaway has to incur postage costs? Why not offer up free admission to a CPR class or a 45-minute personal session with a staff dietitian? Whatever you decide, make it easy for people to get their freebie. In other words, don’t make them fill out a 20-question survey at this stage (and maybe never). Just collect as much data as you need to add them to your opt-in list.

4. Help New Movers Find You Online

Just like everyone else, new movers rely on online directories and reviews to decide where to go for care. So it’s essential you up your local SEO game.

Travelers search for maps with their mobile phone at the train station.

In addition to the questions your established residents are asking Alexa, give some thought to queries specific to new residents. This group is more likely to be searching for a primary care physician than people who have lived in the neighborhood for a while. New movers also are more interested in knowing where the nearest urgent care clinics and emergency departments are.

Give some consideration, too, to how a new resident might refer to the area versus a long-term resident. For example, would they be most likely to search “Old Town Scottsdale hospital” like people who’ve lived in the area for a while would? Or are they more likely to search for a hospital in “Downtown Scottsdale,” as the city has been trying to rebrand itself for the past year?

5. Don’t Stop There

Because new movers might not need your services for months or even years, it’s imperative you continue to reach out to them. Check out these long-term relationship-building strategies to keep your hospital a (new) household name.

TotalCom Marketing is a full-service healthcare marketing and advertising agency that believes in getting great results from telling great stories – our clients’ stories. Contact us for more information or view our work here.