If you are setting up a new pharmacy in an area, then you will have a different approach than other businesses. You can’t market your services like, say, an ice cream shop. People come to pharmacies when they need to fill their prescription or have some other medical concern. So, you need to take a more informative and educational approach.
As a pharmacy, you will need to establish your authority and knowledge in the area, and let people know about any other services or products you offer. Here are a few ideas to help you promote your pharmacy in your area.
Make appealing posters
You should use tools like PosterMyWall to create your pharmacy posters. These posters should showcase your pharmacy services and also let people know what other products you offer, such as toiletries, snacks, etc.
Make sure you add your location, website link, and social media pages to your posters as well. Then, print them out and put them up in prominent areas around town. Also share them on your social media profiles.
Update your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile should not be ignored at all. You should claim it and make sure all the information there is correct. Ensure that the location is accurate, as well as the name and address. In addition, you should enable reviews and encourage customers to share their reviews and ratings.
When people search for pharmacies in your area, your profile should pop up in the first few results. This will help you get more customers, especially if your profile is populated and maintained well.
Participate in local events
Local events are a great way to become part of the community and establish your presence there. While you obviously can’t set up a stall with medicines at these events, you should have a small kiosk with flyers about health concerns and educational content.
You can also sponsor parts of local events or contribute finances or manpower to these events. This will help you gain a positive reputation in the community, and also highlight your business. In addition, this will give you the chance to communicate with other local businesses, and get more cross-promotion opportunities.
Run a health and wellness blog
Education and knowledge can be the most important tools in your arsenal as a new pharmacy. You can stand out from other pharmacies by showing that you care for the people in the area, and offer advice and information for their benefit.
So, run a health and wellness blog with information about common health concerns in the community. You can also offer lifestyle tips to help people lead healthier lives. This will show them that you are not just there to make sales, but are also there to help improve the general well-being in the area. This blog, run under your pharmacy’s name, is sure to build your reputation in the locality, especially if you promote it inline well.
Upgrade your website
It is important to keep your website up-to-date and upgraded. Your website should have key information about your pharmacy such as location, timings, and contact details. In addition, a well-maintained website will greatly improve your local SEO ranking as well.
This, compared with an updated Google Business Profile will get your pharmacy on the first page of people’s search results. You just have to ensure that the website works well on both desktop and social media, and is also easy to navigate.
Join local forums
Local online forums are some of the best ways to reach your audience directly. You can find these on social media as well as on specialized neighborhood groups. People often engage in a more involved and personal manner on these forums about their concerns and issues. They often share information about things such as allergy season, flu season, or recent COVID breakouts.
So, these forums give you the perfect platform to offer your services. Let people know that you have a variety of solutions for these health issues. In addition, if you participate on these forums regularly, you’ll gain a positive reputation in your community, and get more customers.
Be part of online directories
Online directories such as Yelp and Foursquare can really help your pharmacy. So, set up your profiles on these directories and share the links with your customers. Encourage them to rate and review your business on these directories. This way, you’re more likely to get new customers who visit you based on positive ratings.
These directories also help you improve your localized SEO presence, so you should make sure you maintain good ratings there.
In conclusion, there are many ways to promote your new pharmacy on a local level. Make sure you utilize these well, so that your business is successful.
