In an AI‑first search world, your brand is no longer just a logo and a tagline—it is a data asset that algorithms use as a shortcut for safety, relevance, and trust. When Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity have to decide which hospital, health system, or medical group to name, they lean toward brands they recognize, understand, and see repeatedly in credible contexts.
What’s the best way to choose a healthcare marketing agency? While I (Stewart) have plenty of ideas about the process of picking the best healthcare marketing agency for your hospital, medical practice, or healthcare network, I thought it would be valuable to ask my friend and venerable colleague, Ed Bennett, to share his opinions during our […]
As an engineering undergrad, I took a Marketing 101 class on a lark, seeking to better understand the psychology behind consumer behavior and developing products with a competitive edge. On the first day of class, we learned the fundamental concept of the 4 Ps of marketing. However, today, I like to use an expanded “7 […]
We recently received an inquiry from the Marketing Director for a 40-location, single-specialty medical practice in the Midwest. Even though it was after hours, I was available so I took the call. Michelle (not her real name) and I hit it off immediately. She told me about her demanding job and how she felt her […]
Best-in-class healthcare marketers are already planning for next year. They’re researching key trends that will attract new high-intent audiences, increase engagement, drive revenue, and reinforce patient loyalty in 2023. If you’ve been revamping the same marketing plan for a few years, now is the perfect time to reevaluate everything through the lens of market innovations […]
The pendulum has swung dramatically from traditional to digital media marketing in the healthcare marketing industry over recent years. Digital ad spending surpassed traditional media spending in 2019 and is expected to exceed two-thirds of total media spending by 2023. Healthcare audiences live and communicate in a digital world. Understandably, healthcare organizations and the agencies […]
In part one of the CEO’s Guide to Hospital Marketing Strategies, learn seven wins to expect from your investment, including a positive ROI.
Get expert tips on how to market your telehealth services online and beat your competition.
Learn about the May 2021 Google Page experience update to prepare your site with Core Web Vitals metrics.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to bring the world's economies, healthcare systems, and communities to their knees, the Pharma industry appears to be the shining hope to help us return to a new normal. Could the industry's response to this global public health crisis be the Rx for its tarnished reputation? The Pharma industry has […]
Despite having entered the U.S. more than eight months ago, COVID-19 remains a health topic enshrouded in confusion, conflicting information, hyperbole, and even conspiracy theories. Everyone, informed or not, seems to have an opinion about the Coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, healthcare systems, hospitals, and medical services providers are uniquely qualified to fill the educational void and assert […]
I (Stewart) love what I do in large part because of the smart people I continually get to meet and befriend. Jay Geer is another case in point. Perhaps ten years ago, his (then) assistant James Chisum reached out to me and said, “You have to meet Jay Geer. He is THE hospital PR guy, […]
The following webinar was sponsored by the American Osteopathic Association and took place Thursday, May 7. Almost every osteopathic practice has experienced financial loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and many are reeling. Fortunately, there are many marketing and communications strategies you and your team can implement to help protect your practice now and prepare […]
Marketing Strategies to Implement Now For Your Vein Practice A Webinar Sponsored by the American Vein and Lymphatic Society COVID-19 has caused massive economic disruption to virtually every kind of business, including vein practices. Which marketing strategies should you begin now, and which should you implement in the coming months as the crisis slowly subsides? […]
Our team at Healthcare Success is currently advising clients about how they should adjust their marketing efforts in response to the COVID-19 national emergency, and I thought I would share some of our thinking with readers like you as well. These are fast-changing and confusing times. Remember, SXSW was canceled on March 6. By March 9, […]
Over the years, we’ve alerted our Healthcare clients and industry colleagues to a few major updates that could affect their healthcare SEO (search engine optimization) rankings. Google makes updates to its search algorithms all the time—but only a few stand out as having the potential for a major impact on your presence in the search […]
Frequently, we teach the value of micro planning—using precision, personalized online marketing means and methods that zero in on the single-person at a point of need. Increasingly, technology enables this fine level of timely, local and immediate messages. But you also need to consider the macro view—the holistic perspective that doesn’t lose sight of the micro touches. […]
“Yeh..I know that you probably know all this, but… sometimes it’s good to refresh your connection with valuable reminders. This is about one of those small-but-vital ideas that help when you use them routinely.” SG For doctors, clinical skills are presumed. By definition, doctors are smart people. OK, maybe some are a bit smarter or […]
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 […]
Medical practices, groups and provider organizations often invite me to be a “mystery shopper.” That’s where the principals of the business ask Healthcare Success to call the practice posing as a prospective patient. The technique is most effective when a healthcare marketing agency provides an independent—and unbiased—third-party assessment of the quality of service. Recently, we discovered a […]
The most enduring and successful client-agency relationships work as a partnership. The trouble is, a solid working relationship isn’t easy to achieve. Selecting a healthcare marketing agency for a hospital or group practice shouldn't be "easier-said-than-done." Here are some important issues to consider. Performance is a specific measure of results, not the portfolio. Every agency has a gallery […]
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 […]
We had a call the other day from the lead doctor in a group practice. She wasn’t exactly in a panic, but it was obvious that a festering marketing problem was close to bursting. It was a familiar story, and many readers can probably relate to the red-flag warnings she described. The problem for this […]
I have to admit that I have a reputation for being a bit “attention deficit,” especially in meetings with my internal team members. Like Dug, the talking dog in the Disney/Pixar movie UP, I can easily get distracted. (Squirrel!) Take 20-seconds to meet Dug in this clip from this Academy Award-winning animated feature.
Isn’t hindsight great? You’re beginning a quarterly assessment of your Marketing Plan, and some marketing and advertising elements played out close to plan. But then there are troublesome parts of the plan where you’re faced with a painful dissection of incorrect assumptions, increased competition, erratic consumer needs and wants, and the relentless rollout of the […]
A baker's dozen of helpful tips in evaluating and using healthcare radio advertising Radio is a powerful media option for healthcare marketing. With rates negotiable to "half-off" or better, radio is worth a close look, even if you've avoided radio advertising in the past as too sophisticated or expensive for your hospital, organization or private […]
How to bring maximum benefit to your twice-yearly marketing update.
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 […]
The business partnership between a medical advertising agency and a healthcare client should be an enduring, win-win relationship. But the reality is that most would-be associations are non-starters, while some strategic alliances last for decades. Admittedly, there are a lot of moving parts in any client-agency "marriage." The client wants to tap into the "ideal" […]
Everything you need to know about healthcare marketing jingles but were too busy singing to ask. Healthcare marketing and advertising gets a boost in effectiveness and greater response using broadcast commercials that include musical jingles. And they're more affordable than in the past. Here are the four basic components and six ways to use healthcare […]
We frequently address professional audiences around the nation, and this month is no exception. HSS Founding Partner Stewart Gandolf will speak at the 2012 American Association of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE) Annual Conference in New Orleans. Calendar Note: Stewart’s presentation, Importance of Marketing in Building a Physician Referral Network, will be on Tuesday, May 22nd, beginning […]
How to organize the tasks and responsibilities that will get you where you want to go. A marketing or business goal is not clearly defined without establishing what's needed to achieve it. Organizing the broad concepts and specific action steps that support the goal are the fundamental tools necessary to success in healthcare marketing. Here's […]
There's a five-step process that makes for best practice success. Healthcare marketing is very much like drilling for oil. Success requires a proven system not a shovel. Here's an analogy that I presented to a client recently. Suppose you want to drill for oil. You can begin making random holes in your backyard, or you […]
Quick-check questions that reveal make-it or break-it problems before launch The difference between big-time winning vs. downright disaster in healthcare direct response depends on a million variables. A single, simple oversight can cost you the ballgame. Ask yourself these seven questions to find and fix fundamental problems before you rollout any direct response program.
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. […]
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" […]
Here’s another way to use video in your online healthcare SEO marketing and advertising. Regular readers appreciate that we often write about using video on your website and in other medical marketing applications. Video is a useful, versatile and cost effective method to carry your marketing message or make your advertising point.
There’s another timely and thought-provoking post by Stewart over at his blog, Gandolf’s Marketing Magic, titled The First Step To Dealing With Our “New Normal” Is Acceptance. Drawing on several authoritative sources—including candid insight from his personal and business experience—the portrait of the nation’s economic “New Normal” is, at best, troubling. It’s also likely to […]
A quick survey of 4 communications cornerstones and 24 basic ideas that might belong in your marketing plan. This is a "forest-for-the-trees" kind of thing. Or maybe it's a "nose-on-your-face" deal. In any event, overlooking an obvious opportunity is definitely common, and even somewhat understandable. Hospitals, practices and healthcare organizations are busy places and marketing […]
How to take a fresh and fast survey of your own backyard. For a whole lot of reasons, nearly all all healthcare organizations, hospitals and practices are doing business differently from what you might think. Especially in marketing terms, the previous 12 months are not a good guide to how your competition will be navigating […]
Don't start without at least one of these or your "Medi-Spa" may go down the drain. The cross-over blending of a medical practice and a day spa continues to grow in popularity. The public finds value and authority in medically directed services to improve personal appearance, and many physicians recognize how a "medi-spa" can add […]
The medical marketing environment is constantly changing but the core reasons are the same for most. Priorities and situations will vary widely as healthcare reform reshapes the competitive environment, but providers—including hospitals, medical groups, and others—market for only a few reasons. Nearly everyone can relate to one or more of this short list. You'd think […]
The New Normal for Medical Marketing, Healthcare Marketing, and Hospital Marketing in Challenging Socioeconomic Times Healthcare Marketing and advertising can appear to be complex, confusing and daunting. But the first steps on the road to success are grounded in only six fundamental building blocks. We think of it as an "ah-ha moment." It's that highly […]
Print advertising remains a cost-effective option when you test, track and adjust. External Communications plans for healthcare marketing can still include magazines and newspapers to produce successful results. But print ads are may not be right for everyone, and only if you do it right from the start. The formula for winning with print involves […]
Editor's Note: This material is adapted from an article that we authored for THE Aesthetic Guide, a national publication serving readership in aesthetic medical practices. Many of the marketing concepts discussed in this article apply to other professional, medical and healthcare marketing situations. There are positive signs on the horizon that the nation's economic climate […]
7 Criteria You MUST Consider When Looking For Health Care Marketing Talent (And how to avoid falling victim to "Marketing Malpractice") Doctors often tell us about their difficulties with finding and evaluating healthcare marketing talent. So we thought we'd give you a "cheat sheet" to help you. Before we do that, however, let's set the […]
How to take advantage of new opportunities to include TV ads in your marketing plan It is possible to control television production and media costs and still deliver a professional-quality message with strong results. TV may not be right for every healthcare marketing plan, but it's no longer out of reach. New media options, friendly […]
Like so many other business processes, marketing implementation is far more successful when a practice executes a solid marketing plan with the support of a structured system. Marketing Plan "If you fail to plan, plan to fail." Everyone's heard this saying, yet so few healthcare practices follow this sound advice when it comes to marketing.
The first four diagnostic questions to ask before you take a marketing leap... Imagine this happening in your office... A new patient presents himself and announces that he needs a broad-spectrum antibiotic. How's that again? Yes -- could you please write the prescription so he can be on his way? And thank you very much. […]
Marketing is defined from various sources as a process, as a set of strategies and activities, as a series of communications, and more. There are many good and accurate definitions of marketing. Here are a few.
