I don’t remember exactly when the first flat screen television appeared in a retail store. It’s been a while, but at least some of our readers will recollect a time when the bulky cathode ray tube (CRT) defined the profile of everyone’s television set. What I do recall about the then-new “flat screen” television was […]
The nation’s doctors and hospitals are well acquainted with the unprecedented dynamics of change in healthcare. The competitive landscape is shifting—seemingly every day. Yesterday’s passive patient is today’s informed (retail-trained and sometimes demanding) healthcare consumer. Insurance considerations—on both the provider- and the patient-side—are shifting sands of reimbursement tables, changing deductables, and out-of-pocket considerations. Physicians, who […]
[Series Installment] Once upon a time—as all fanciful tales begin—us good common folk of the kingdom never thought to question the reputation or chivalry of noblemen or knights. Nobles had their regal robes, and knights had their armor. And, in this bygone era in healthcare’s crown estate, legions esteemed their doctors, physicians and surgeons—the much […]
We spot something new in healthcare marketing and advertising almost daily. And a few new things make enough of a splash to hold our attention. Three items worth sharing crossed our radar recently. Facebook Canvas is in the “here and now” category. We would call Care Messenger “emerging, with potential.” And Virtual Reality Marketing, is just […]
We all face the challenge of working smarter, not harder. Healthcare marketing professionals know the struggle to deliver maximum results from limited or shrinking resources. So one of the important questions is: Where to get the biggest bang for your digital marketing? Glad you asked. It seems that the research folks at Ascend2 tested the […]
Let’s face it: There are a lot of doctors, medical practices and hospitals that wish they could go about their professional practice activities without the worry, hassle and distraction of marketing and advertising. But, as it turns out, modern medicine is a profession, but healthcare is a business. And, like it or not, the Affordable […]
Fifty-plus years ago, a doctor would come to the patient about 40 percent of the time. The nearly-lost practice (and nearly forgotten name) was known as “a house call,” and it all but disappeared 30 years ago. That’s changing…again… Customer convenience is the new currency in healthcare delivery and marketing today. More than ever, the […]
Healthcare marketing and advertising entails a certain amount of risk. Always has and always will. So the challenge for modern medical practices—individuals and organizations facing the new consumerism and intense competition—is how to achieve business and professional goals with a limited element of risk. Many providers are uncomfortable with the need to market their services. […]
Every medical provider's office gets at least two kinds of “opportunity” phone calls (described below) that potentially mean new business. Unfortunately, most doctors, medical groups and hospitals are losing new patients and cases when the phone rings…and they don’t know it. Here’s what’s going wrong, and what do instead. We don’t mean to be unkind […]
[Leadership Podcast Series] In this insightful and inspiring interview, Thomas H. Lee, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Press Ganey, and Stewart Gandolf, CEO of Healthcare Success, discuss An Epidemic of Empathy in Healthcare. In an increasingly consumer-driven health care environment, organizations must compete on delivering value for the patient. The traditional physician-centered world of health care delivery […]
It seems like a large measure of healthcare marketing is digital-driven for doctors. It’s standard practice for providers, medical groups and hospitals to have a website. OK, check. And creating a Facebook page is simple fare. OK, check again. Then there’s Twitter. We’ll that’s only 140-characters; so that’s easy enough. Someone in the office can […]
[Series installment.] Telling a meaningful story in—one that captures the imagination and interest of a patient—is best done face-to-face. Storytelling in healthcare requires preparation and practice, but the payoff is greater case acceptance, better compliance, and best of all, improved outcomes. One example: It’s standard procedure at a particular specialist’s office to present the patient […]
Happy Birthday to Twitter. The ubiquitous social platform in everyone’s pocket has matured significantly since its launch just 10 years ago. Considering the 140-character constraint, and the non-stop, fire hose gush Tweet-stream, Twitter provides some surprising and beneficial advantages for marketing and communications. And, one of the quickly emerging capabilities of Twitter for healthcare, hospitals […]
Is the Millennial Generation—AKA Millennials—a lazy bunch? Or has the pervasive availability of technology in society shaped an expectation of instant gratification? Or is convenience a byproduct of working families constantly pressed for time and resources? In spite of the abundance of reference material that attempts to define and describe the Millennial Generation, researchers can’t […]
[Second of two parts] If you have not already done so, please read our previous post, Hospital PR Case Examples: One Bizarre, One Just Crazy about the hospital cyber-attack-for-ransom. This second case example is a different sort of hospital public relations (and media relations) squabble, between the local newspaper and the local hospital. Nobody wants […]
Exactly a year ago, Google used its considerable clout to “demand” that most websites become “mobile-friendly.” The world’s biggest search engine now tends to favor responsive web design as a ranking signal. What that means is: Websites (those designed for a desktop or laptop screen) that can be easily seen on users mobile device (Smartphone […]
[A continuing series.] The previous installment of this article, Care and Feeding of Doctor Online Presence, Reputation and Brand, describes the connected relationship of presence, reputation and brand. Quite obviously, the indispensible foundation for reputation building excellence is a consistently high level of patient satisfaction. When patients are pleased or satisfied with the healthcare service […]
One ever-constant factor in the highly competitive world of plastic surgery marketing is change. Change happens; in the geographic marketplace, in healthcare competition, and in the effectiveness and efficiency of your plastic surgery marketing strategy. Elective care patients are, more than ever, informed and value-cautious consumers. Discretionary purchase decisions for cosmetic procedures—even for many affluent […]
[First of two parts] Two “PR-painful” news stories caught our attention recently. They are the kind of thing that makes the job of hospital public relations and community relations a challenge and headache…but, they illustrate why there are times that hospitals need professional help. For the hospitals involved— South Georgia Medical Center in Valdosta, GA, and […]
Doctors are no strangers to social media. Conservative estimates have it that at least 30 percent of physicians use one or more social media (SM) platform daily. Other estimates say it’s closer to 80 percent. The SM numbers are strong for hospitals, health systems and many group medical practices. Collectively, these are the progressive providers […]
[A continuing series.] If you ask 10 doctors about their professional reputation, most will say something about “what other doctors think about me.” True enough. Colleague attitudes—doctors who know you and others who recognize your name—are an important consideration. But there's more to it. From a business development perspective—your ability to attract more new patients […]
A breakthrough idea can be a scary thing. The nation’s healthcare delivery system has been a sea of change in general. But particularly off-putting are the notions that sharply depart from the comfort, familiarity and predictability of traditional ways of doing things. As a case in point, we might reasonably imagine the reactions of doctors […]
Social media has become so pervasive in American society that it’s impossible to ignore. Yet some physicians still dismiss it as the home for cute pet antics and baby birthday pictures. Mildly amusing, perhaps, but not professionally useful. Social media (SM) is a nearly indispensible tool in healthcare marketing and communications plans. Yet relatively few […]
As we visit with doctors and healthcare practices around the country, it’s usually easy to sense excellence in organizational leadership…or problems. Fortunately, the good examples shine through with a culture of talented people—the doctor, management and staff—working in a positively charged atmosphere that you can almost feel in the air. But then there are the […]
Ophthalmology specialists have long been aware of the need for marketing in their practice business plan. But as Yogi Berra might shrewdly warn, “the future is not what it used to be.” Under the general umbrella of “vision care services,” individual practice structures will vary in size, structure and operational emphasis. But ophthalmic practitioners and […]
Elementary advice about effective public speaking will remind you to know your audience, practice and know your material, smile, make eye contact, project your voice and other basics. With those tips alone—especially with practice and confidence—you’ll likely give a good presentation. When “good” isn’t good enough… For the president of the local Rotary club (a […]
It’s more than simply good fortune that our company enjoys a positive working relationship with our clients. The fact is that people want to do business with people and companies that they like and respect. And that’s a two-way street. This engenders a healthy environment and partnership attitude that drives new business and opportunity. There’s […]
There’s no battle royale here. Contrary to some heated discussions I’ve heard, direct response and brand or name-recognition marketing are both valuable tools in any healthcare marketing plan. It’s not an all-or-nothing proposition. That said, direct response advertising—where immediate customer action is measurable—is really challenging, and success depends on creating effective advertising that works. Be it […]
Just last month a guest post by Paul Rosen, MD, observed how some progressive-thinking health systems are reaching out to non-healthcare businesses for lessons in problem solving. “Health systems that want to deliver the best in terms of patient safety, quality and experience,” he wrote, “should consider looking outside their own industry for benchmarking.” Benchmarking: […]
[Leadership Podcast Series] In this conversation with Stewart Gandolf, CEO of Healthcare Success, Dr. James Merlino, president and chief medical officer of the strategic consulting division at Press Ganey provides an insightful perspective on healthcare’s evolving landscape, significant leadership issues and the state of patient experience. Prior to joining Press Ganey, Dr. James Merlino—also a practicing surgeon—was […]
A professional colleague shared this slightly aggravating-but-true story with us recently. Not to sound like a second-hand rant, but this experience spotlights a big marketing lesson about those pesky little online directory listings. In the end, fortunately, things worked out for the better. This tale begins with a patient (our colleague) being referred from a […]
Change isn’t coming; it’s an ever-present consideration. Simply keeping pace is the challenge for physicians, medical practice administrators and hospital leadership. Telehealth—and its various facets—continues to emerge as an important and strong change agent. And two recent, in-depth reports provide guidance for doctors, industry executives and forward-looking marketing professionals. As a component of health transformation, […]
Just about everyone in healthcare marketing would love to have a slice of social media effort or content to “go viral.” But, as you probably know, the chances of your post, video link, Facebook or Twitter post hitting the digital super-big-time are slim. The “viral bonanza” seems desirable. But in social media for health care, […]
It’s human nature, I suppose, to make quick judgments based on appearance. You know, the “first impressions” thing. Does an upscale restaurant serve a better meal than the “Corner Deli” place? Is the guy wearing a Brooks Brothers suit (and $200 necktie) better at being an attorney or financial advisor? Will a sleek and slim […]
[Part of a continuing series.] The Internet has dramatically reinvented how prospective patients find their way to the front door of your medical practice. “Traditional” healthcare marketing options—newspaper or magazine ads, radio/broadcast, PR, outdoor advertising—all continue to have an important place and useful purpose in your marketing plan. But in many situations, the mix of […]
Outdoor advertising—billboards in particular—seem to be more popular than ever in many hospital marketing and advertising plans. You don’t have to drive far to survey the crop of ads for hospitals (brand and ED wait times), service lines (specialists and clinics), and individual doctors or groups with hospital-connected practices. Admittedly, billboard advertising is a creative […]
Paul Rosen, MD A year ago, I had a chance meeting with OperaDelaware’s General Manager, Brendan Cooke. OperaDelaware is the 11th oldest opera company in the country, with offices just three miles from our front door at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, DE. Before long, Brendan and I were talking about the […]
[Part of a Series] Many medical practices are unaware of their own potential in evangelism marketing. Virtually every day, doctors and hospitals deliver a form of happiness and satisfaction to their patients. These are people who appreciate the health care solution that has resolved their medical concern. Unfortunately, this sense of patient gratitude is largely […]
Quite often, we see outdoor advertising for hospitals that is giant-sized evidence of a marketing department’s silent scream. Internal politics—more than any clear business purpose—dictated that the billboards prominently display a doctor’s picture. Or we see a stunning portrait of the hospital’s shiny “light speed” CT hardware. (Maybe both.) Yes, doctors are the soul of […]
As the little quote reminds us, sometimes “Good things come in small packages.” To demonstrate the concept, here are three little, clever and marketing-smart ideas that you can easily adopt as your own, use today, and maybe showcase your talent a little bit. I’ll keep this brief. The marketing quick-test mnemonic: “ID buyer. Find desire. […]
[First in a series.] American business author, entrepreneur and keynote speaker Guy Kawasaki has a fascinating, marketing-centered biography. In 1984 he was an Apple employee responsible for marketing Macintosh computers…becoming the Chief Evangelist of Apple. (History suggests it worked.) A Chief Evangelist (or Brand Evangelist) is, among other things, an ambassador for your product, service […]
It would be difficult for the general public to miss the daily torrent of news media coverage about the run-up to the next presidential election. But hospital administrators and healthcare communications professionals are focused on Health and Human Services' increasing emphasis on “quality-based payments,” “patient-centered systems” and “delivery system reforms.” There’s far less mainstream news […]
You might be surprised to learn how often we get questions about social media. Medical practices—and sometimes larger healthcare providers—want our help to “fix their social media.” The problem isn't the call; that's a lot of what we do for professionals. The core issue is that social media (SM) isn't the bad guy, and not the […]
There’s no mistaking this picture. Ryan is one happy kid. Ryan—the son of Niki Kaylor, our Director of Client Services—just received his first college acceptance letter. The envelope alone leaves no doubt about the University of South Carolina (USC) notification to Ryan, his family and friends. Niki—who happened to be at home with Ryan when […]
As the nation’s political season heats up every four years or so, we’re all bombarded with news coverage that’s all about candidates and their campaigns. Right up front, I want you to know that this article isn’t for or against a particular political perspective. But as an independent observer I want to spotlight an important […]
When opportunity knocks, you’ve got five minutes or less to answer the door or the game’s over. Consider this: The most wasteful expense in inbound marketing occurs when you fail to respond quickly…or at all. Healthcare providers, hospitals and medical practices pump big bucks into content-driven, inbound marketing efforts that engage and entice prospective patients […]
My son needed some new fishing gear so I took him to our local Cabela’s store. We had our dogs with us in the back seat. I planned to leave them in the car while we ran in for 10 minutes to pick up a couple of items quickly. However, I saw another customer walk […]
In healthcare, successful “patient reactivation” cannot be a “dialing-for-dollars” quest for additional business from previous patients. As the following (true) story illustrates, expressing a genuine, person-to-person connection is an essential ingredient for success. Our Digital Advertising Director, Raheim Bundle, shared his experience with a local, family-oriented sports club where he has been a dues-paying member. […]
GUEST POST by Joel Cordle Acquiring new patients is a continuing challenge for doctors and healthcare providers, but perhaps the greater challenge—with longer-term rewards—is the ongoing effort to build trust and loyalty with existing patients. Here are several strategies to engage healthcare consumers and increase patient loyalty. Build your brand Branding is not just about […]
Competition in healthcare has never been more intense. Although we speak and write about this topic frequently, we continue to discover—with alarming frequency—that providers, group practices and even some hospitals continue to “duck-and-cover,” underestimate or ignore the competition. All too often we hear head-in-the-sand anti-strategy expressed in various ways: “We don’t have competition…” “Doctors are too […]
