Affordable TV Advertising: How to Generate New Patient Calls Without Breaking the Bank
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 in your media mix.
The challenge is to win the battle for new patients with a cost-per-phone-lead between $200 and $400. But the impact doesn’t just end with a telephone call lead only. TV is a highly effective channel to engage consumers with a persuasive message.
Benefits of affordable TV advertising...
In addition to being cost-effective, TV advertising benefits include:
Television drives visitor traffic to your website. TV can bring you direct patient phone inquiries while helping you win the ongoing, online battle for patients. When television ads attract attention, visitor traffic spikes on your website and social media.
Television boosts recognition and reputation. TV brings an awareness factor that is tricky to measure. However, there is no doubt that TV ad exposure increases credibility as well as enhancing personal, professional and practice reputation with public and colleagues.
Television distinguishes and differentiates. TV is a powerful branding channel that sets your practice apart from the competition. TV advertising can create a durable, distinctive and positive perception that engenders trust.
Case example: cost-effective television pay-off…
Broadcast television advertising doesn’t fit in every healthcare marketing plan. Client goals and objectives will determine how TV is utilized in the marketing plan. In some cases Television advertising is not mandatory. But for others, creative television advertising can deliver significant reach and impact in many practice situations. (We can help you sort out those priorities.) In the following case example, television advertising produced a strong return for a medical weight loss center.
But before we came aboard, the client had been struggling for several months with new patient inquiries generated only from print ads. We found that the cost per inquiry was high with print. And, in the 30-day period prior to changing the media mix, the client had received 84 calls from people who had gone to their website, and they had received 14 calls via their paid search efforts.
The agency instituted a 25-day TV campaign from late December through late January. The gross investment of $17,500 generated 115 telephone calls at a cost per lead of $152. In addition to the efficient cost per lead, the website calls went from 84 calls without the TV campaign to 275 calls with the TV campaign, The paid search leads went from 14 calls without TV to 31 calls with TV.
Using TV in your media plan...
Of course, individual results will vary. But this is one illustration of how we stepped up to affordable television advertising. Let us help with the critical planning considerations that provide cost-effective media buying for TV placement. It’s generating new patient calls without breaking the bank.
Your business will benefit from our experience and television buying philosophy. There is a strategic science to buying efficient and results-oriented television schedules. Make an appointment to discuss market territory, competitive analysis, and budget for production and media placement. Connect with us at 800-656-0907.
