Healthcare Success

The new Health Online 2013 survey from Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project is bound to raise eyebrows among healthcare providers and marketing executives. It boldly declares that for many people, the Internet is a “de facto second opinion—and even a first opinion” regarding serious health concerns or questions. What’s more, it underscores […]

The redesign of the nation’s healthcare delivery system is setting up for another wave of change. And this one’s certain to fuel public relations challenges for healthcare PR professionals with both internal and external audiences. The prospect of connecting doctors’ income directly to quality of care is already sparking lively discussions. What the New York […]

In our travels, we see a lot of “not-so-good” office signage, and we decided it was time to spotlight (and reward) the really good, hard-working external signs. Send a picture or two of your medical office or healthcare practice sign. We’ll evaluate the top contenders, and the best sign will win a free seat at […]

In a conversation the other day with Simona Ramos, one of our top artists at Healthcare Success, I was reminded how the general public has become far more visually aware and demanding. For healthcare marketing, good pictures are not good enough. The ability to “think visually” is a talent that not everyone has. They don’t […]

This is the month when everyone (anyone, it seems) cranks up their crystal ball and offers their predictions about the New Year. As our regular readers appreciate, healthcare in general—and healthcare marketing in particular—is better suited to posts that track current trends (which we do several times each year) than predictive thinking. Nevertheless, it is […]

There's a definite undercurrent of panic in the phone calls we've been getting recently about Google search results…or more often, the results that have disappeared. If you haven't checked your Google Search results ranking in the past few days, do it now. Take a minute and do a few Google searches just as the regular […]

In the past few years, healthcare providers and marketing executives have been actively sharing ideas and information as an effective means of reaching and engaging patients online. Doctors, hospitals and health systems are creating and maintaining meaningful relationships by presenting timely information today that prospective patients may need tomorrow. And content that they share is […]

Having and effectively using an online presence—website, social media, etc.—is a primary channel for connections between patients and providers. It is the principal means for the newly empowered healthcare consumer to find and act upon authoritative information.

[First of a two-part post.] Social media (SM) has swiftly engrained itself in nearly every corner of contemporary culture and daily living. And that includes healthcare where, among other things, the various social media platforms have become a significant agent for change. Fundamentally, social media is changing the nature and speed of healthcare interaction between consumers […]

Although some risk is inherent in healthcare marketing and advertising, smart planning and creative execution can minimize problems and maximize return. But while risks are manageable, money-wasting mistakes are a different animal. Over the years, we’ve encountered all kinds of mistakes; more than we have space to list here. But, if there’s a silver lining […]

[Hospital Advertising Success Story: Part Two] Texas Health Resources has been successfully using humor in their hospital advertising. The first part of this article [available here] looked at why humor in advertising is both difficult and dangerous. In this concluding part, we find that it can also be rewarding…but only when it’s done right. Many […]

[Hospital Advertising Success Story: Part One] Using humor in advertising—especially healthcare ads—is both difficult and dangerous. It’s difficult to find the precise balance between being funny (which makes it memorable), and communicating a product or service message (which makes it effective). What’s more, many health issues are no laughing matter. Potentially, it can backfire.

by Neil H. Baum, MD Editor’s Note: In this post, Dr. Neil Baum presents doctor-to-doctor ideas founded in his 30 years of real-world experience as a practicing urologist in New Orleans. He is a sought-after speaker, and the author of Social Media For the Healthcare Professional, Greenbranch Publishing, 2011. What is your first impression of […]

Most healthcare marketing professionals use Twitter, either personally, professionally…or both. It’s merely six years old, but the popular micro blogging platform has become a standard communications tool for hospitals, medical practices and health systems. But even experienced Twitter-ites may have been busy with the holiday season and not be aware of improvements to the social […]

[First in a series. Introduction to RTB. ] Internet advertising has always been more than a bit complicated and more than a bit technical. The typically rectangular Banner Ad is the most familiar, most prolific and usually appears in context with the web page content. The revenue model for banner ads can vary. Payment may be […]

[Podcast Interview] It’s a widely held—but decidedly incorrect—attitude that a hospital or provider “marketing person” is a “Jack-of-all-trades,” capable of anything and everything that drops on their desk. But veteran healthcare marketing executives know from experience that the “universal man or woman” perception is often fueled by limited resources and burgeoning tasks. The real world […]

Patients are no longer just patients. The Internet, healthcare system reforms and other social influences are shaping a new consumerism in healthcare. Healthcare marketing professionals understand that patients are better informed and increasingly empowered. Today an individual has more influential muscle than ever before. In our experience, the vast majority of private practices and medical […]

In many respects, St. Louis, MO, in the heartland of America, is a typical hospital marketplace and serves as an example of the national trend in hospital advertising of proliferation. Competition is increasing, and in this metro area, hospital marketing and advertising reaches out to the consumer public frequently and constantly. But it isn't without […]

Editor’s Note: In this second of a two-part post, Dr. Neil Baum presents doctor-to-doctor ideas that are founded in 30 years of real-world experience as a practicing urologist in New Orleans. He is a sought-after speaker, and the author of Social Media For the Healthcare Professional, Greenbranch Publishing, 2011. Part 1 is available here. Physicians […]

I just came away from a discussion with two practice representatives who work with one of our highly successful specialty practices. Real world, “from the street” healthcare marketing information is often perceptive, and the conversation left me with important insights that I wanted to share with our readers. For context... Three years ago, our client […]

The month of December often triggers a bit of personal and professional reflection and self-evaluation for most of us. And generally, that's a good thing. Perhaps we appreciate the achievements and milestones of the year ending. And we look ahead at the New Year with visions of opportunity and progress. From a medical marketing perspective, […]

Editor’s Note: In this first of a two-part post, Dr. Neil Baum presents doctor-to-doctor ideas that are founded in 30 years of real-world experience as a practicing urologist in New Orleans. He is a sought-after speaker, and the author of Social Media For the Healthcare Professional, Greenbranch Publishing, 2011. Physicians have been shy about reaching […]

Have you heard the one about the toothbrush and the mobile phone? The nearly-fabled statistic observes that: Among the six billion people on the planet, 4.8 billion have a mobile phone while only 4.2 billion own a toothbrush. (AdAge) The counterpoint is amusing, but it's a serious reminder that a mobile strategy needs to be […]

The six key elements in an effective CRM program for specialty practices and others. Healthcare is business that's all about relationships. Every practice or organization appreciates a new patient referral, but specialty practices that depend on referrals don't leave the process to chance or pure goodwill. The basics of a relationship program guide reps, business […]

We’ve long been a fan of the “Ideas Worth Spreading” TED series. And our Friday Video today is a simple but powerful inspirational presentation by author Simon Sinek. His START WITH WHY concepts—about innovation, leadership and success—are immediately useful for healthcare providers and organizations. Why you do what you do is the vital (and often […]

[Case Study] There’s a lot to like about Sutter Health System’s interactive website for women. From a consumer perspective, MyLifeStages.org is a robust and highly useful health and wellness resource for residents of the Sacramento, CA community and Northern California. In fact, it’s been repeatedly recognized as one of the nation’s best consumer health websites. […]

About a month from today everyone will be hanging a fresh calendar on the wall for 2013. And even from this relatively close perspective, the issues and challenges of what’s ahead for hospitals, physicians and healthcare providers are beginning to focus. As we see things, one dynamic in the New Year will be that change […]

Patient satisfaction in medicine and healthcare can be a significant marketing driver for physicians’ offices and hospitals.  But is that where it ends?  As a marketing technique?  Nope! The implications of a satisfied patient are far more wide reaching in medicine and healthcare.   Fantastic business marketers understand all too well that customer satisfaction or the […]

If you think 2012 was fiercely competitive year, savvy healthcare marketing plans might want a new Kevlar wrapper. But they definitely will need to be more aggressive about Internet marketing in 2013. Healthcare delivery is reinventing itself, the consumer/patient new empowerment, competition has shifted dramatically, and “patient experience” is the watchword. I could go on, […]

A curious thing about Internal Marketing is that healthcare—be it a hospital or a medical practice—understands the term by a slightly different definition. Many textbooks apply “internal marketing” to leadership and organizational approaches targeting employees and departments. Although everyone in a medical provider practice plays a role in the service product delivery, Internal Marketing is […]

The recent "superstorm" that hit the East Coast reminded us that seasoned healthcare and hospital public relations professionals are a bit like professional journalists. With little or no warning, they may need to document unannounced or spontaneous events including capturing on-the-spot photos or videos. Let's hope it doesn't happen often, (or as serious as a […]

Empowered patients and retail-like consumerism have become increasingly important in healthcare delivery. But for many medical practices, doctor groups and other healthcare providers, the ability to deliver and measure a positive patient experience remains a bit elusive. This may be due in part to the fact that, traditionally, patients were not seen as “customers,” at […]

The collection of marketing insights that we posted a few weeks ago was well received.  We called these medical marketing nuggets “Twisdom.” Our previous article, which is linked at the bottom of this page, inspired some of our readers to submit a few more thoughtful gems.

Three reasons why digital signage should be part of your healthcare marketing and PR planning Printed posters and static signs have evolved to a digital format that's attention getting and versatile. And digital signage is an affordable and cost effective marketing tool that should not be overlooked. It's a significant lost opportunity for many medical […]

Perhaps you can relate to the experience of a colleague of ours. His observation is a healthcare marketing and advertising lesson of opportunity lost. I frequently travel a main commercial street in our community…just one a thousands of local residents in vehicles on our way to or from the nearby post office, the drug store […]

By Neil Baum, MD Most of us like to think of ourselves as good to excellent communicators. However, if we were to survey our patients about our communication skills, we would find, to our dismay, that we are deficient in our ability to receive and transmit information to our patients. A study that monitored provider-patient […]

Think of Google's search page as a gateway to your healthcare website. And since the majority of online searches for information begin with Google, it’s helpful to know a bit about how the search giant “thinks.” Ultimately, creating a high quality online presence that Google prefers will help give your hospital, medical practice or facility a […]

Perhaps the single biggest barrier to the adoption and proliferation of telemedicine has been a financial one. Physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers have avoided or resisted the various forms and formats of "telehealth" because there's no obvious path to monetize the time and effort. Frankly, that's still an issue, but it's changing. Some practitioners […]

Doctors are often called upon by members of the news media to speak or be quoted as an authoritative source. Often, that's good, but there could be a downside. Physicians, medical practice administrators and hospital marketing and PR executives need to consider that sometimes reporters are not digging for gold, they are digging for dirt. […]

Our Managing Editor at Healthcare Success is normally an easy-going person who doesn’t get upset easily. After all, he easily handles the daily high-strung environment of publishing deadlines and life in the medical advertising agency fast lane. But now and then some things cross his desk that make him cringe, “This is dumb." Moments like […]

There’s a tendency to oversimplify what we think of as hospital and medical practice branding. Perhaps we think of the carefully crafted logo and tagline as the brand. For others, the physical structure—a commanding facility with amenities emblematic of the brand. Or perhaps “our brand” is the prestige name and reputation of a long-established practice.

Internet advertising terms can be a bewildering forest of initials, tech-talk and shorthand. For some healthcare providers it’s a strange vocabulary that’s essential to successful online advertising that brings new patients to your doorstep. Fortunately, it's easy to master. Why Internet advertising? Patients and prospective patients—the target audience—are online. The search for health and healthcare […]

Our (occasional) Friday Video post today is truly awesome. And it’s clearly our new favorite in the hospital/healthcare category from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. If you haven’t seen the Hey, Jude! Make it Better online campaign, take three minutes to watch patients, staff, researchers and a string of celebrities present an unforgettable […]

Creating an effective healthcare marketing plan shouldn’t be a painful exercise. But to many, it seems like that. The doctor who is already into marketing wants to grow his or her practice…but resources are more scarce than ever. The medical group practice may have a few resources, but the competition has grown from “tough” to […]

Somewhere in everyone’s job description—expressed or implied—is the need to be creative. And we know from experience in that it’s doubly challenging to be creative on demand. Surprisingly, a little coaching can help the process of generating good ideas for better healthcare marketing and advertising. Here are some secrets about being creative from, of all […]

You’re familiar with the social media marvel Twitter. With about 250 million active users (and another 250 registered users), Twitter is a well-known cultural phenomenon. Just about everyone has seen it. Tons of people are using it. And as a medical marketing tool, Twitter is second only to Facebook among the most popular social networking […]

Here are some (relatively) easy and (generally) non-technical SEO tips that everyone can use for better healthcare marketing results. Everyone appreciates that proper Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is vitally important to being found online and makes for more successful healthcare marketing. But a techno-talk vocabulary of  “title tag,” “Googlebot,” or phrases beginning with “meta,” tends […]

One of the oldest forms of advertising is everywhere, but it's tough to do it right. The first American "billboard" appeared about 175 years ago to announce the circus was coming to town. These days the billboard is only one of many forms of Outdoor Advertising-and that's a totally different animal. Approach with caution, however, […]

Hospital and healthcare marketing professionals have only begun to experience the rise of the new consumer. There’s even more consumerism likely in the future, according to the 2012 Altarum Survey of Consumer Health Care Opinions. This and other findings are influencing the shape of healthcare marketing and advertising. Of significance for marketing and communications planners, […]

How to know what you want to achieve, so you know how to hire right for success. How you define the job of an in-house marketing person sets the road to success (or failure). Marketing and Physician Referrals go hand-in-hand, but there are different skill sets for each, and they don't all fit into a […]