June is Men’s Health Month, a great time to think about how you can best support and retain the patients who have already chosen you at least once for their care. After all, attracting new patients is always important, but real long-term value lies in keeping patients returning to your practice when they need care again.
For urology practices, where many patients seek care episodically for issues like kidney stones, BPH, urinary tract infections, or incontinence, retention marketing can be the key to transforming one-time visits into lasting patient relationships.
At Practis, the medical and specialty practice marketing division of Onspire Health Marketing, we help urology practices build sustainable growth by aligning their marketing strategies not just for acquisition, but for retention. Why? Because patient loyalty leads to higher lifetime value, stronger word-of-mouth, and greater operational efficiency. Let’s explore how a smart retention marketing approach can support practice performance and patient outcomes.
Why Retention Marketing Matters in Urology
Urology is a specialty often associated with sensitive or urgent health concerns. Once a patient receives a procedure, treatment, or diagnosis, they may not think to return – especially if communication ends after the initial visit.
But of course, many urology patients are ideal candidates for long-term care. Whether it’s ongoing PSA monitoring, pelvic floor therapy, erectile dysfunction treatment, or chronic bladder issues, your patients are likely to have evolving health needs that require regular follow-up and guidance.
Retention marketing, at its core, is about building that relationship between the patient, the provider, and the entire team that makes up a urology practice. As the practice of urology evolves and care becomes increasingly personalized, there are many opportunities to deliver “wow” experiences that keep patients coming back. Relationships build loyalty and ensure your practice stays top of mind and top of inbox, so when patients are ready, they come back to you.
Three Key Pillars of Urology Retention Marketing
Reconnecting with your patients should be as easy as 1-2-3 – both for them and for you. By ensuring you stay focused on these three pillars of urology retention marketing, you stay top-of-mind with your patients.
1. Timely and Purposeful Follow-Up
Every appointment is an opportunity to establish continuity. Post-visit follow-ups, whether by phone, email, or SMS, do more than close the loop on care. They demonstrate attentiveness and build trust. Effective follow-up campaigns may include:
- Appointment reminders for repeat screenings or labs
- Post-procedure instructions and check-in messages
- Surveys to gauge satisfaction and flag concerns early
- Invitations for consultations related to new services or preventive care
Even a simple “How are you feeling?” message after a vasectomy or cystoscopy can set your practice apart. Remember, it’s all about relationships in the final analysis.
Pro tip: Our database marketing automation platform can automate follow-up workflows while maintaining personalized messaging.
2. Email Marketing that Educates and Reconnects
Email remains one of the most powerful tools in your retention toolbox. It’s direct, cost-effective, and highly customizable. However, practices often underutilize it or rely on generic content that fails to resonate. A strong urology retention email strategy includes:
- Monthly or quarterly newsletters featuring relevant topics (e.g., prostate health, overactive bladder treatments, or lifestyle tips for kidney stone prevention)
- Seasonal campaigns—such as Men’s Health Month or reminders about annual screenings
- Patient reactivation emails for those who haven’t visited in 12+ months
- “Meet the Provider” or “New Service Spotlight” emails to reintroduce your team and offerings
The key is to keep content informative, not promotional. If patients see your emails as a trusted source of urologic health information, they’re far more likely to stay connected and come back when care is needed.
3. Personalized Care Plans and Communication
Today’s patients expect more than a transactional healthcare experience. They want personalized attention. For urology practices, this begins with creating individualized care pathways tailored to each patient’s diagnosis, age, gender, and lifestyle. Retention-focused strategies might include:
- Offering patients a roadmap of their expected follow-up schedule (e.g., “Here’s what to expect over the next 6 months after your TURP procedure”)
- Segmenting communications based on condition — for example, sending educational series to patients managing incontinence, or PSA monitoring reminders to men over 50
- Tailoring website content and call-to-action paths by patient type (e.g., first-time visitors vs. recurring patients)
When your messaging feels relevant to their personal health journey, patients feel seen, valued, and more inclined to stay loyal.
Don’t Forget the Digital Front Door
Retention marketing is more than outreach – it also includes the entire digital experience. Your website, online scheduling tools, and reputation all play a role in whether a patient comes back. Ensure your practice is:
- Easy to reach online, with prominent contact and booking buttons
- Offering intuitive portals for patients to access test results, message providers, or request refills
- Encouraging online reviews and testimonials to reinforce trust and credibility
- Maintaining up-to-date provider profiles and service pages so patients know what’s available
Every digital touchpoint should make it easier for patients to reengage with your care team.
Get a Free Marketing Analysis
Our experts are now offering a free marketing analysis to identify gaps in your digital marketing strategy so you can enhance patient volume at your practice.
Measure What Matters: Retention Metrics to Track
To optimize your retention efforts, monitor key indicators such as:
- Patient reappointment rates within 6 or 12 months
- Open and click-through rates on email campaigns
- Repeat visits per patient per year
- Net Promoter Score or patient satisfaction survey results
- Website returning-visitor traffic
Use this information to refine your messaging, automate where possible, and identify gaps in the patient journey.
Build Loyalty Through Value
Retention marketing requires you to deliver value consistently and meaningfully. By focusing on helpful, relevant communication, sensitive patient education materials, and thoughtful digital experiences, urology practices can strengthen relationships, enhance outcomes, and generate more predictable revenue over time. Not sure where to start? We can help! We specialize in healthcare marketing for medical practices, and we know how to ignite healthy growth for specialty practices just like yours.
After all, your patients already chose you once – and we can make sure they choose you again.
About Onspire Health Marketing and Practis
As an Onspire Health Marketing company, Practis ignites long-term, sustainable growth for medical specialties and practices of all types and sizes. We combine digital innovation, data-driven marketing strategies, and transformative growth solutions to provide full-service healthcare marketing solutions. With a vision that extends well beyond the conventional, we drive healthier brands through the power of authenticity, trust, and innovation.
Connect with us online or by email at grow@onspirehm.com today.