Who says marketing can’t be fun. Here’s a brief post about two lighter-side ideas from dental marketing that you can steal. Look at these little case studies as idea starters for many other healthcare marketing situations. In each, take your inspiration mainly from the exceptional execution. Dr. Rich’s Patient Picnic: Western Pennsylvania orthodontist Richard Ribarevski […]
It seems that at least some dental practices in the United States are doing OK, business-wise, in spite of the down economy. We’d like to hear if you agree with this market assessment. In the numbers-filled environment of research publisher IBIS World, the Dentists Industry—in the collective perspective—“performed well during the economic recession and is […]
Frequently we discover a medical practice that is attempting to run a marketing program without tracking the source of new patients. They might as well be burning their hard-earned currency in a wastebasket. Without a tracking system in play there’s no definitive measure of results or any clear understanding for a medical or dental practice […]
Consider this a brief continuing education exercise. Take a three-minute break from your work today and step into the not-too-distant future. Healthcare and medical marketing professionals…ask yourself, “How would I devise a marketing plan for any of theses five innovations in health?” You may not have heard about these ideas, but The New York Times […]
Our readers, clients and professional colleagues know that one or more of our Healthcare Success “Marketing All Stars” is always traveling. In addition to our consulting work and our continuing Advanced Healthcare Marketing Strategies Seminar series, we’re frequently invited to speak at professional meetings and events across the nation. No doubt your schedule is just […]
Picture the concentric rings on a paper target. The “bull’s-eye” center is primary, but "hits" within the other circles contribute to the total score. In medical practice marketing, it’s easy to overlook the fact that for each “ideal new patient,” there are several others around him or her. For accuracy (and marketing effectiveness) the complete […]
The following quote is at least 50 years old, but dentists, doctors and healthcare providers can put this classic insight to the task of winning new patients immediately. Marketing guru and Harvard Business School Professor Theodore Levitt often told his students: "People don't want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!" The […]
The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners is considering how the concept of online healthcare deals and discounts may or may not fit into its advertising and marketing rules for professional practice advertising. There was a small but important news item that touched on this. It's worth reading…and watching where it may lead. In the […]
The recent report from accounting firm PwC—Top Health Industry Issues of 2012—is near the top of our recommended reading list for marketing savvy physicians and healthcare marketing professionals. Thought leaders—providers, group practices and hospitals—will want to take note of two interconnected findings that jump out of the data. First, there’s the problem of the “disappearing […]
As everyone with a holiday shopping list knows, “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” have propelled the season into high gear…including the search for the perfect gift idea for one healthcare practice or hospital to give to a physician’s office. Our earlier post, Whacky or Wonderful? Making Gift-Giving Memorable in Medical Practice Marketing, challenged medical practice […]
This post is mainly for fun. But there’s a practice marketing lesson in this exceptional example of wildly interesting and unique office décor--from an orthodontic practice. You’re going to have to drive to Conway, Arkansas to experience the office decor of orthodontist—and admitted car enthusiast—David J. Myers, DDS, MS. If you’ve never seen a medical […]
A few years ago, my dentist retired and I scheduled my first visit with a dentist who had become a client. After my first appointment, he personally made a follow-up phone call to see if everything met my expectations in the first visit. (It was a step in his new medical practice marketing plan.) Though […]
You might be as surprised as we were to learn that there are about eight million people who have elective care financing instantly available--and don't know it. Astoundingly, they simply may not know that they can afford the dentistry, vision correction, hearing care or cosmetic treatments that they want. Here’s the hidden business and marketing […]
A highly successful medical device representative that we know jokingly refers to one of his first jobs in college as being a supermarket “samples lady.” And for physicians, hospitals and healthcare marketing professionals there’s a gem of an idea among the free samples and trials. Once or twice a week our friend would pack up […]
Doctors learn Sutton’s Law in medical school, although they may not recall that it was named after bank robber Willie Sutton. Willie’s namesake axiom can teach us something about healthcare marketing and advertising. If you’re not up on your historical “most wanted” trivia, here’s a bit of background. Willie “The Actor” Sutton (1901-1980) was an […]
Live Chat—also called Live Help or Live Support—is getting some traction with healthcare marketing websites. More commonly found on retail sites, Live Support is that extra service feature which allows a business to open a real time text-chat conversation with online visitors for customer service and/or sales support. Some of the early adopters we’ve spotted […]
I don’t know anyone who isn’t occasionally guilty of using “medical-ese.” It's the verbal shorthand, technical talk, healthcare jargon, slang or hospital lingo that spells trouble. Doctors, nurses, hospital marketing executives, and practice administrators are all experts, but our audience is not. And we kill our well-intended message quicker than you can say "hyperlipidemia." The […]
Here’s an early heads-up about Google’s brand new “social recommendation” product. If you haven’t heard about this, you might want to start tracking. In time, it’s certain to have an impact on healthcare marketing, Internet advertising and healthcare search engine optimization (SEO). Google, the giant gorilla of all search engines, calls it “the +1 button,” […]
First, do the hardball math. When the phone rings in your office, you are probably losing more new business than you’re winning. Close to 70 percent of new patient calls produce no revenue because the caller never comes into the office. That means your practice is seeing only three out of ten of these callers.
gold·en goose • n. a continuing source of wealth or profit that may be exhausted if it is misused. Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English You’ve probably heard the “golden goose” story. It’s been around since about the 5th century and there are several versions of the fable. Unfortunately, there’s a healthcare marketing version that’s […]
Creative new ideas are the fuel of healthcare marketing success, and in all modesty, we come up with new ideas all the time. It’s our business. What’s more, our clients—physicians, hospitals, dentists, medical groups, pharma/device executives, surgeons and healthcare providers and organizations—tend to be leaders in their field and pretty smart people. Typical of these […]
Providing patients with online appointment scheduling appears to be growing in some healthcare sectors, but it’s not an option for most patients. People want it. They use online scheduling in other areas of their daily living. There are business advantages for the provider. BUT—online appointments are a convenience that not many providers offer to patients. […]
An oral surgeon called us not long ago. He had been referred to us by a friend, another oral maxillofacial surgeon who knows us well. The caller (now a client) told us that he had just fired his in-house marketing person. He was calling for guidance about not making another wrong hire for his oral […]
[EDITOR'S NOTE: In honor of Groundhog Day, we are re-posting this item from last year just for fun. The advice applies to all referral-reliant provider practices. Enjoy...and hope for an early Spring this year.] It doesn’t seem like 18 19 years since the release of the movie Groundhog Day. There’s an important lesson here for any […]
This item is about a dentist, but it's a local television PR example that could be used by any profession, hospital or healthcare entity. It’s known as the City of Brotherly Love, and the CBS television station in Philadelphia runs a regular segment in the news with the same name. It’s an ongoing feature that […]
We’re impressed with the new AAE website (aae.org). The American Association of Endodontists has revitalized its online presence with more content and improved endodontic marketing messages for the public and the professional ranks. Refreshing (or completely re-doing) a website is good advice for most healthcare practices, hospitals and organizations. Too often their website is a […]
When a compelling offer catches your attention – such as the astoundingly low cost of only a dollar – it’s hard to resist. And when it’s only available for a limited time – in this case for one day only – serious buyers have to act immediately or lose the opportunity. The 1 Dollar-1 Day […]
The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) recently launched a marketing campaign about esthetic restoration. Using an effective combination of video and audio material, the ACP placement plan is a good case example for healthcare marketing and advertising decision-makers about how to leverage media exposure for added (and affordable) reach and audience impact. Here’s a quick […]
How to avoid "conventional wisdom" myths, preserve resources, and boost your ROI Let's put the bottom line right here at the top – Return-on-Investment (ROI) is your primary measuring stick for evaluating marketing efforts. Now, hold that thought. Although ROI is marketing's gold-standard score card, we are often surprised (and a bit disappointed) when we […]
It’s no secret that dentistry is evolving throughout much of the Middle East. Until recently, the majority of patients failed to understand the value of quality dentistry, the Emirati market was limited to government-subsidised care, and dental marketing was virtually nonexistent. Now the landscape is rapidly changing. Rising numbers of affluent patients are beginning to […]
As Halloween approaches, Cosmopolitan Orthodontics is generating publicity for their second annual Candy Buy Back program in suburban Minneapolis, St. Paul, MN. They are one of several dental and orthodontic practices around the country that use this attention-getting concept. It’s a novel orthodontic marketing idea that involves patients, parents, staff and the community, and it […]
The “rock star” approach to dental marketing? Could be. They definitely sound good to us. (Really good!) Open Wide is a rock and roll band of six practicing dentists -- and one school teacher who flosses her teeth daily. This isn’t a conventional dental marketing and advertising strategy, but we know a lot of musically […]
Testimonials--still an effective technique--but, more than ever, watch what you say and how you say it. Bloggers and celebrities included. The last time the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) updated its guidelines regarding the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising was a mere 30 years ago.
The overwhelming reason why patients don't ask about your high-end procedures is because they don't know much about your practice or procedures — high-end or Otherwise. And unless they have a strong personal need or envision a value to themselves, they also have no interest. Short conversation … over before it begins. It's simply a […]
