Your website is healthcare’s new front door, and nearly everyone has a website. Good, bad or mediocre, hospitals, health systems and doctors’ offices have some degree of Internet presence. But better than half the time, the all-important website metrics—the numbers that monitor performance—are neglected or ignored. The plus side of an effective website is that […]
In the retail world, it’s easy to find free or low-cost samples of goods, services, and the ever-popular taste-test of (a new flavor) bacon-infused crispy chip. Beyond the wall of healthcare marketing, reciprocity and the psychology of samples, test bits and trial models have a long and successful history. Retailers know that giving away a […]
We’ve been looking for a good springboard opportunity to present the creative advertising images that are included with this post. It’s difficult to characterize all the ways how-and-why reasons that good visuals turn your head, tell a story and/or bend your mind. And frankly, that’s an important secret sauce ingredient. There aren’t many ad messages […]
This is a brief article about a small-makes-big concept. It goes like this: When someone agrees to something small, they are likely to be consistent and go along with a bigger idea later. For the sake of a label, let’s call this the Cialdini Commitment Concept, and credit the marketing genius of Dr. Robert Cialdini. […]
There’s an analogy that I offer clients to demonstrate the importance of being first in marketing. I ask: “Charles Lindbergh made the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Can you name the second person to do so?” “If John Hancock famously signed the Declaration of Independence first, can you name the second person […]
Here’s a cautionary tale from the real world. If you can relate to this story, it can either help or hinder a hospital or group practice. You may have experienced times when a sour culture or negative internal attitudes stand in the way producing superior results. Briefly, here’s the backstory from a multi-location healthcare organization. […]
A lot, actually. As you might expect, many doctors and hospitals want to target upscale patients. Sometimes it is a matter of insurance coverage, other times doctors want to attract more fulfilling cases, and still other times clients simply want to improve reimbursements. Two weeks ago at our Orlando seminar, someone asked the familiar question […]
If your schedule permits a quiet moment, look at the competitive landscape. Group practice marketing is constantly challenged to keep up with mergers, rollups and acquisitions. Know it or not, business conditions in your service area have changed in the past few months. It could be that the territory has shifted. And, like it or […]
Anyone who knows me personally or professionally would likely agree that I’m sort of a high-energy guy. Nevertheless, we would also agree, that heavy-handed swear words are not in my usual nature or vocabulary. But -- there’s an important lesson for others in this tale, so I’ll confess to this recent, embarrassing exception. The story goes […]
Just the other day, an out-of-town guest sat in on a company-wide meeting in our office. To my surprise, he was super-impressed with what, to us, was a regular Monday morning “standup.” This is the starter session for our business week. It brings together everyone in the office, plus two or three people who attend […]
If your aim is to build an engaging, relevant brand there is one thing you must avoid: complacency. Brands unwilling or hesitant to embrace change, innovation, or advancements in technology quickly become irrelevant. Do you remember Kodak? It was a very popular photography company that sold cameras and roll film. It was built on a […]
I recently heard an on-hold message that was so creative, memorable and powerful that I texted my editor with the message, “Hey, you HAVE to listen to this on-hold message...” I'll share the story behind my cryptic message in a moment, but first I want to address why you should even care about on-hold messages. […]
