Years ago, the term “convergence” implied wonderful advances yet-to-come in technology. (Healthcare marketing professionals take note: advances lead to advertising opportunities.) “Someday” your cellular phone would also take pictures (who could possibly need that?), and you’ll be watching television programs on a laptop (isn’t that called a TV set?). In fact, that was a number […]
In the healthcare advertising agency industry, we’ve found that clients who are open to advice and guidance are those individuals who understand that there is a best practices approach to doctor marketing and advertising. Sometimes wisdom comes from making mistakes, but the wiser approach is to listen to and learn from the experience of others. […]
This year promises to be healthcare marketing's Year of the Video. Once an emerging trend, online video has already reached mainstream status. And as we look ahead, medical practices, dental offices, hospitals and other healthcare providers will be deploying new and creative uses of video. (We've included some exceptional examples below as new ideas you […]
We’d like to hear from our readers about a quote from a USA Today story. (We suspect that more than a few people will have a reply…perhaps a passionate reply.) The subject matter is physician liaison work and the context is primarily about hospital-physician relations. More broadly however, the subject is physician referral marketing in […]
Perhaps there is a tendency to take patient satisfaction for granted. It’s the part of doctor marketing that everyone does and, really now…there’s nothing to it. No big deal. Patient presents with symptom…diagnosis confirms…treatment follows…everyone’s happy. Right? Maybe not. Sound clinical care can resolve the medical problem, but the patient may still have a sense […]
Are you marketing or just wishing something will happen? Simply having a goal in mind does not achieve success. A goal without a plan is just a wish...and daydreams alone seldom produce results. To move beyond wishful thinking-and produce tangible results-requires specific goals and a well-crafted marketing action plan.
The surprising reason why patients leave and the impact to your bottom line. Most say nothing at all...they just don't return. Patient satisfaction is the cornerstone of patient retention. It's difficult to detect, but It is a perception of indifference that causes most people to quit coming back. And the financial loss to your business […]
Everyone in healthcare and hospital marketing likes business performance metrics. (Well, nearly everyone.) The benchmark or progress numbers that quantify exactly how we’re doing. It’s how marketing people (and the boss) keep score. Metrics tell us if a project is meeting its goals, or if an advertising campaign is producing results, and sometimes how we […]
With the approaching New Year, we like to look ahead for emerging trends in healthcare delivery and medical marketing. On our “new technology” list, there are three concepts (among many) that we’ll be watching closely in 2012. Marketing savvy doctors, administrators, dentists, hospital marketing and advertising professionals might want to keep these topics on your […]
A guest post by Randall S. Barton, PhD, Managing Partner, Ideopolis LLC We recently read a great article on the Healthcare Success site titled "Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition”—a Surprising Lesson for Doctor Marketing. It prompted us to write about a prevalent misconception in the medical industry today…that meaningful improvements must be big. In reality, […]
If a professional reputation is to be protected at all costs, should a healthcare provider file a lawsuit against a patient for a negative online review? From time to time we see news items about doctors or dentists who threaten legal action against patients. But suing a patient for a negative comment (or comments) is […]
Not so long ago, only a few hospitals and medical practices had some sort of “ambassador” on their staff. But as healthcare marketing and delivery systems have changed in recent years, this occasional and sometimes informal position has evolved significantly. Practices, hospitals and health systems large and small have hired physician liaisons for the primary […]
It’s no wonder that many physicians are frustrated with a lack of patient compliance and continued unhealthy lifestyles. Healthcare providers now have to contend with an “action gap,” and we’d like to hear your suggestions. How can healthcare marketing and advertising close the “action gap?” Here’s the problem. There's another survey out that confirms that […]
There’s nothing like a real-life success story to illustrate the bottom-line, dollars-and-cents value of a medical practice marketing principle. In this case, a physician group specialty practice more than doubled its new patient revenue by training the staff to properly answer the phone and book appointments.
It shocks me how many doctors say they want "first class" patients, but then treat these same patients (paying customers) like second class citizens. The following cautionary tale illustrates my point well.
As everyone with a holiday shopping list knows, “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” have propelled the season into high gear…including the search for the perfect gift idea for one healthcare practice or hospital to give to a physician’s office. Our earlier post, Whacky or Wonderful? Making Gift-Giving Memorable in Medical Practice Marketing, challenged medical practice […]
More Inside Tips, Dos and Don'ts to Reach Patients Through the Media EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a follow up article to Healthcare Publicity: The First Three Steps To Getting Free Press Coverage Our previous article about medical publicity and public relations got you started with the first three steps to discovering short-term healthcare practice publicity […]
Get Free Healthcare Practice Publicity by Giving Local Media What They Want Ever wonder what the difference is between advertising and publicity? Simply put, publicity is free. Advertising costs money. In other words, if a newspaper writes a news article about you (but doesn't charge you), that's publicity. If the newspaper charges you for the […]
by Healthcare Success Co-Founder Lonnie Hirsch Just recently, we happened to spot a thoughtful article about how small business needs to embrace new marketing methods to better cope with the nation’s tough economic climate. It turns out that the article was nearly two years old (an “eon” in marketing time), but small business is still […]
At a recent seminar, some of our attendees joined us in a rant about the pitiful customer service endemic at so many hospitals and practices. Some examples: 1. One surgeon shared a story about the time he "went home for Christmas," but ended up accompanying his very ill and nervous mother to the ER. A […]
Right about now you might be wondering exactly how the "Spanish Inquisition" catchphrase could possibly harbor a lesson for doctor marketing. The answer is surprisingly simple and it's a useful way to define, create and deliver an exceptional patient experience. To be clear, we're not talking about a patient's medical care or the provider's skills, […]
There’s something unsettling about the healthcare article in The Seattle Times last week; it seems a bit out of balance. We’re guessing that the hospital public relations professionals in the Puget Sound area are scratching their heads over this one also. Is this a legitimate news story or a media-invented tempest in a teapot? The […]
Guest Post by Healthcare Attorney Stephen H. Kaufman Whether you are starting a new medical practice, operating a long-established business, or actively engaged in hospital advertising, you probably have a trademark—a name, a phrase or a design that brands your business in the marketplace. You can establish rights in your marks just by using them […]
Almost everyone with experience in physician marketing recognizes that word-of-mouth (WOM) advertising is (a) highly desirable, but (b) not an easy thing to inspire. After all, it’s far easier and more reliable to purchase time or space in the media and create a medical practice advertisement.
It's been all of a couple months since we previously wrote about the many Ways iPads Are Changing Hospital Marketing and PR. Apple doesn't send us their official sales numbers, but reliable estimates have it that millions of iPad 2 tablets have been shipped during these last 90 days. As we write this, by calendar year end, […]
Owners and leaders of the most accomplished and admired healthcare practices rarely achieve their success accidentally. This is just as true in the broader scope...including healthcare organizations, hospitals and related businesses such as pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
In this guest post, Dr. Janice Frates offers ways for healthcare providers to use caring, concern and affordability as medical practice marketing tools. Here are her suggestions to build rapport and inspire patient satisfaction because tough times are here to stay. Gradually, it’s dawning on all of us that the current recession is now the […]
Here's another bit of forward-looking competitive intelligence in medical practice marketing. There was a flurry of conflicting news reports recently that said Walmart was gearing-up to dominate the healthcare provider sector…or maybe not. As we see it, the real question is not “if,” but “when.” And there are several private sector horses in this race. […]
We have yet to find an online physician and medical practice rating system that is "perfect." Are you aware of how you rate on HealthGrades.com, or ratemds.com, or Vitals.com, or any of the dozens of other physician rating websites that populate the Internet? If someone has taken the time to post a comment, does it […]
What’s the worst holiday gift idea that you've ever seen given to a doctor’s office? What’s the best? We’d like to hear from you on this one. Right about now, medical practice administrators, physician liaison people, practice ambassadors, physicians and hospital marketing executives are ramping up for the annual ritual of holiday gift giving. And there’s no […]
How the Voice of the Customer translates into greater case acceptance and referrals. Some interesting study data came to our attention recently. It's useful in understanding patient expectations and increasing case acceptance by way of the "Voice of the Customer" (VOC). It's especially helpful when economic times are challenging for both the patient and the hospital, healthcare […]
Here's one of several critical medical advertising mistakes that doctors and hospitals make every day. For any number of reasons, they—meaning you—may be blind to the competition. Consider this to be a reality check. Do you see yourself anywhere in the following picture? For one thing, doctors rarely like to think of their professional colleagues […]
Our recent post, How to Destroy Your Medical Practice Marketing New Business in One Easy Step, was a hot-button topic for many readers. So think of this article as the next installment for medical practices and physician advertisers who are losing business for the lack of good front desk phone skills. For a doctor or […]
With the holiday season upon us, here’s an incredibly useful gift idea for doctors, hospitals and healthcare professionals. What’s more, the cost couldn’t be better. Offer a subscription to the Healthcare Success Marketing Advisor to your friends, colleagues, physicians, administrators and staff. You'll be giving them the gift of success that is packed with valuable, practical, […]
San Francisco and Berkeley, CA, are only 20 minutes apart via the Bay Bridge. But for these two practices, their dental advertising, dental positioning and branding couldn’t be further apart. And, from a healthcare marketing perspective, both examples are properly tuned into their community spirit and embrace it in their office décor and branding message. […]
We think this concept is an unusual, but exceptional, way to reveal system-wide hospital marketing and public relations opportunities. Could it also be used in a healthcare provider's office? A television program initially inspired his idea, says David Musyj, president and CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital in Ontario, Canada. It’s anything but an ordinary approach […]
A package arrived in the mail recently containing an inexpensive computer case that had been ordered online. We were expecting the product, but the enclosed letter from the business owners was a surprise. It was a good one. Their letter is an example of how a small effort—at virtually no cost—can win friends and cement […]
The Mayo Clinic Social Media gathering earlier this month made the kind of “thought leader” splash that you might expect. Mayo Clinic is a first class organization, and not surprisingly, much of the inspiring chatter and posts about social media was easily found on…well, various social media channels. The Twitter stream flowing from the Mayo […]
As we talk with doctors, physician marketing executives and others, we’ve detected a disturbing shift in thinking about Word of Mouth marketing. Many providers and healthcare communications professionals mistakenly regard “social media” as the techno-age replacement for Word of Mouth (WOM) marketing. For their medical practice marketing and doctor advertising—the misperception continues—having a website, perhaps […]
As we continue to read about the growing trend in large scale hospital layoffs, it’s tough to think of the big picture as merely a period of “reduced economic activity.” Virtually every hospital marketing communications, advertising and public relations team in the nation knows about tighter budgets, scarce resources and fewer people. And they are […]
You're more likely to hear about "The Hawthorne Effect" on a TV game show than in a hospital marketing staff meeting. The name of this management concept is a bit obscure, but you may already be working for you. So what the heck is "The Hawthorne Effect," and how can it help hospital and healthcare […]
We have the marketing equivalent of gastric indigestion. It’s that churning upset in our gut when exceptionally effective medical practice advertising inspires qualified prospective patients to phone the provider’s office—only to be rejected at the front desk. Here’s the disturbing little back-story that upset us recently. Keep in mind this is true and, unfortunately, it’s […]
Our readers tell us that they love to look over the shoulder of others. It’s a high priority to get a peek at what colleagues (and competitors) are doing in medical marketing. Today’s “video roundup” is a widely diverse sampling of US and international healthcare marketing messages. Influencing Patient Behavior: Video can be a medium […]
By definition, your healthcare advertising agency is a partnership arrangement. Choose this business associate carefully; it's not an ordinary vendor or supplier resource. You're not buying latex gloves or file folders here. You're hiring a trusted professional colleague that understands your business and your growth goals. If you are buying "creative services" or "website design" […]
For anyone willing to believe the “authoritative sources,” the Great Recession ended a little more than two years ago. We’re having trouble finding anyone who believes it’s all behind us; including (perhaps especially) doctors, hospitals and other medical professionals. A lot of healthcare providers feel the recession is still impacting them directly. This financial fact […]
In the hit movie “Contagion,” a new strain of flu virus starts in Asia and spreads quickly until it reaches a global pandemic, killing tens of millions of people of all ages. For maximum impact, it’s likely that the movie studio timed this release to coincide with the fall flu vaccines, which will have 166 million […]
It’s a curious thing. Patients who want or need cosmetic procedures are usually concerned about the cost first. Since they don’t have many ways to measure the worth of your dental skills, experience, or quality of materials, they only know to ask, “How much does this cost?” And the dichotomy is that all-important money matters are […]
You could call this a digital dichotomy...or maybe a cyber standoff. Physicians, by most accounts, are technology-enabled, digitally connected and social media savvy. They use social media, new survey data tells us, to talk among themselves. But as a physician marketing tool and engaging with patients? Well…not so much. As a group, US doctors are clearly […]
Here’s something to add to your list of local news media. It’s called Patch.com, it’s new and it probably belongs on your hospital or medical practice advertising and public relations media list. Patch—which creates a dedicated local news presence in upscale communities—calls itself “your source for local knowledge you can’t live without.” Patch isn’t everywhere […]
Each year, about 22 million patients are referred from one healthcare professional to a professional colleague. And patient referrals account for hundreds of times more than that number. In physician marketing, direct referrals into the practice often represent a large and significant segment of new business development, which, regrettably, is a neglected part of the […]
