We’ve been looking for a good springboard opportunity to present the creative advertising images that are included with this post. It’s difficult to characterize all the ways how-and-why reasons that good visuals turn your head, tell a story and/or bend your mind. And frankly, that’s an important secret sauce ingredient. There aren’t many ad messages […]
If this blog post had sound effects, you would hear a painful and protracted “Arrrrrghhhh!” It would represent the classic mistake of a neophyte healthcare advertiser who is murdering their advertising budget and their new business opportunity. So, exactly what’s wrong here? Blame is heaped on the ad campaign—which, by the way, is actually working. […]
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 […]
For some time, I’ve wanted to prepare an article about bad billboard advertising. Unfortunately, the world is overflowing with examples of ineffective and non-communicative text. So the first lesson is that creating great billboard advertising is a difficult creative challenge. It’s easy to spot bad ads, there are plenty of them. Perhaps this is because […]
These are the seven fundamental healthcare marketing strategies that you should already be doing to ensure marketing success for your healthcare practice or business. Let’s face it, if you’re not already experiencing success with your healthcare business’ or practice’s marketing efforts — and especially if you’re not yet marketing at all — there are many […]
Anyone who has been in need of medical care knows it can be a deeply personal and emotional experience. For friend, family or individual--from walking in the door to the time of discharge, people want to feel safe, respected and understood. Many hospitals and doctors promote themselves as the compassionate, caring choice that you can trust. So, as a provider, […]
A lot, actually. As you might expect, many doctors and hospitals want to target upscale patients. Sometimes it is a matter of insurance coverage, other times doctors want to attract more fulfilling cases, and still other times clients simply want to improve reimbursements. Two weeks ago at our Orlando seminar, someone asked the familiar question […]
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, […]
In today’s increasingly tech-savvy world, it’s easy to get lost in the complex jargon of the on arena. Don’t give up — we’re here to break it down for you. Whether you’re looking to brush up on your marketing knowledge or starting from scratch, the ABCs of Marketing will help you understand some of the most important terms that you need to know today.
About 90 percent of practices and healthcare organizations lose new business opportunity, and money when they answer the phone. That makes the front desk the second most critical job in any doctor’s office. Of course, the top job under your roof is that of the provider or providers. But the front desk is the vital […]
There’s a trap waiting for you in the world of marketing. And the more capable you are as a doctor, the more likely you’ll spring it. Why patients don't care… You’re a talented, personable and board-certified surgeon with a beautiful office in a great location. You have an exceptional team of nurses and staff. You […]
Marketing-smart doctors want advertising results that are profitable—with an efficient Return-on-Investment (ROI), and a reasonable cost per lead. Whew…those are welcomed challenges in most marketplaces. These days, competition is first-team tough and sophisticated. In some markets, healthcare providers can’t compete without television advertising doing the heavy lifting. The fact is, TV delivers a positive difference […]
A confounding notion in our industry is that medicine is a profession, but healthcare is a business. Think of these as opposite sides of the same business coin. The medicine/profession side leaves little time for the healthcare/business side. But, it turns out that a marketing outsource strategy can achieve critical objectives for both. Most of the time, a […]
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, […]
[Series installment.] Hospital marketing professionals tend to think about content delivery as information sharing. That's good, but to be effective, the process goes deeper. The most useful creative secret in hospital marketing however, is the ability to tap emotional storytelling. Author and marketing professor Jonah Berger frames the idea this way: “People don't think in terms of information," he […]
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 […]
The nation’s healthcare delivery system continues to evolve. A curious thing about trend-watching is not that trends suddenly appear. Sometimes that’s true, but not always. In fact, marketing professionals are aware of the healthcare marketing trends on our list. What is important--the significant dynamic at work here--is change. It is the degree of change that marks a […]
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 […]
Every industry has its share of truly moronic comments, witless ideas and brainless advice. And healthcare advertising is certainly no exception. Over time, it becomes a bit easier to identify silly comments for what they are. Providers have an excuse, after all healthcare marketing isn't their profession. However, healthcare advertising agency people should know better. Extremely […]
Before you do anything else, a healthcare website design must plan for Search Engine Optimization. All too often, SEO is a neglected afterthought. And just as often, a poorly performing website will need major repair work or a complete re-build. Surprisingly, it comes up often. Just the other day, a practitioner proudly asked us, “What […]
The formula for creating highly effective healthcare advertising is never simple. But the chemistry works best when you can answer several critical questions before you begin. It is a simple acid test to evaluate your intended advertising message and/or website. With the target audience clearly defined, the first two questions are marketing’s Problem—Solution fundamentals. Problem: […]
Hospitals, as well as some medical practices, can use public service announcements (PSAs) to communicate “messages in the public interest.” The good new and the bad news about creating a public service announcement is that it’s free. Well…that is to say, it’s nearly free. There’s no charge for any broadcast time or print ad space, which can […]
This is not your typical video role model. You may not like it at all. But hospital advertising can steal strategy and creative ideas from this unorthodox (and somewhat rude) marketing gem. This little film blasts through clutter and makes an overly-familiar message standout in an entirely new way. The visual story of Coleman Sweeney—the […]
In any given week, we objectively review medical advertising and dozens of healthcare websites. And more than a few of them—for doctors, dentists and providers of all sorts—manage to sabotage their medical advertising effectiveness in a single stroke. The poison? Those yucky photos of clinical procedures are a double-barrel emotional turn-off for prospective patients. You’ll never […]
From a five-mile-high perspective, there are two kinds of relationships between a client and a healthcare advertising agency. Let’s label the first type a “vendor” relationship. In this arrangement, the client—a medical practice or hospital, for example—intends to buy specific ad agency services much as they might order and restock surgical masks. Passive. Detached. Truly […]
By Charlie DeNatale, Healthcare Success Media Supervisor Reaching and attracting new patients in the Hispanic audience is a healthcare marketing opportunity that can’t be ignored. But marketing to Hispanic audiences holds challenges for healthcare providers, due to the Affordable Care Act and changing demographics. And regardless of your location, this may be a largely untapped […]
Your name, or the name of your practice, can be an important asset or an unfortunate liability for providers in doctor or healthcare marketing and advertising. Consider the legendary saga of Edgar “Painless” Parker, a turn of the century street dentist. It seems the ethical standards for dentistry were sometimes cringe-worthy at the time. “After […]
The Intern is a delightful, Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway comedy/drama. Those of us in healthcare marketing and advertising see some amusing contrasts between old-school business and present day online enterprises and Internet ads. If you’re old enough to remember phonebook advertising, you’ll likely recognize that Internet ads are the new Yellow Pages (print) […]
At first, I really couldn’t believe what I was reading: “The decline of medicine as a profession began,” according to the blog post, “when it became legal for doctors and hospitals to advertise.” Really? Now that’s an effective, attention-getting lead sentence, especially for a seasoned healthcare marketing professional like myself. Evidently, the demise of modern […]
Real-world marketing stories come to my attention with increasing regularity. And, frequently, they reinforce the strategic importance and positive benefits of online reviews by patients. Prospective patients are doing their homework. As many as 85 percent of patients are choosing doctors based on, or assisted by, online reviews, according to the frequently cited study by […]
Thank you Facebook! The American Academy of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) should send a warm note of appreciation to FB founder Mark Zuckerberg. The reason? The organization’s board-certified plastic surgeons are seeing a big jump in patient requests for facial procedures--because people want to look their best on social media. We don’t know if […]
The nation’s doctors and hospitals are well acquainted with the unprecedented dynamics of change in healthcare. The competitive landscape is shifting—seemingly every day. Yesterday’s passive patient is today’s informed (retail-trained and sometimes demanding) healthcare consumer. Insurance considerations—on both the provider- and the patient-side—are shifting sands of reimbursement tables, changing deductables, and out-of-pocket considerations. Physicians, who […]
Many doctors and medical practice executives have their marketing brains on overdrive. They’re looking for new, better, improved and/or more efficient ways to attract new patients and cases. The marketing and advertising plan (a left-over from last year) isn’t delivering results. The entire competitive landscape has changed, and not for the better. New patients seem […]
Fifty-plus years ago, a doctor would come to the patient about 40 percent of the time. The nearly-lost practice (and nearly forgotten name) was known as “a house call,” and it all but disappeared 30 years ago. That’s changing…again… Customer convenience is the new currency in healthcare delivery and marketing today. More than ever, the […]
Healthcare marketing and advertising entails a certain amount of risk. Always has and always will. So the challenge for modern medical practices—individuals and organizations facing the new consumerism and intense competition—is how to achieve business and professional goals with a limited element of risk. Many providers are uncomfortable with the need to market their services. […]
Ophthalmology specialists have long been aware of the need for marketing in their practice business plan. But as Yogi Berra might shrewdly warn, “the future is not what it used to be.” Under the general umbrella of “vision care services,” individual practice structures will vary in size, structure and operational emphasis. But ophthalmic practitioners and […]
It’s more than simply good fortune that our company enjoys a positive working relationship with our clients. The fact is that people want to do business with people and companies that they like and respect. And that’s a two-way street. This engenders a healthy environment and partnership attitude that drives new business and opportunity. There’s […]
There’s no battle royale here. Contrary to some heated discussions I’ve heard, direct response and brand or name-recognition marketing are both valuable tools in any healthcare marketing plan. It’s not an all-or-nothing proposition. That said, direct response advertising—where immediate customer action is measurable—is really challenging, and success depends on creating effective advertising that works. Be it […]
[Part of a continuing series.] The Internet has dramatically reinvented how prospective patients find their way to the front door of your medical practice. “Traditional” healthcare marketing options—newspaper or magazine ads, radio/broadcast, PR, outdoor advertising—all continue to have an important place and useful purpose in your marketing plan. But in many situations, the mix of […]
Outdoor advertising—billboards in particular—seem to be more popular than ever in many hospital marketing and advertising plans. You don’t have to drive far to survey the crop of ads for hospitals (brand and ED wait times), service lines (specialists and clinics), and individual doctors or groups with hospital-connected practices. Admittedly, billboard advertising is a creative […]
Our regular readers appreciate that we have a positive bias toward healthcare marketing and advertising that produces measurable, near-term results. Direct Response Marketing isn’t the only option, but for hospitals and medical practices—facing tough competition with a lean, cost-effective budget—it offers advantages over brand-based methods. Experienced writers will devote half (or more) of their creative […]
There’s no need to remind motion picture fans—which is nearly everyone—that the 2016 Academy Awards nominations will be announced next week…or that the annual glitz-and-glamour event is next month. (February 28, 2016; Dolby Theatre, Hollywood; ABC) But I did anyway. Hollywood, and the heart of the film industry, is just up the road from our […]
After 20-some years in the business of healthcare marketing, I’m still a bit surprised to find medical practices that have written their own advertising copy. The complaint that they bring to us is that “it didn’t work.” And when I see it, I have to wonder if they realize how much this misguided effort cost […]
One of the oldest and most familiar brand names in the mattress industry—Sealy—owes much of its success to an advertising executive. He invented the slogan: “Sleeping on a Sealy is like sleeping on a cloud.” This goes back to the early 1900’s when Earl Edwards, a successful ad-executive-turned-entrepreneur purchased patents and bought into the bedding business. […]
Sometimes the problem in a healthcare marketing effort is in what’s NOT included. For nearly every well-intended effort—be it an advertisement, a brochure or a website—a weak or missing Call-to-Action guarantees no measurable results. It can happen (inadvertently, we hope) in the best of plans for hospitals and medical practices. A powerhouse community event, a […]
Are printed YP directories still relevant? Judging by the less-than-usual clutter under the desk, the Yellow Pages (and similar printed directories) have all but vanished from American communications culture. When was the last time you saw a rotary dial phone, telephone landline or even a corner phone booth? Some marketing “old-timers” (anyone over the age […]
[Marketing Minute Video Series] Healthcare Success Account Supervisor Tracy Scarborough and CEO Stewart Gandolf talk about RESULTS in marketing. Another Marketing Minute from Healthcare Success with tips, techniques and ideas for successful medical practice or hospital marketing and advertising. Hospitals, medical practices and other providers always want results from their marketing investment. But surprisingly, not […]
This is a story about competing hospital systems where the legal wrangling spilled into contentious advertising. The controversial television and newspaper debate became so heated that the governor intervened. (Without much success, however.) There are a number of PR hotspots in several states were hospitals, health systems, insurance providers and even politicians are tangled in […]
Each December brings the enjoyment of all the holiday classic movies. And there’s a fun little marketing and advertising lesson in A Christmas Story, one of our seasonal favorites. No doubt you’ve seen the quirky and endearing 1983 comedy about an Indiana schoolboy—Ralphie (Peter Billingsley)—who desperately wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. The […]
