While your competitors fight over the same physician referral scraps, top radiology practices are building direct patient relationships through marketing that most medical practices ignore. The truth is, traditional medical marketing agencies think inside a very small box. They focus on physician outreach, basic websites and generic Google Ads.

Sure, those are essential to growing any radiology business. But they’re missing dozens of patient acquisition opportunities that most practices ignore. Patients need imaging services for reasons that go far beyond what their primary care doctor orders. They have health concerns, family histories, workplace requirements and personal wellness goals that create demand for diagnostic imaging.

The practices that recognize this are capturing patients that never even make it to their competitors’ referral lists. Here are 11 unconventional marketing strategies that fill radiology schedules.

1. Partner With Local Employers for Workplace Wellness Programs

Most radiology practices never think about B2B marketing, but local businesses spend thousands on employee wellness programs. Companies want to offer health benefits that keep employees healthy and reduce insurance claims.

Create corporate wellness packages that include preventive imaging: executive physicals with cardiac CT, bone density screenings for office workers or occupational health imaging for industrial employees. Market directly to HR departments and benefits coordinators.

Radiology Marketing Tip #1: Target companies with 50+ employees who already offer wellness benefits. Position imaging as a proactive health benefit, not just reactive medical care. Include convenient scheduling and group discounts.

2. Build Relationships With Urgent Care Centers

Urgent care centers see patients who need imaging but can’t always provide it on-site. Many urgent cares refer to hospital radiology departments because they don’t know about independent imaging centers with faster turnaround times.

Instead, develop partnerships with urgent care centers in your area. Offer same-day or next-day scheduling for their referrals, rapid reporting and direct communication with their providers.

Radiology Marketing Tip #2: Visit urgent care centers in person with information about your services, turnaround times and scheduling options. Provide them with referral pads pre-printed with your information and a direct scheduling phone number.

3. Create Patient Ambassador Programs

Your happiest patients can become your best marketing team. But most practices never ask them to help. Patients who’ve had positive experiences are often willing to share their stories if you give them an easy way to do it.

Develop an ambassador program where satisfied patients can earn rewards for referring friends and family. This works well for services like mammography, where women often discuss healthcare with their social circles.

Radiology Marketing Tip #3: Identify patients who have positive interactions with your staff. Invite them to join your ambassador program with perks like priority scheduling, newsletters or small gifts. Give them referral cards to share with friends and family.

4. Sponsor Community Health and Fitness Events

Health fairs, charity runs and fitness expos attract people who are proactive about their health. That’s exactly the demographic that values preventive imaging. Instead of just setting up a booth, become a presenting sponsor with educational content. Offer on-site consultations about when someone might need imaging, provide educational materials about preventive scans or sponsor specific aspects of the event like recovery areas.

Radiology Marketing Tip #4: Don’t just hand out brochures. Offer something valuable like free health screenings, educational seminars about imaging or consultations about family health history and imaging recommendations.

5. Develop Specialized Packages for Specific Demographics

Generic medical marketing treats all patients the same, but different demographics have specific imaging needs. To stand out, speak directly to these various market segments.

Examples: “Peace of Mind” packages for people with cancer history, “Active Lifestyle” packages for athletes or “Executive Health” packages for busy professionals who want comprehensive preventive care.

Radiology Marketing Tip #5: Research the demographics in your area and create packages that address their specific health concerns and lifestyles. Market these packages to those communities through targeted advertising and partnerships with relevant organizations.

6. Partner With Pharmacies for Health Screening Cross-Promotion

Pharmacies are increasingly offering health screenings and wellness services. Many pharmacy customers are health-conscious and interested in preventive care. Partner with local pharmacies to cross-promote services.

When someone gets a blood pressure check or cholesterol screening at the pharmacy, they might be interested in cardiac imaging. When someone picks up osteoporosis medication, they might need bone density scans.

Radiology Marketing Tip #6: Approach independent pharmacies and regional chains about cross-referral opportunities. Provide educational materials they can share with customers and offer to speak at their events.

7. Target Online Communities and Support Groups

People dealing with health concerns often join online communities, local support groups and social media groups. These communities share experiences and ask for healthcare recommendations.

Become a trusted resource in relevant online communities by sharing educational content, answering questions (where appropriate), and providing helpful information about imaging procedures.

Radiology Marketing Tip #7: Join local Facebook groups, health forums and community discussion boards. Share educational content about imaging procedures, preparation tips and what to expect.

8. Create Educational Workshop Series

Position your practice as a community health education resource by offering workshops about imaging, health screening and preventive care. Partner with community centers, libraries, senior centers and civic organizations.

Topics could include:

“3 Keys to Prepare for Your First MRI”

“Understanding Your Mammogram Results”

“Family Health History and Imaging Recommendations”

Radiology Marketing Tip #8: Offer workshops in accessible community locations. Provide practical, helpful information that attendees can use regardless of where they get imaging services. This builds trust and positions you as a healthcare resource.

9. Leverage Patient Convenience as a Differentiator

Most medical marketing focuses on clinical quality, but patients often choose based on convenience factors: location, hours, scheduling and customer service. Market these practical benefits.

Highlight same-day scheduling, extended hours, multiple locations, parking availability and comfortable waiting areas. These factors matter more to patients than the specific MRI machine model you use.

Radiology Marketing Tip #9: Survey your current patients about what convenience factors matter most to them. Use this feedback to improve your services and market these improvements prominently in your advertising and website content.

10. Develop Relationships With Alternative Healthcare Providers

Chiropractors, physical therapists, sports medicine doctors and other alternative healthcare providers often need imaging for their patients. Many of these providers refer to hospitals because they don’t know about independent imaging options.

Build relationships with these providers by offering fast scheduling, direct communication and competitive pricing for their referrals.

Radiology Marketing Tip #10: Visit alternative healthcare providers in person with information about your services. Emphasize quick scheduling and results, since these providers often need imaging to guide treatment decisions quickly.

11. Use Retargeting to Re-Engage Website Visitors

Most medical practices ignore website visitors who don’t immediately schedule appointments. These visitors showed interest in your services but may have been researching or comparing options.

Set up retargeting campaigns that show helpful ads to people who visited your website but didn’t schedule. Use educational content, patient testimonials or scheduling incentives to bring them back.

Radiology Marketing Tip #11: Create retargeting ads that address common patient concerns: “Still have questions about your MRI?” or “Ready to schedule that mammogram?” Include links to educational content or easy scheduling options.

Your Competition Is Missing These Opportunities Every Day

The radiology practices that thrive in 2025 (and beyond) won’t be the ones with the most expensive equipment or the biggest budgets. They’ll be the ones who understand patient acquisition as a multifaceted challenge requiring creative, patient-focused solutions.

That’s where Slamdot’s approach makes the difference. We’ve worked with radiology practices to implement marketing strategies that go far beyond what typical medical agencies offer. Our reviews from healthcare providers and service businesses demonstrate our commitment to transparent ROI without long-term contracts.

While you focus on providing excellent patient care, we’ll handle ROI-generating marketing strategies that fill your schedule with patients your competitors never even knew existed.

Want a free audit on your current marketing? Contact us today!

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