Marketing for general practices in regional Australia

People search for a GP near them, whether the practice is taking new patients, opening hours, billing and how to book. They want facts more than persuasion.

The most useful marketing for a practice is often the least glamorous: correct hours, a booking link that works, and a plain statement of who you can see and what it costs.

A website that answers real questions. What you treat, who you see, what a first appointment involves, fees and how to book (website design and management).

Being found nearby. Search engine optimisation (SEO) and an accurate Google Business Profile, so people in your town and the towns around it find you.

A steady presence. Social media management that shows the people and the place, without patient stories.

Honest numbers. Tracking and reporting that shows calls, bookings and enquiries, each with its source and date.

Every plan is written for one clinic after a practice check. There are no packages.

Ahpra's advertising guidelines were developed jointly by the National Boards, so the same rules apply to your profession as to dentists. Section 133 of the National Law prohibits advertising that is false or misleading, offers an inducement without its terms and conditions, uses testimonials, creates an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment, or encourages unnecessary use of health services.

Billing claims. Statements about bulk billing must be true for the patients who read them, with the conditions stated. The guidelines say free is read as absolutely free, and that a service is not truly free if its cost is recovered from a source such as Medicare.

Titles. The guidelines restrict specialist titles to practitioners with the matching registration, and warn that combining a specialty title with a descriptive term can imply registration that is not held.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Ahpra and the TGA publish the rules, and their own guidance is the place to check your situation.