A recent article in the Los Angeles Times highlighted the use of pre-med students and other college students who want to pursue careers in medicine or nursing as “medical scribes” to accompany physicians during patient appointments. These scribes carry laptop computers to enter treatment plans into electronic medical records software programs as well as follow […]
Sleep Medicine Marketing Finds an Ally in the Spa Industry; Promoting Sleep Health Education Day spas seem to be evolving. Once a pure “pampering palace,” some locations are increasingly embracing holistic wellness themes, including sleep health issues. It’s a growing opportunity for sleep medicine marketing—both physician practices and hospital programs—to get involved and reach a […]
Absolutely nothing about the Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy location in La Jolla, CA reminds us of a classic retail “drug store.” But then, that’s exactly what they were going for; excellent differentiation. To our marketing eye, it’s a unique blend of traditional pharmacy services and alternative care products. They appeal to an upscale, primarily female, target […]
To all in the U.S. healthcare community who have been either too busy or too discouraged to really pay attention to the most fundamental implications of the new healthcare reform law (officially titled “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”), most of the prevailing opinion, including direct comments from White House officials and other government […]
The iconic, Spielberg science fiction film Minority Report set us up for this one nearly a decade ago. But right now, a new billboard technology is being tested in Japan that recognizes who’s looking at it and delivers a personalized message that’s suitable to the reader. OK, it’s not the film’s iris recognition of year […]
Appearance-conscious men are buying skin-care products big time. There’s a boom in cosmetic products for men. Not just deodorant and aftershave stuff, we’re talking about eye gel, concealer, and an anti-shine powder that comes in a compact…it’s a bull market, according to the New York Times. Cosmetic products for men are not new, of course. […]
Steve Smith, Healthcare Success Senior Consultant, Writer & Account Manager Singer James Brown sang, “It’s a Man’s World,” but he could also have written a song titled, “It’s a Man’s World Except for Healthcare Decisions.” Women still make approximately 80% of the health care decisions for their families, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, […]
Here’s a flash of marketing inspiration we spotted in traffic. We love the simplicity of the message on this truck. It’s an ultra-short-and-sweet advertising approach that could be applied to many healthcare arenas, even if you don’t have a work truck in the medical practice marketing department motor pool. Some examples: Bunions? Hernia? Hemorrhoids? Knee […]
Dermatologists may need to team with psychologists; patient education isn’t enough. It seems that indoor tanning may be an addiction among college students participating in a study published in Archives of Dermatology and supported by the National Cancer Institute. The results also suggest a relation to anxiety, depression, and substance use among the participants. There […]
Neil H. Baum, MD Today the patient is far different than the patient of a few decades ago. Patients can find healthcare information just as easily as a physician and many are taking a greater role in their healthcare and want to be involved in the decision making and work with the doctor as a […]
A few days ago, a news item in the Philadelphia Business Journal caught our eye; a primary care practice was switching to a concierge medicine model—in a blue-collar neighborhood. Concierge practice marketing can be challenging anywhere because patients are typically required to pay an annual fee to enjoy a more personalized level of service. It's […]
Nobody has a clear vision about the shape of cardiology marketing in 2014 and beyond. What is already a highly dynamic competitive landscape for private practice cardiologists and cardiology groups promises more of the same as the Health Care Reform act takes effect over the next few years. With operating costs and competition increasing, and […]
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.
A regular and pragmatic medical marketing self-examination can be revealing, positive, negative and ultimately, extremely valuable in keeping your healthcare marketing plan operating at peak performance. Here's how to approach each of the seven classic fundamentals.
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Gain personal and professional satisfaction plus boost your marketing plan effectiveness. We're willing to wager that you are already an expert. The professionals that we work with daily are all highly educated, experienced and smart. Almost by definition, every one of them is an expert, and they're passionate about some aspect of the work they've […]
Attract new patients to your medical office without sacrificing your reputation Economic pressures can often squeeze the profits - and enjoyment - right out of your business. As a consequence, doctors, administrators, managers and staff often find themselves spending an inordinate amount of their time and energy trying to cut costs and optimize reimbursements. The […]
What time of year do you think about marketing your healthcare organization? Well, if you are like a lot of doctors, you probably think about marketing mostly during your slow seasons. And the logical knee-jerk reaction would be to go out and run some ads. Makes sense, right? Wrong.
The number of "born losers" in healthcare practice marketing, advertising and promotion is roughly the same as the head-count of ants at a summer picnic-and just as welcome. These include putting your name, logo or ad on or in:
Everyone wants their marketing materials to look attractive. After all, most patients have a very difficult time evaluating providers, and therefore consciously or unconsciously, look for clues about you based upon what they can see and understand. If your facilities, office, hospital and marketing materials look professional and inspire confidence, you are set up to […]
8 Extremely Helpful Guidelines for an Ideal Executive Portrait Healthcare is a people business...where trust and confidence begins with the first impressions. Here's how to create an effective professional photo that helps build and extend your first-class reputation.. OK—we'll be the first to admit that not everyone is incredibly photogenic. But a professional's professional photo […]
What your most successful competitors don't want you to know Various sectors of the American economic picture have been described lately as "soft," "bumpy," or according to Pundit Mr. C. Little, "the sky is falling!" The truth is that everyone's situation is different, and we can't guide you about broad economic affairs in the nation. […]
There is a cure if you follow a strict treatment plan for feeling better. A doctor called not long ago and told us he desperately needed our help. That's not unusual, but he said he couldn't even wait to go to one of our monthly strategic marketing planning meetings; he wanted us to work with […]
While 98 Percent of Doctors and Dentists Hate the Yellow Pages, the Other 2 Percent Quietly Laugh All the Way to the Bank. It's a Zero-sum Game, and Some Rules. It's like the line attributed to Mark Twain: "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." Nearly 100 years later, the same is true […]
For your internal marketing audience, it's all about caring. The established patient base for any healthcare organization, practice or group is never permanent...and may not be as firmly established as you might think. The process of improving retention is grounded in the internal communications skills of doctor, staff and everyone who works there. Surprisingly, the […]
While many methods of marketing may be available, the two most commonly utilized techniques are brand-based marketing and direct response marketing. > Brand-based Marketing > Direct Response Marketing There is also a third, increasingly common method that is a hybrid of the other two.
Your achievement checklist to getting ahead and staying ahead. Successful marketing for large groups or organizations includes navigating and balancing many voices and varied interests. Be aware of the possible problem areas, and have an objective third-party bring the group together for marketing success. There's nothing simple about marketing—even if you've only got yourself to […]
How to protect your turf and keep from losing ground to the competition. We'll get right to the point.. If you're not geared up with a new or refreshed marketing plan in the starting blocks NOW for the first week in January, you've just given your competition a giant head start. And that's a fast-blast […]
No budget? Unrealistic budget? How to begin when the page is blank. Two different practitioners called us recently. Let's just describe them as smart and experienced doctors in different professions, in different parts of the country and on different ends of the promotional spectrum. They both were experiencing an "ah-hah moment" of personal insight and […]
Editors note: This article is the second of a two-part series. If you haven't chosen your new practice location yet, we recommend you also read, Medical Office Space: How to Choose a Great Location. Congratulations! You have signed the contract for your new office space, and your staff is on top of all the administrative […]
Can you guess what spaghetti marketing is? (A lot of healthcare businesses do it.) Simply spend a lot of marketing dollars randomly, throw a bunch of "spaghetti" against the wall, and see if anything sticks. As you might suspect, we are not big fans of spaghetti marketing. You could throw a lot of spaghetti -- […]
Real-world insights and ideas A marketing plan is not a list of marketing ideas from which you randomly select different concepts to test or combine for trial-and-error experimentation. That is just random, episodic, spaghetti-on-the-wall marketing activity - which is almost always a high-risk prescription for disappointment, frustration and failure. A marketing plan is a strategic […]
