Healthcare marketing isn’t just about running campaigns and counting clicks. The true challenge lies in understanding your patient or customer at every touchpoint—from the moment they realize a need, to the first appointment, all the way through ongoing care and follow-up. At Red Shoes, we know that success in healthcare marketing starts with building a thoughtful and actionable customer journey template, customized for the unique needs of healthcare decision makers.

Why a healthcare marketing customer journey template matters

Today’s patients and healthcare buyers are overwhelmed by information, but still seek trust, reassurance and seamless experiences. If you’re a marketing director or CEO of a healthcare practice, you already know your target audience expects more than clever ads. They want empathy, expertise and frictionless care. Having a detailed customer journey template aligns your team around the entire patient experience—making your marketing more effective and measurable.

Step 1: Define your audience and their mindset

Effective healthcare marketing begins with a clear understanding of your ideal customer. Here’s how we approach this first and essential step:

Demographics: Age, gender, occupation and other identifiers relevant for your specialty
Pain Points: What issues or fears keep them up at night? Are they seeking elective or urgent care? Do they need long-term treatment or a one-time visit?
Decision Makers: Especially in B2B or elder care, note who researches and who ultimately chooses a provider
Channels Used: Where do they look for answers—Google, social media, referrals?

We like to get personal: Imagine you are the patient. Walk through the decision-making process. Jot down every question and hesitation you might have.

Step 2: Map out healthcare’s unique stages

The journey for someone choosing a healthcare provider is very different than, say, picking out a new appliance or joining a gym. At Red Shoes, we typically divide the healthcare customer journey into these key stages:

Awareness: The patient realizes they have a need. It might start with symptoms, routine care reminders or a family member’s concern.
Consideration: They begin researching options. This may include searching online, reading reviews, asking for recommendations and exploring your website.
Evaluation: The customer narrows choices—reviewing services, provider bios, insurance info, and looking for trust indicators like certifications or patient testimonials.
Decision/Action: Scheduling the first appointment. How easy is it? Are there digital options? Is help one call away?
Care Experience: The onboarding, appointment and follow-up process. Think reminders, directions, post-visit care instructions and ongoing communication.
Loyalty & Advocacy: Will they return and refer others? Feedback requests, patient education and ‘thank yous’ matter here.

Mapping these stages will help you identify both obvious and subtle opportunities for engagement across the entire span of their decision-making.

Step 3: Pinpoint key touchpoints and questions at each stage

At every stage, patients encounter moments that make or break their trust and satisfaction. For each stage above, jot down:

What triggers movement to this stage? (e.g., symptom spotted, ad seen, friend’s suggestion)
What questions do they have? (Is my insurance accepted? Is the provider experienced with my condition?)
How do they want to interact? (Website chat, phone call, online form, direct message?)
What content or support do they expect?

Don’t be afraid to get specific. For example, in elder services, family members may want downloadable guides and checklists. In urgent care, patients look for fast appointment booking and clear pricing. If you’re stumped, survey your front desk team—they hear these questions every day.

Step 4: Audit existing assets and identify gaps

Before rushing to produce new content, see what you already have. Complete a marketing audit to assess:

Website: Is information easy to find and up to date?
Social Media: Are you answering common patient questions? Do you address health topics your audience cares about?
Email Drip Campaigns: Are new patients nurtured with reminders, FAQs and post-visit surveys?
Brochures and Office Materials: Are printed touchpoints consistent with your digital presence?
Review Response Templates: Is your team ready to respond to both praise and complaints?

Match each asset to a stage and touchpoint from your journey map above. Where you see gaps (like no welcome email for new patients or missing insurance guides online), those become top priorities for improvement.

Step 5: Create your healthcare marketing journey template

With all the homework above completed, it’s time to organize your findings into a usable, repeating template:

Stage	Patient Questions	Touchpoints	Content/Assets	Goal	Owner
Awareness	Do I need to see a doctor?	Search, social media	Blog posts, symptom checklists, ads	Attract attention	Marketing
Consideration	What options are near me?	Website, reviews	Provider bios, insurance info, patient stories	Build trust	Marketing & team leaders
Evaluation	Can I get an appointment? Is care covered?	Contact forms, phone calls	Clear scheduling, FAQs, insurance links	Facilitate conversion	Patient coordinator
Action	How do I book easily?	Online scheduler, phone	Booking confirmation, map/directions	Remove friction	Front desk
Care Experience	What do I expect on visit day?	Reminders, receptionist, portal	Automated reminders, onboarding emails	Increase comfort and satisfaction	Practice nurse/staff
Loyalty & Advocacy	How can I give feedback? Will they remember me?	Post-visit emails, review requests	Follow-up surveys, health tips, review links	Build loyalty and referrals	Marketing

Step 6: Assign ownership and automate when possible

Each step of the journey needs a clear owner—whether that’s your head of marketing, digital team, front desk, or care coordinator. Don’t leave it to chance. Build accountability into your template. Where possible, automate repetitive touchpoints (such as appointment reminders or post-visit emails) to ensure consistency and free up human warmth for trickier interactions.

Step 7: Measure, refine and act on feedback

A journey template isn’t a one-and-done project. Set up measurement for each stage. Track what content brings in traffic, where people drop off, and what feedback you see in reviews or post-visit surveys. Regularly revisit your template, involving front-line staff for real input—it’s where the best ideas always come from.

Best Practices and Pro Tips from Red Shoes

Speak Plainly: In healthcare, clarity beats jargon every time. Use patient-friendly language, especially in complex specialties
Mobile Matters: People expect seamless experiences on their phones, especially for urgent care or appointment scheduling
Human Touch is Critical: Automate reminders, but make sure real people answer tough questions quickly and with empathy
Consistency Wins: Align your voice, imagery and promises across every touchpoint—patients notice gaps
Prepare for Crisis: Have a plan for negative reviews or bad press; your response matters as much as the initial care itself

Ready to build a better healthcare experience?

A strong customer journey template sets the foundation for everything from content strategy to digital ad spend, staff training and patient loyalty programs. If you want hands-on help—whether you’re starting from scratch or need an audit of your existing journey—Red Shoes is ready to partner with you. Let’s talk about how to make your marketing work smarter for your patients and your practice.

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