Earlier this year, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg was justifiably proud in announcing that the popular social media platform “is now officially 2 billion people. We’re making progress connecting the world…” He’s talking monthly active users, and by far, the most popular social networking site with YouTube registering second: The large, worldwide user count is impressive. But […]
This is the time of year when a well-considered hospital marketing budget is in the final-finish stages. It’s nearly ready for rollout with the launch of a new calendar year. But getting it done isn’t the same as getting it right. Here are four thought-leader concepts to help optimize your budget—and your marketing results—as never […]
Even casual Internet users are understandably fearful of online risks. This is a digital age of malware threats, identity theft and ransomware attacks. So there’s a good chance that any of us might instantly back away from a website with a Google Chrome “Not Secure” Warning. Google’s alert is cause for concern for some hospitals […]
Recently I returned from a client photo shoot and drafted this list of helpful creative director secrets to help you produce professional and effective results. It's about details because the camera sees it all. Every photo shoot—from a big screen major motion picture, to images for your hospital or office—deserves careful attention. It’s fun to […]
Many marketing executives and communications professionals recognize this headline is a bit of trick. The answer, of course, is that hospital reputation management (HRM) matters constantly. Reputation is the core component of nearly everything. This post provides a few of the most meaningful moments when hospital reputation management matters the most. Plus we include five […]
A service line—and hospital service line marketing—are hard workers. These doorways into the facility serve several distinct purposes. Among these, in the big picture of things, is the task of communicating the organization’s branding message. In addition, there is the need to spotlight specific services and capabilities to the general public. It’s always a challenge […]
We meet many successful doctors in our travels. You probably recognize the leaders among professional colleagues who have significantly grown their business. These are the principals of an expanding group, a multi-doctor/multi-location or multi-specialty practice, or leaders at a hospital. The important distinction—unlike many other providers—is that they are constantly moving forward. They are growing […]
As a kid, it's likely you spent many Saturday mornings stuffing yourself on popular children's cereal while watching the cartoons and the animated ads that touted them. As adults, consumers are still responsive to animation. And healthcare animation is a popular and beneficial tool in hospital and medical group communications plans. A consumer’s earliest decision-making is […]
It is a remarkable and often painful mistake for doctors to assume that prospective patients know how to judge clinical quality in healthcare. Specifically, many doctors mistakenly believe that any prospective patient clearly recognizes that the competitive hospital or medical office down the street is lacking in quality of care. Thus, they believe, the other […]
If you picture the marketing and advertising process as a circle, success is when you close the loop. Getting the phone to ring is a good start and an important part of the loop. But an inquiry call—to a hospital, service line office or provider—doesn’t complete the loop. The ringing that you hear signals an […]
[Community Manager Series Installment] The single most destructive force in reputation management and social media is neglect. Maybe it’s a misguided idea that says web stuff is a simple set-and-forget proposition. Perhaps every medical office is a super-kinetic challenge of being super-busy. Whatever reason—real or imagined…intentional or accidental—a critical community manager responsibility is to proactively […]
There are dozens of compelling reasons to include community marketing ideas, activities and outreach events in your plan. For any hospital or provider practice, working with the local public—down home at the grassroots level—is engaging, rewarding…and usually, a lot of fun. Community marketing engages and attracts prospective customers on a local level through their cities […]
Healthcare reform has been a topic of public discussion for many years. It’s a debate continues today. It seems that hospitals and providers constantly struggle to find ways to beat the competition. While various initiatives continue to search for an effective blueprint for change, competition is fierce. The health industry and the competitive landscape for […]
[Series Installment] It looks like the majority of hospitals throughout the US want to be gearing up for major advances in consumerism. From a marketing and business development perspective, the institutions that make aggressive consumer moves will differentiate themselves from the other 92 percent of the industry. A mere eight percent of hospitals and health […]
[SHSMD17 Speaker Podcast Series] Our guest for this podcast is Jenise Celestin, Director of Community Relations at Swedish Covenant Hospital. Jenise talks with Healthcare Success Marketing Strategist Peter Do as a preview of the SHSMD 2017 presentation: From Hospital Employee to Brand Ambassador: Building Bridges in the Community and Enhancing Your Brand. In today’s conversation, […]
[SHSMD17 Speaker Podcast Series] Healthcare Success Marketing Strategist Peter Do talks with Keith Whitworth, Director of Marketing at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. This podcast will preview Keith’s presentation at the 2017 SHSMD marketing conference titled: Rollout a Winning Video Content Strategy with No Budget. Everyone—patients, audience, search engines, and leadership—loves good video […]
The way we do video conference calls in our office at Healthcare Success is several measures of professional quality ahead of most everyone else. We’re proud of our video conferencing setup. It conveys a million-dollar setup, but the cost is low and the benefits are high. We’re often asked how we do it…and we’re pleased […]
[SHSMD17 Speaker Podcast Series] Our interview today is with Scot Singpiel, Communications Manager at University of Utah Health regarding the upcoming presentation at SHSMD 2017 hospital and healthcare marketing conference. Scott, and his co-presenter Kathy Wilets, Director of Media Relations, will be talking about the unique uses of audio in their content marketing strategy. TheScopeRadio.com […]
[Community Manager Series Installment] Job titles and position descriptions will vary—social media manager, community manager, social media master or the like. But for social media (SM) to be effective, the first consideration is that someone is specifically responsible on a full-time or part-time basis. In healthcare marketing, social media shouldn't be an afterthought or a […]
[SHSMD17 Speaker Podcast Series] In the Healthcare Success continuing series, Marketing Strategist Peter Do talks with Doreen Pichotti, Digital Marketing and Media Strategist at UC Davis Health System. Today’s podcast will preview Doreen’s upcoming presentation at the 2017 SHSMD marketing conference. PETER DO: I’m pleased to introduce our guest, Doreen Pichotti, Digital Marketing and Media Strategist, […]
A professional colleague provided this first-person experience and the reasons he fired the doctor. We’ll cloak the identities involved, but here’s what went wrong—and how the problem could have been avoided. “The physician that I had been seeing was leaving the practice, and an alternative specialist was recommended. Two weeks later I was present for […]
The healthcare delivery industry changes daily. Given the many moving parts, creating and maintaining a brand connection today—for solutions the public may need someday—is a serious challenge. Consider how these variables are at work: On one hand, the quiet-and-compliant patients of the past have morphed into empowered consumers. They are better informed bring expectations of high value, […]
Why is it that when it comes to marketing, everyone seems to have an opinion? Colleagues, friends, staff, the plant lady, the guy cleaning up...everyone gets a vote. Worse, the people writing the checks often listen to whoever the last person was who offered them advice. A brief backstory about best practice marketing… For example, an […]
Talk about a scary scenario—hospitals remain high profile and high-value targets for ransomware cyber attacks. It's been an ongoing threat for decades — worldwide and throughout the United States. We’re not a cyber security company, but clients, providers and hospitals voice concerns about their online presence. Understandably, websites—built for healthcare marketing and communications—are at risk […]
Our friend and colleague Rob Klein—a consumer authority for hospitals and doctors—told us this story from a research focus group. Many people in the group agreed that the glass window at the front desk made patients feel unwelcome. A glass window seems to be standard issue for every doctor’s office on the planet. But it […]
This post spotlights a few easy but useful little marketing and communications ideas. Each of these gems is completely unrelated to each of the others, so feel free to grab one or more, try it out, and put it to work today. Then let us know what you think. IDEA #1: Don’t write long and […]
A friend of ours is a one-person blend of Yelp-and-Angie’s-List of references, referrals and recommendations. This is a well-connected word-of-mouth resource for recommendations for life’s everyday needs. Just ask: They’ll suggest the best value in retail goods, where to find discounts on groceries, who to trust for reliable home handyman services. This a person who […]
About the only big thing that these little marketing maneuvers have in common is that they all boost results. Take them. Use them. These tips come from a collection of “short-but-effective” marketing tricks that professionals will use often (but rarely reveal). The power of personalization marketing tricks… One of the least appreciated marketing concepts that […]
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 […]
[Healthcare Success Leadership Podcast] In this installment of our continuing educational series, Healthcare Success CEO Stewart Gandolf talks with Rob Klein, founder and CEO of healthcare marketing research firm Klein & Partners. A prospective name change, branding or rebranding, will dramatically impact every aspect of a hospital system…image, operation and culture. Here’s how research can provide […]
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 […]
[Part One of a two-part article about one of the top patient satisfaction complaints: long waiting times in accessing care and healthcare service delivery the doctor’s office. Here’s how to identify the problem and what to do about it.] There’s a well-considered reason that the healthcare industry is doing its best to banish the term […]
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. […]
The ideal practice enjoys a steady flow of new patients. It’s a vital step in achieving steady practice growth. But, unfortunately, that’s where we often find a painful gap in the practice or hospital marketing plan. The time, effort and external budget—the source of new business and new patients—somehow disconnects from the internal marketing effort. […]
[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 […]
OK – here it is: Successfully marketing to Millennials—appealing to and attracting this major audience group—requires a totally new approach. For the most part, the customary ways-and-means of reaching this target audience completely misses the mark. As a result, they are the most difficult segment to market to effectively. Leave the challenges of an old-school perspective and […]
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 […]
“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 […]
For some time, the big thing about mobile devices has been the urgent warnings that responsive web design is an absolute must. Google was one of the main voices behind that message, and we agree. If your website did not recognize and respond to the user’s device—hint, especially a mobile device—it will not show well […]
It’s not clear who coined the label “explainer videos.” But in healthcare marketing, there’s a three-minute visual fastball just about everywhere these days. The term might have become “A/V CliffsNotes,” or “Visual Elevator Pitch,” or “Video Demo.” Regardless of the name, this is a quick communications tool that presents a short-and-sweet informational or educational snapshot. […]
The buying public has moved...from indoors to online. And healthcare is not far behind. Retail business has shifted from familiar big-name brands to online-based providers. Some of the biggest names in retail merchandising aren’t nearly as big anymore. Sears, JCPenney, Macy’s and many other department store chains have downsized and properties have closed. We’ve lost […]
There’s a serious gender gap in healthcare marketing. So, in advance of National Men’s Health Week (CDC, June 12-18, 2017), here are some marketing idea-starters—to reach, motivate and encourage men to make health a priority. But be forewarned, men are a tough audience—they are underserved and highly reluctant to see the inside of a doctor’s […]
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 […]
“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 […]
The new business opportunity for healthcare email marketing is real, and better than ever. Here's why: More than a few people I know have at least one smartphone in hand or close by…constantly. They never travel far without it. And the ebb and flow of email via their mobile device has become an indispensable business […]
[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. […]
[Series Installment] Think of it as marketing’s psychological secret sauce. A serious dash of social proof is often the most compelling and motivating ingredient in the applied science of marketing. Success—with clear and measurable results—follows when you put predictable human reactions and behavior to work. You can kick start your effectiveness by incorporating at least […]
What do you do when the news media suddenly knocks on your door regarding a hot news item? What if one or more members of the press wants a media interview? Without much notice they're seeking your expert medical opinion or professional point of view. It’s useful for the media to know that you're available. And […]
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. […]
