How Proper Planning Can Crush the Competition
By Stewart Gandolf, Chief Executive Officer
Successful practices and businesses are built from great service, good leadership and rock-solid strategies. A good marketing plan is important so you know whom to target.But before you get to the planning stage, you need to determine what you want to accomplish in the next 12 months. You may already have a strategy in place, so let’s make sure it answers a few important questions.
Build a Strategy
• What are the outcomes you’d like to see this year?
• What are the specific projects you’d like to complete?
• What are the specific actions you need to take to achieve these goals?
• How can you assign your budget and resources to accommodate this plan?
Once you have a strategy that answers these questions, you’re ahead of the game. It’s not likely that your competitors have taken the time to answer these questions. Many physicians, group practices and hospitals have a general idea of what they want to do. But they struggle to tie it all together.
Develop a Marketing Strategy
It is not uncommon for people to blur the lines between a marketing strategy and marketing plan. Here’s why they are different. Marketing strategies go hand-in-hand with the business strategy. If your business strategy says you’d like to increase your patient base by 10 percent, then your marketing strategy outlines how to get there. It might include:
• Target new audiences
• Promote unique benefits
• Announce special offers, discounts, or health screenings for first-time patients
It identifies what has to be done to meet the business objectives.
Develop a Marketing Plan
Now that you are laser focused on your business objectives and what has to be done to get there, it’s time to plan how you are going to do it.
• Identify your target audience
• Determine what makes your practice unique
• Develop special offers
From there you can identify the marketing tactics you need to use to meet the objectives of the marketing strategy. Individual tactics could be email campaigns, blog posts, social media, paid search ads, landing pages, tear sheets and brochures.
Most physicians know it is important to raise awareness, promote services, and make connections for business growth.
When there are strategies and plans in place, it is easier to make a bigger impact through strategically cross-promoting on Facebook, blog, email, etc. Identifying and executing tactics is where many people begin, so their messages are often inconsistent and lack brand synergy.
It’s time to crush the competition
When you take a few hours in the beginning of the year to plan the next twelve months you can stay focused, keep your storyline, messages, and promotions cohesive. A little work now can give you an edge over your competition all year.
It can be overwhelming to decide which tools are best for promoting your practice, services, and specialties. Contact us today; we can help you develop and execute a clear strategy and marketing plan to meet your goals for the rest of the year.
