[Part of a continuing series] A colleague told the real-world story about seeing a group of senior citizens talking about their grandchildren. To our observer, the curious part was that each of the 70-plus-year-old grandparents had their smartphone in hand, complete with proud-moment pictures and videos. This snapshot is a micro-moment reminder of how personal […]
[Part of a continuing education series.] Simply mention learning Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and more than a few professionals will roll their eyes upwards. Virtually all marketing-smart individuals truly appreciate the vital importance of SEO. But they also know that it’s a specialized skill set and vocabulary that they would rather leave to the tech-smart […]
There are times when healthcare providers—even health systems and hospitals—dive into content publishing with only a general idea about where they’re going or how to get there. Right from the start, creating and publishing authoritative material is challenging. But the initial creative step just gets the ball rolling. We all know that regular postings and […]
At the risk of sounding like a loveable-but-annoying coach, it’s midyear and time to check your healthcare marketing plan. What's the score? Are you attracting more patients? Six calendar pages are missing, so climb above the daily grind and take the 35-thousand foot perspective. Have you achieved half of your planned objectives…or are you stalled? Check-in […]
Recently, I had a unique experience at a local IHOP restaurant. I’d like to share this real-world, simple-but-effective marketing idea that everyone can use. Here’s how asking for referrals can be an immediate boost for business. I was enjoying Father’s Day breakfast with the family. About halfway through our meal, an employee —wearing the name […]
[Emerging consumerism series article] Healthcare’s traditional delivery systems and marketing means and methods are changing rapidly. Hospitals, providers and forward-thinking professionals are tracking the online shift to consumerism. Hyperbole is a headline attention-getter. In this instance, a nanosecond doesn’t mean an actual one-billionth of a second…but it’s close. Hopefully, in the minute or so that […]
Unless you diligently track this topic closely, what you thought you knew about doctor and hospital reputation management has probably changed. In fact, this is one tech-savvy, computer-centric landscape that is constantly evolving. If you might have skipped a beat—and that’s easy to do—here’s a brief update about change, the importance of online reputation and […]
[Emerging consumerism series article] Forward-thinking hospitals and progressive providers recognize that nearly every aspect of healthcare marketing and traditional delivery systems have changed. Some of this transformation process is for the better. While other elements—maybe not so much. Fundamentally, however, consumers expect to see a tired-and-traditional industry delivering a new level of consumerism. The predictable […]
There’s probably a good reason that the Fed discontinued high-denomination currency nearly 50 years ago. It may be because some well-intended healthcare practices are actually throwing money out the window. What’s worse, their budget is modest in the first place, and they can ill-afford a marketing budget squander of $1,000 in exchange for…nothing really. Here’s […]
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 […]
Here’s a simple, easy and nearly automatic way to generate online reviews via the wildly popular Facebook. This useful tip is completely free to use, plus it’s nicely suited to many—although not all—healthcare offices and facilities. “Facebook,” declares the recent CNNtech headline, “is closing in on 2 billion users.” And just to be perfectly clear, […]
By now you've heard about another big ransomware highjack in the news recently. A nasty computer virus targeted hundreds of thousands of devices in 150 countries. Although healthcare and hospitals were not specifically in the crosshairs, nearly 50 medical facilities in the United Kingdom were infected. As you can imagine, online marketing and communications channels are […]
A fundamental requirement that comes with owning a blog is to constantly—insatiably—create fresh content. And frankly, it’s a steady challenge for a writer to keep the process moving—and to keep readers engaged and reading. Your audience deserves and expects it, so here are a few helpful blog writer tips you can use: Know what your […]
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of ranking among the top organic or natural search results. I would like to think that virtually everyone in the known digital universe is aware of the vital importance of SEO. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. So even if you're not a programming whiz, or don't fully understand Google's […]
Now and then someone raises their hand and asks for a generous infusion of marketing automation. They’ve heard the popular buzzword, but the definition isn’t exactly clear. Their well-intended (but mistaken) objective is to realize all the rewards of marketing—generating new business—powered by a semi-magical, set-and-forget software. This description is a bit of an exaggeration. […]
“Bounce rate” might be the single most frustrating metric in online marketing. Here’s how to combat bounce rate—single page visits. It’s maddening to realize that someone has invested considerable time, effort and money in creating a website that statistically repels visitors. They leave as soon as they have arrived, without browsing further. They’re gone. There […]
[Series Installment] Here’s how to inspire advertising action. Look back at last week’s installment in this series titled, Social Proof Primer: How to Use Marketing’s Psychological Secret Sauce. Previously, we labeled the concept as “marketing’s psychological secret sauce.” As a device to boost response, a dash of this power-packed juice belongs in every advertising message. […]
Poke around online briefly and this prediction appears. It heralds the need for doctors to change and accept healthcare consumerism: “The medical world expects ‘patients’ to bear up patiently. But the medical world needs to learn to live with ‘consumers.’” What’s most surprising is that this quote is more than three decades old. It’s from […]
It’s no secret that the Internet has become the new front door for healthcare providers and hospitals. And Google searches are primary pathways for that lead to health-related information, medical practices and professional care. They dictate being lost or found online. Without a strong online presence, providers and practices simply disappear from view. Three-quarters (75 percent) […]
Here’s where a rational marketing mind might wonder: “Exactly WHY should I care that Google has—yet again—changed the “Ad label" at the top of search results?” To the casual observer, it seems to be a subtle change—from yellow versions to a solid green background, to (now) a green outline with a white background. Is this […]
[Second of Two Parts - Series Installment: Current Marketing Trends] The first of these two installments, 4 Top Hospital Marketing Trends to Watch Right Now, examined Customer Relationship Management, and Precision Marketing Audience Segments. Our list of top hospital marketing trends continues… The nation’s healthcare delivery system continues to change rapidly. And to keep pace, […]
[Series Installment: First of Two Parts - Current Marketing Trends] Here are some important but easily overlooked facts about trends in general, and hospital marketing trends specifically. Trends don’t suddenly explode onto the scene (usually). Allowing for some rare exceptions, healthcare and hospital trends tend to emerge over time. The best observers—professionals who keep ahead […]
A significant majority of prospective patients look online to research hospitals, doctors and medical practices before they select a provider…and long before they meet you in person. The digital pallet of online reputation management paints an image and shapes expectations in the consumer’s mind. Nearly everyone—customers, buyers, and patients—envisions who you are based on the strength […]
More than 30 percent of email recipients open the email based on the subject line alone. Unfortunately, the folks that study those things seem to be silent about what happens to the other 70 percent. But we have a pretty good guess. Everyone’s INBOX is the target of tons of digital missiles each day, and […]
Creating and maintaining an online wellspring of useful and interesting information is a positive step in healthcare marketing. Presenting authoritative information—on your blog, your website and elsewhere—is a foundation for connections and relationships. But the first secret of content marketing—with the rich rewards of attracting and engaging prospective patients—is inspiring shareability through your audience. Shareability, […]
[Part of a continuing series] Consider how these important marketing touchpoints intersect: Video content now accounts for well over half of the traffic online Well over half of health and healthcare searches begin with an Internet search Positive reviews and testimonials strongly influence purchase decisions So this formula—video-plus-Internet-plus-testimonials—is a powerful combination for effective healthcare marketing. […]
A Continuing Series by Raheim Bundle Just the other day, a headline caught my eye proudly declaring 2017: The Year of Voice Search. Maybe my calendar runs a little faster than others, but the staggering statistics say voice search use has already moved beyond “emerging.” The commonplace practice now has a comfortable “mainstream” foothold. There […]
Someone who knows that I work in marketing passed along this little idea. As it happens, it comes from a retail small business, but with minor modification, it would play well in healthcare. Let’s call it: A Poor Man’s Reputation Management Idea. And, large office or small, it’s an effective idea that you’re welcome to […]
If nobody’s aware that your patients are satisfied, does it even matter? Related: 9 Essential Steps to Improve Doctor Ratings Online Yes, of course it matters — but it isn’t helping your marketing. Word-of-mouth and online review websites are the dominant resources patients use to select their doctors. Which means that in 2017, taking charge […]
Not long ago, The Des Moines Register published an interesting opinion piece about hospitals that advertise. We’d like to know what you think about their coverage titled: Hospitals spend millions luring patients away from each other. Please take a minute to review their editorial handiwork and register your own opinion in the space below. Curiously, […]
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the fine-tuning process intended to maximizing the number of visitors who come to your website or landing page. Appealing to Google and the other search engines is a constant challenge. The goal is for online searches to have your web address on the first page of search results. But the […]
One of the most important things you can do as a business is to build trust with your clients. A business without trust is like a car without gas. It looks good but doesn’t go anywhere. The same bridge needs to exist in healthcare; building a trusting relationship between provider and patient. There are three […]
Before we get to the benefits of video for your business, let’s clarify one thing. While professional--studio quality--video production is often required, there may be some informal exceptions. You can sometimes get away with simple, DIY videos from your smartphone. Impromptu videos of your health fair booth, for example, posted on your practice Facebook page. Video […]
Does the "About Us" page on your website clearly identify what your company, practice or hospital does? Does it explain why your readers need you, your products or services? No? Then you are losing business. Getting your About Us page right is important because, if you check your stats, you’ll see it is one of […]
It was only a year or two ago that the trendy marketing watchword was "personalization." It seems like everyone was using the P-word in email marketing. Everyone’s ambition was to take email (and other content) to the high-impact, “next level.” Internet and computer sophistication provides the ability to deliver relevant content to the right reader. […]
There’s an immensely useful and effective technique in creating healthcare content that we see all the time. You might recognize it as a “cliffhanger” or a “page turner.” But by any label, experienced as well as freshman writers can use this suspenseful social media secret to keep their audience connected, interested and reading more. Everyone […]
Recently, it happened again. We discovered one website that published a content match of a competitive website. We see this nearly every day, but this particular incident was extraordinary. The two websites used exactly the same words, content and design. Is this similar or “overlapping” content, or is one of these websites guilty of plagiarism in […]
The super-grand-prize for online healthcare content is when it “goes viral.” Something you created—a video, news clip, photo or whatever—is seen or shared by everyone in the known digital universe and beyond. As a result, your hospital, medical group or provider practice—for one, bright-and-shiny moment—has the compelling content that everyone is talking about. Unfortunately, it […]
From a marketing view, Facebook statistics are staggering. Half of the American population uses Facebook at least once a month. Better than 40 percent of small businesses in the US use Facebook. That makes it the undisputed champion. It's an absolute “must have,” for your social media marketing strategy. A FB page is vital to hospitals, […]
A marketing website doesn’t have an end-date or use-by date. Instead, the effectiveness quietly fades away. Without an obvious signal, how do you know that it’s time for a new design? Here’s a healthcare website checklist of the things that top ranked sites have in common. Healthcare Website Checklist: Characteristics Most of all, if you miss the mark […]
The annual Google Partner Summit is a pretty big deal in the agency business. Visiting the “Googleplex” headquarters in Mountain View is an experience. Plus, this is one of several continuing education sessions that Healthcare Success attends throughout the year. Moreover, attending a Summit session is an educational pathway for a healthcare advertising agency to improve […]
Doctors aren’t the only people concerned about their online reputation. It is every brand, business and service provider with an Internet presence. But there are higher standards of quality with healthcare reputation management. Health care delivery in America is more intimate than an Amazon shopping experience. Consequently, patient experience has become a significant driver of success. Among […]
Did you know that cheap medical websites may be upsetting Google and other search engines? A low-cost, template or D-I-Y website isn't a bargain. It costs money and lost opportunity. Google (the biggest search engine on the planet) can spot duplicate content, and it doesn’t like plagiarism. A bottom-dollar website puts your search listing in the crapper. Here’s a […]
Facebook’s organic reach is becoming obsolete at an alarming pace. Over the last few years, and even the last few months, we’ve noticed a striking loss in Facebook’s organic reach for our own clients.
[SERIES INSTALLMENT] Facebook (FB) is the world’s largest social media platform for good reason. For one thing, it’s smart about marketing and advertising for business. Company pages are for brands, hospitals and healthcare where doctor marketing strategies shine. The nearly two billion monthly active Facebook users love the social interaction. But business—including hospitals and practitioners—love the audience connectivity […]
SEO is a critical marketing-related factor. And the guidance of a healthcare advertising agency is highly recommended. It’s far too easy for well-intended individuals to create search engine optimization blunders. One reason you need professional SEO help is that the big search engines have us all outnumbered. They use dozens of uber-smart people to create […]
Podcasts enjoy a heritage of online content that can be compelling and engaging. Podcasting is relatively inexpensive, easy to produce and often underutilized in healthcare digital marketing. And when they are done properly, creating online audio podcasts is an effective content connection between you and your audience. Related: 5 Best Healthcare Podcasts 2018 Podcasts begin […]
The Internet is now the well-established new business front door for health information, healthcare practices and hospitals. Nearly 90 percent of the billions of healthcare searches are online. But what you may not appreciate is that pay-per-click (PPC) advertising delivers answers to consumers’ needs via one billion search ad clicks. PPC advertising successfully navigates the […]
Does anyone remember the old catchphrase: “Who loves Ya?” From TV to pop music to healthcare delivery, the challenge of effective reputation management is to quantify the patient experience. We’re all familiar with fundamental survey questions. It is the most common technique to assign a number value to a human experience. Surveys vary, but there are five […]
In somewhat random order, here are nearly two dozen timely social media tips and techniques to grow your online audience, community and influence. The marketing benefits of social media for doctors, medical practices and hospitals are significant. It seems as if nearly everyone with a smartphone is addicted to one or more social media connections. […]
