How to Write Magnetic Physician Recruiting Ads

For more than 20 years, physician recruiters across the country have been posting physician job opportunities on physemp.com. In that time, we’ve learned a lot about what kinds of ads appeal to doctors (and, conversely, what turns them off). To help you write ads that catch the attention of quality physicians, we’d like to share a helpful tip: remember to use AIDA.

Remember AIDA—the Classic Marketing Acronym

What’s AIDA? It’s a classic marketing acronym used by marketers around the world who are selling anything from sports cars to shampoo. As a physician recruiter, it’s important to think like a marketer. After all, you’re “selling” a job. Here’s how to sell it well:

Attention

Make sure your physician recruiting ad’s an attention-grabber. The headline and first few sentences are the best places to engage your audience. Instead of “Gastroenterology Opening,” try adding in a few enticing specifics, like “Lucrative Gastroenterology Job in Family-Friendly Madison.”

You’d be surprised (we always are) at how many recruiters seem to slap up their ad headlines without much thought! But if you take time to think up an attention-grabbing headline, prospective candidates will be much more likely to click through and respond.

Interest

Now that you’ve gotten the attention of your prospective physician candidate with that headline, be sure to follow through in the rest of your ad. Don’t skimp on content. Make it meaty and enticing. Let candidates know what the job entails, who you’re looking for, what the facility is like (even if you choose not to name it), and what’s special about the community.

Be sure to include all the top features of the opportunity—whether flexible hours, generous pay, excellent benefits, a great location, or a friendly team. Once again, we’re always surprised at how little information some recruiters include. Our advice? More is more.

Desire

By this point, you’ve covered the features of your opportunity. Now, read it through again and ask yourself whether or not you’ve included benefits that make the job desirable. In other words, what can you do to make the job appealing on an emotional level?

Some examples might be: “live by the beach,” “no daily commute,” “raise your family in a safe and supportive community,” “enjoy 300 days of sunshine per year,” or “work with a terrific team.” See the difference a little emotional appeal makes? Make sure your job posting answers the question, “What’s in it for me?”

Action

Now that you’ve gotten a doctor’s attention, interested him or her in your opportunity, and created a spark of desire to pursue the job, don’t just leave them hanging! Every good ad has a Call to Action that inspires readers to act, and gives them a clear direction to take. Tell the physician exactly what you want candidates to do. Call? Email? Apply via form? That’s the first step.

Creating a sense of urgency never hurts, either. Why do today what you can put off till tomorrow, right? If you need to fill the job quickly, let candidates know. If it’s a highly prestigious position, encourage physicians to get their applications in soon so they don’t miss their shot.

To review, the AIDA acronym for advertising is: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. Put those four principles to work in your next physician job posting, and you should see more action. Best of luck with your physician recruiting campaigns!

Questions or comments? Feel free to share your thoughts below.