Health Care Marketing in 2026
Health care and aged care firms
New patients only come when someone moves to the area or gets referred.
You depend entirely on word-of-mouth you can’t control. And when people do search for your services, they choose practices with more reviews.
Most health practices have hundreds of happy patients who’d gladly refer friends and family—if they were simply reminded and incentivised.
Why Now
Patients are asking AI, “Find the best [physio/dentist/GP] near me” before they book. They’re reading reviews, checking wait times, and judging expertise based on educational content you post. Practices with 50+ five-star reviews and active online presence get 3x more new patient enquiries than those without.
From a Mobility Robot to a Life Without Limits
How ROI Growth Agency transformed XSTO wheelchairs from a struggling product into an inspirational brand -achieving 13 resellers nationwide in 3 months and 250% lead growth
Read the full case study → here
The 5 Tactics
Practices using this system get 50-60% of new patients from referrals and organic search, while paid media ensures full schedules.
The Database: 2 Emails Per Month
- One with health tips, seasonal advice, or condition-specific education.
- One with appointment reminders, new services, or wellness check prompts.
Your existing patients know 10-20 people who need your services.
Key metric: Email open rate, appointment bookings, reactivation rate
Social Media & Google Business Profile: Weekly Updates
- Health tips, team introductions, patient success stories (with permission), new equipment/services.
- Google Business Profile is where 80% of local health searches happen.
Key metric: Google Profile views and actions, new patient enquiries
Systematic Referral Program
- "Refer a friend or family member, you both get $50 off your next visit." Send after positive appointments and quarterly to active patients.
- Health referrals convert at 60%+ because they come with trust
Key metric: % of new patients from referrals (aim 40%+), referral conversion rate
AI-Ready: Answer Questions Publicly
Educational content positions you as the trusted local expert.
- When should I see a [specialist] about [symptom]?
- What's the difference between [treatment A] vs [treatment B]?
- How long does [condition] take to heal?
Key metric: Educational content (50+ pieces yearly), organic search traffic
Paid Media to Your Target Audience
- Google Local Service Ads for "[service] near me" searches.
- Meta ads targeting local area by age/interests relevant to your services. Retarget website visitors who didn't book.
Key metric: Cost per new patient, patient acquisition cost vs. lifetime value