Advances in applied medical technology are rapidly outdistancing the ability for doctors, hospitals and healthcare communicators to explain “what’s new” to the typical patient. This is more than health apps, consumer gadgets and wearable devices. The ongoing challenges for medical communicators include: Because patients are better informed and more involved in their health and medical […]
Technology makes the Internet pervasive in American society, and social media is practically a national pastime. Easy to use smartphones and tablets empower the individual—people of every age group—anywhere, anytime. “Mobile” is the watchword of Internet marketing and the primary platform for SM users. Physicians and other healthcare providers have been quick to adopt techno-tools […]
One of the oldest and most familiar brand names in the mattress industry—Sealy—owes much of its success to an advertising executive. He invented the slogan: “Sleeping on a Sealy is like sleeping on a cloud.” This goes back to the early 1900’s when Earl Edwards, a successful ad-executive-turned-entrepreneur purchased patents and bought into the bedding business. […]
Much like applied medical science, the art of social media mastery begins with asking the right questions. Right up front, the question isn’t “IF you should be using social media” in your health care marketing mix. The better question is: “WHICH of the dozens of social media platforms are the best tools for my plan?” […]
In our previous post about the strangest form of Analysis Paralysis, we wrote about doctors and others who seem to enjoy being a healthcare marketing spectator…but they never venture off the sidelines and actually get into the game. From time to time we encounter a similar sort of marketing malady where a physician or administrator […]
It’s that time of the year when savvy healthcare marketing minds are thinking about budgets. Prudent fiscal management sets budgets annually, but reviews and adjusts monthly. If you’ve been faithful to that routine, you have a head start on planning and shaping your hospital or doctor marketing budget for the year ahead. But it’s not […]
Among the trending buzzwords in healthcare marketing are labels related to the “consumer decision journey,” patient journey,” or even “purchasing funnel.” The orderly process steps in selecting a healthcare provider begins online with research, awareness and other steps that lead to a provider selection and a new patient appointment. But don’t kid yourself; patients don’t […]
The non-verbal side of communications is so easily overlooked that…well, it’s often seen but ignored. It doesn’t communicate or it miscommunicates. In the simple routine of a doctor-patient encounter, the physician’s ability to diagnose and treat a medical condition is a major communications exchange. And body language—the gestures, postures, expressions that communicate physical, mental or emotional […]
Here’s a slightly obscure—but marketing-useful—tidbit of healthcare history that many doctors don’t know. You can amaze your friends with the story of Caduceus vs. Asclepius…but they probably don't belong in your healthcare branding. Stick with me on this. Amid the dynamic changes in healthcare, hospitals and medical practices throughout the US often find themselves in need […]
Nearly everyone agrees with the well-intended ideal of an informed healthcare consumer. But if your hospital is listed among the major national “hospital ranking” systems, you may need to offer some guidance and interpretation. From a 50-thousand foot altitude, providing patients and/or prospective patients with comparative insight about the good (and the not-so-good) performance of […]
Somewhere in the US—we wouldn’t disclose exactly where—there’s a large medical practice that has, until recently, been in a relationship with a local advertising agency. What’s troubling about this relationship is that, over many years, the agency never talked about results, data or Return-on-Investment. The medical practice likes the people they were working with, and […]
Recently I was looking for a new school for one of my daughters. In that process, I phoned one of the prospective organizations—a modern school with a good reputation and a progressive-sounding name. The individual who answered the phone was immediately helpful; even on the phone her obviously winning personality and positive demeanor came through […]
Here’s a totally unscientific marketing experiment: Look up from your smartphone (just for a moment) and scan the people at any Starbucks—or any airline departure lounge—or any street corner. It’s become a social caricature: People of all ages have their heads down with a deeply-connected gaze into the mobile, tablet or laptop device in front of […]
Google—perhaps the most valuable brand in the world—recently announced a corporate restructuring with the holding company name of Alphabet. The new structure, strategy and operating details are complex and widely reported in business media and on Google’s own site. But a corporate powerhouse like Google-now-Alphabet will, according to many observers, have a major influence in […]
By some estimates, hospitals have been behind the social media adoption curve. Unlike retail and service businesses, health systems and hospitals have had to navigate HIPAA considerations, find solid ground in healthcare’s changing landscape, and struggle with ever-present limitations of time and budget. Fortunately, that’s changing. Organizations recognize the considerable benefits of social media and […]
If there’s one—close-to-perfect and always effective—secret to engaging doctors and others, this is it: Sharing timely, useful and interesting information--directly and personally. This makes an unforgettable and lasting impression that grows relationships with physicians and professional colleagues. If you prefer, think of this as an old fashioned, personalized and “analog” take on the benefits of […]
Email marketing is a powerful healthcare marketing tool because it is relatively low cost, it’s quick and immediate, and nearly everyone uses it. That’s the easy part. The trouble is that it is increasingly difficult to do it right. The perfect email—one that is opened, read, acted upon and shared—is elusive. Frankly, devising an effective […]
Your office door bursts open and a shiny-suit sales person launches his well-worn spiel about the latest-and-greatest advertising opportunity that’s certain to make you and overnight success. Maybe it’s not quite that dramatic, but every medical office has encountered someone selling something…from pens with your name on them to a (supposedly) full service ad agency. And […]
The crowd sourcing, user-review site Yelp has emerged as a regular reference check for people looking for hospitals, doctors, urgent care, dentists and other health and medical businesses. Notwithstanding that Yelp is a mash-up of all types of local business listings—from auto repair to yogurt stores—prospective patients frequently tap into the social networking reviews, comments […]
“Stop already,” you say…you’ve heard them all before. Some (hopefully, only a few) patients gripe and complain about all the usual stuff. We’re not talking about the assorted medical or health complaint. It’s those issues—large or small, serious or trivial, real or imaginary—that bubble up in the course of dozens of patient visits to a […]
Medical practices—especially specialty practices that need to be assertive in their marketing efforts—generally have three resource options for marketing talent. Depending on the complexity and goals of the marketing effort, the size of the practice and budget, and other considerations, a medical practice will need to draw upon all three options: Healthcare Advertising Agency – […]
A truly excellent crystal ball—with the ability to accurately foretell the future of hospital branding—is practically nonexistent. While hindsight is 20/20, looking beyond the horizon and trend spotting in marketing are clouded by the near-constant change in healthcare. But, motivated by intense competition—and the dynamics of change—many of the best minds in hospital leadership are […]
All too often, the love-hate attitude about online physician rating sites comes down to a strong desire by doctors to simply ignore them. Related: 9 Essential Steps to Improve Doctor Ratings Online After all, doctors are too busy to attend to the largely imperfect and unreliable noise and chatter of patient comments. Even the “positive” […]
Cyber attacks on patient healthcare records and medical information are hot-news headlines—and an increasingly realistic prospect for health systems, hospitals and medical practices. Is your PR or Communications Plan ready for this digital broadside? Large-scale criminal data breaches, such as the reports regarding the UCLA Health System (affecting over 4 million people), are high profile […]
I met a doctor recently who appeared to be an advocate of physician marketing. From outward appearances, he seemed to be the kind of marketing-smart champion of ethically and effectively attracting new business to his practice. He said he appreciates, and avidly reads, our Healthcare Success Marketing Insight Newsletter, as well as our blog and […]
Great business minds will remind us that procrastination is a thief. It robs us of time, opportunity, and in some situations, it steals cold, hard cash. “To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.” ~ Eva Young Simple neglect or forgetfulness can undermine the best intentions and solid returns of a […]
Editor Note: Our guest post today is by Dr. Neil Baum, MD, and is adapted and condensed from his article titled, Doctors and Magicians: What We Can Learn from Wizards, and used with permission. One of my hobbies is magic and I have found that there are principles in performing magic that apply to […]
If anyone still harbors doubts about the momentous—and mostly positive—influence of the Internet in healthcare, you can now apply the question marks of life to other things. (Lunar landing conspiracy theories and the whereabouts of Waldo still need some careful consideration.) But the convergence of patient/consumers and healthcare delivery is complete, and the pathway to […]
The term of art—Level of Care—is familiar throughout healthcare. The words have variations in meaning depending on the context and application—the health insurance world vs. the medical provider world, for example. But generally the words relate to “the intensity of medical care being provided by the physician or health care facility.” [McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern […]
Each year, the much-anticipated list of Best Hospitals by US News & World Report is a great national springboard for local and regional hospital public relations. Here’s an example of win-win-win PR that brings the big story down to the local reader. The San Diego Union-Tribune put the media spotlight on two respected, and nearby, […]
With all the noise and ballyhoo that surrounds digital media these days, traditional media might seem like an incidental afterthought for healthcare advertisers. Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools are often the top-of-mind glamour options in a marketing mix, and broadcast/cable TV seem like media oldsters. Be careful. While Internet and online advertising is […]
Every contemporary textbook about hospital and healthcare marketing deserves a robust chapter about the art of storytelling. Nearly everything that professional communicators do involves telling a compelling story, usually with the goal of engaging an audience and inspiring an action. From a one-to-one conversation between doctor and patient, to the focused interests of a social […]
The profound influence of the Internet in American society is drawing healthcare marketing away from traditional communications channels. Online search and social media are the starting points for most patient health journeys, and they are major influences in the selection of doctors and hospitals. Nobody has proclaimed that “traditional media is dead,” and that’s unlikely […]
Recently I spotted an article about online reservations for hospitals and doctors, where patients make their own appointments via the Internet. “Some practices rave about the money and time they've saved by allowing patients to schedule visits through the Internet,” according to the American Medical News write-up. “But so far, most physicians aren't that enthusiastic.” […]
From a top-level perspective, a well-conceived marketing plan expresses four key elements. If each component of your plan does not clearly and specifically answer these questions, synergy and success are at risk. Mindful that “performance precedes accountability by a narrow margin,” confirm the following for every item on the plan: WHEN will this occur? Create […]
Marketing-savvy hospital administrators—and their tuned-in communications teams—are writing new rules for success in reaching, attracting and retaining patients. As the nation’s healthcare delivery system has become an ever-changing playing field, many of the “old rules” of marketing are less important—including more than a few that are now passé. Among the well-known influence factors that continue to […]
In this Marketing Podcast, Healthcare Success Co-Founder Lonnie Hirsch and author and speaker Neil Baum, MD discuss the patient and practitioner advantages of shared medical appointments. In this detailed conversation. Dr. Baum outlines how shared appointments are provided in his office, and the benefits that patients report when this option is available. Healthcare delivery in […]
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is not quite the mysterious term that is once was. The doctors, hospitals and health systems that operate most of the nation’s health care websites recognize the vital role of medical SEO in connecting the patient with the provider. But unlike the words and graphics of a website—the stuff anyone can […]
Not so long ago, you might have seen advances in digital sign technology as minor wizardry. But today contemporary consumers—routinely surrounded by big-screens and monitors—see anything less as "aging analog." The traditional state-of-the-art in signage consisted of a static display with Helvetica words, symbols and maybe an occasional graphic. In contrast, progressive hospitals and medical centers are turning […]
One business tip—something your health care competition may not know—is that email is a highly effective secret weapon for physician marketing. When some reports suggested otherwise, Gigaom Research told us that, among digital marketers, “Email marketing is the digital workhorse, deemed the most effective (relative to other digital tactics) for building awareness, acquisition, retention and […]
“All you have to do,” someone once told every young doctor, “is be a good provider and everything will take care of itself.” Let’s put that notion at the top of this list of promotional myths. The mistaken belief—that simply being a good doctor will bring new patients through your door—will probably make you and your […]
The near-constant atmosphere of change in healthcare is taking more than a few medical practices back to their marketing drawing board. Doctors are forming new groups, practices are consolidating, and competition is escalating. And for many, the online workhorse of physician marketing—your trusted website—needs to change dramatically to reflect a new name, a new brand…maybe […]
Although the Affordable Care Act (ACA), in its final, amended version, has been the law of the land for slightly more than five years, the industry-shaking consequence of “healthcare reform,” continue to emerge almost daily. There have probably been more significant changes in the nation’s healthcare delivery system—for providers, hospitals, employers and health insurance—between 2010 […]
From time to time, the subject of television advertising comes up in our work with healthcare providers. What follows, typically, is a little three-act cycle of “rejection,” to “reluctant testing,” to “enthusiastic surprise.” Right up front, I need to say that broadcast television advertising isn’t right for every client situation. There are production and media […]
If one minute of video is worth 1.8 million words, this video-based article offers up some useful ideas (and a little inspiration) in a bit more than 13 million word-equivalents. It’s also a legitimate business excuse to put your other work aside—call it healthcare marketing research—and become one of the 100 million Internet users who […]
The marketing and advertising idea defining a “Buyer Persona” is well known in the retail world, but it’s a relatively new—and increasingly important—concept for doctors, hospitals and healthcare providers. The nation’s healthcare delivery system is now consumer-centric and driven by informed and empowered “buyers.” Taking a page from the retail world, the consumer is thoughtfully gathering information […]
For many healthcare practices, the popular and easy-to-use social media platforms are standard marketing tools. Professionally and personally, it seems like everyone “does Facebook” or follows Twitter. In this guest post, Mickey Kennedy observes how “easy-to-use” can mean “easy-to-make-mistakes" in social media. Healthcare providers—individual practices, medical groups, hospitals and others—are critically aware that prospective patients […]
Within the healthcare industry, reputation management is not new. But when the venerable Washington Post has something to say about hospitals and health systems, people in American’s capital and throughout the nation tend to take notice. An insightful Post Health & Science section article reports on “a new and urgent effort by hospitals and health […]
[Second of Two Parts] The concluding guest post installment from Pediatric Rheumatologist Dr. Paul Rosen about the challenging, self-discovery process of creating a compelling 18-minute public presentation. Although a TED talk is one example, doctors can use similar, public forum opportunities to draw on and express their passion for the profession and the people they serve. See Part One […]
If you buy into all the stats, everyone with a smartphone, tablet, laptop and/or desktop computer is immersed in “the year of video marketing.” And that’s pretty much everyone. Marketing-smart professionals—from retail to health care providers and hospitals—recognize the potential power of the PLAY button to engage, convince and convert. Some of the often-quoted statistics […]
