Your pharmacy is great. You know that, but do your customers? What’s the best way to get the message out and raise your pharmacy’s profile?

1. Blogs, vlogs and social media

Latest figures suggest over 80 per cent of UK adults regularly visit social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to access news and information. If you’re going to use these channels to market your business, pharmacist Thorrun Govind (on Twitter as @pharmthorrun) says any interaction can be valuable: “Using social media puts a human face on what you are up to and is an easy way of connecting to a larger consumer database. Speak from the heart about what you are doing, but make sure to keep it professional.”

2. Email and e-newsletters

Gavin Birchall, founder and managing director of pharmacy marketing company DOSE Design and Marketing, says newsletters and emails can be another effective tool, but you need to take note of the forthcoming GPDR data protection requirements. He says: “GPDR may feel like another hoop to jump through but you don’t want to be the one who is investigated. Get reliable legal advice and act accordingly.”

3. Bag it up

Getting a patient to read a piece of marketing material is very difficult, but leaflets in prescription bags have done a great job for years and that isn’t changing. Patients look at what you put in their bag because they trust you. Birchall’s advice is: “Leaflets in prescription bags represent a direct line to your patient. You pay for the leaflet but the channel is free, so make the most of this option.”

4. Access the airwaves

Local radio is also worth considering in your marketing plan. “Contact your local stations and let them know you exist,” says Govind, who is also the resident pharmacist at BBC Radio Lancashire. “Tell them to think of you if they want a healthcare spokesperson, but be ready to be called on at short notice when a story breaks.”

5. Attend local events

Getting out and about is useful for reaching customers who don’t already know and use your pharmacy, but Birchall says only choose events that relate to your brand: “Attending the local cheese and wine expo might be a little confusing for people.”

6. Invite your MP

Asking your local MP to visit is great for raising awareness of your business in the local press, plus you have the opportunity to impress your MP on behalf of the profession. But Birchall warns: “Prepare. Can you present the MP in a positive light while doing the same for your pharmacy? Think about demonstrating your services, plan photo opportunities, and create a story with a human angle.”

7. Awareness days

From Ask Your Pharmacist week to Movember, awareness days are a great way to promote your pharmacy. Search for ‘national health days’ online and you’ll find plenty of sites listing what’s happening when. Lots of charities provide promotional materials that you can use in pharmacy, so contact them for more details.

8. Work with GPs

Govind has a great suggestion for engaging GPs. She says: “If I ever get a GP coming into the pharmacy I actively encourage them to have an MUR themselves so they can see what it’s all about.”

9. Connect with business

The personal touch that community pharmacy excels at extends to face-to-face networking in your local business community as well. Last year Govind’s council gave flu vaccinations to council workers, which she was able to administer via a PGD through the LPC. Her advice: “Contact your local LPC to see what they are working on and see if you can get involved.”

10. Share the love

Don’t just limit your activities to one channel. Birchall suggests: “You will always achieve better return on investment if you spend your marketing budget intelligently across a range of communications channels rather than just one. Go for it!”