Best-in-class healthcare marketers are already planning for next year. They’re researching key trends that will attract new high-intent audiences, increase engagement, drive revenue, and reinforce patient loyalty in 2023. If you’ve been revamping the same marketing plan for a few years, now is the perfect time to reevaluate everything through the lens of market innovations […]
Philadelphia retailer John Wanamaker once said, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half.” And truthfully, it’s probably more for many businesses. Years ago, it was common for healthcare providers to ask, “How did you hear about us?” when you called to schedule an appointment or […]
A large part of how we plan our marketing strategies involves taking into account predicted trends for the upcoming year. Looking back at my predictions for 2020, I'm intrigued by the speed at which some of these projections materialized. As we look forward to a new year in marketing, I know the competition will be […]
In this guide, learn best practices for digital marketing to physicians, including tips on capturing the attention of today’s busy HCPs.
Get expert tips on how to market your telehealth services online and beat your competition.
Learn Google’s high standards for content, including how to demonstrate Google E-A-T for healthcare content.
Learn how to craft an effective communication strategy for COVID-19 vaccines for patients in healthcare practices and medical organizations.
I (Stewart) love what I do in large part because of the smart people I continually get to meet and befriend. Jay Geer is another case in point. Perhaps ten years ago, his (then) assistant James Chisum reached out to me and said, “You have to meet Jay Geer. He is THE hospital PR guy, […]
Connected TV, also called over-the-top media streaming, describes a new frontier for ad targeting and marketing campaigns. These terms are relatively new for businesses of all sizes, and healthcare organizations in particular have been slow to act on its opportunities. That’s why it’s a better time than ever for healthcare marketers to consider OTT marketing […]
We have never seen an addiction treatment marketing landscape as the one that continues to evolve due to COVID-19. While some substance abuse and behavioral health centers are withdrawing from marketing, others are increasing their budgets to take advantage of the void in the recovery marketplace. While some centers are struggling to keep up […]
The following webinar was sponsored by the American Osteopathic Association and took place Thursday, May 7. Almost every osteopathic practice has experienced financial loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and many are reeling. Fortunately, there are many marketing and communications strategies you and your team can implement to help protect your practice now and prepare […]
Marketing Strategies to Implement Now For Your Vein Practice A Webinar Sponsored by the American Vein and Lymphatic Society COVID-19 has caused massive economic disruption to virtually every kind of business, including vein practices. Which marketing strategies should you begin now, and which should you implement in the coming months as the crisis slowly subsides? […]
March 17, 2020, may well be remembered as the day the telemedicine revolution finally took off. Telemedicine and Telehealth's adoption, fast-tracked by Coronavirus/COVID, will create profound changes in how healthcare services are provided — while also spawning new healthcare marketing opportunities. Earlier last month, in the interest of public safety, the federal government largely removed two […]
COVID Healthcare Marketing Webinar COVID-19 has changed the healthcare industry quicker in the last two weeks than in the last 50 years. With medical practices temporarily shutting down and elective procedures put on hold, what should healthcare networks and healthcare specialists do with their marketing campaigns' strategies? To answer this important question for healthcare marketers, […]
Over the years, we’ve alerted our Healthcare clients and industry colleagues to a few major updates that could affect their healthcare SEO (search engine optimization) rankings. Google makes updates to its search algorithms all the time—but only a few stand out as having the potential for a major impact on your presence in the search […]
Introducing PHYGITAL: It’s More than a Marketing Buzzword OK…we admit that it’s a freshly-minted word, but PHYGITAL recognizes an increasingly useful trend in marketing. PHYGITAL refers to a crossover of the physical (PHY-) and the digital (-GITAL) aspects of the brand experience.The majority of today’s consumers shop online and in “brick-and-mortar” locations, and those two […]
Every December, we like to remind our clients and readers of a simple way to save taxes in the current tax year, while investing in their business’s growth for the subsequent year. If your business pays taxes on a cash basis, it is likely you could reduce your tax bill(s) by prepaying marketing (and other) […]
Love it or hate it, voice technology is here to stay. For those who love it, voice-commanding Siri or Alexa to report on the weather or play a song is kind of a power trip, not to mention ultra convenient. For those who loathe it, the complaints range from difficulty with Alexa's comprehension to fears […]
The first thing I do when I see healthcare news that interests me or scares me (or both) is go online and try to find more information. It's a common modern reaction to search for a meaningful explanation of a new treatment or resurgent disease. And hopefully I can find more than a few comments […]
The only constant is change, and that's never been truer in the world of Healthcare Marketing. This year brought major acquisitions, new consumer priorities, and competitive trends that will only heighten in the New Year. Hospitals, medical practices, and healthcare organizations will have to stay one step ahead to keep up with both competitors and […]
Marketing for healthcare organizations is changing—fast. But when you're absorbed in the world of healthcare, it's tough to know what's going on in the world of marketing healthcare. Strategies that worked just a few years ago might not work today—but then again, many tried and trued methods continue to be successful for certain medical practices, hospitals, and […]
Sometimes, a marketing campaign doesn’t work out. It happens, and it stinks. But just because one marketing effort doesn’t work, that doesn’t mean marketing doesn’t work in healthcare. When you begin trying new marketing campaigns, you might be dismayed to find the results aren’t quite what you hoped for or expected. However, that doesn’t mean […]
Good doctors alone, no matter how competent or innovative, do not make a hospital or practice successful. Some level of marketing is always required. It may start with word-of-mouth, but eventually, you'll need to expand your reach—and you might start to consider what medical marketing agencies have to offer. The most successful practices and hospitals […]
Multicultural marketing is too often overlooked. You hope that your marketing message is reaching people of all cultures and ethnicities, but this assumption can lead you to miss out on a huge potential patient base. As the experience of cultures in this country changes and evolves, so too should your marketing message. The state of […]
[INSTALLMENT - A Continuing Series] Every physician and medical administrator that we know is intimately—often, intensely—aware of HIPAA’s privacy and security rules. There isn’t a policy, procedure or process that isn’t carefully scrutinized as HIPAA compliant. This isn't legal advice, but healthcare professionals know that protected health information (PHI) and electronic protected health information (ePHI) […]
[Series Installment] It seems to some observers that many hospitals and healthcare providers are not prepared for the next wave of consumerism. Contemporary studies among hospitals and health systems in the industry believe that patient behaviors and expectations are critical. But less than one-quarter of healthcare organizations have the means to gather and analyze meaningful patient […]
Here’s a brief roundup of clever marketing ideas. They’re the kind of secret sauce techniques that are highly effective…and seasoned pros seldom reveal. Each little idea is unrelated to the others, except that they add a bit of color, flair and professional splash to your marketing, PR, branding or social voice. Just go ahead—call them […]
Marketing-savvy doctors, medical practices and hospitals actively embrace video tools in their social media mix. It’s one of the fastest growing marketing tools, and Facebook video is one of the most useful showcases. The Social Media world first experienced video messages on Facebook (FB) ten years ago. The platform—allowing user uploads of recorded videos—has been […]
More than at any time in the past, the Internet is the primary pathway to hospitals and healthcare providers for today’s informed consumer. There isn’t a hospital or healthcare marketing professional who hasn’t heard the stat that “over 70 percent of Internet users looked online for health information.” Pew Research confirms that the percent of […]
For several consecutive years, all of us have heard the same prediction: “This is the year of the video!” We don’t know the exact moment of launch, but compelling video is now a powerful marketing tool for hospitals, medical groups and professional practitioners. And the performance stats and results are stronger each year. Let’s credit […]
It’s tough attracting new patients. And just when you thought you only had to worry about ransomware, phishing scams, phony charities and the desperate email from a Nigerian prince…along comes a big-time advertiser swindle. “Zombie websites” amount to a rapid-fire digital fraud that has picked the pockets of some of the nation’s biggest brands. Hershey’s, […]
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 […]
File this under “If You’re Happy and You Know It” power tactics. This is a handful of highly effective little ideas anyone can put to work on short notice—at little or no cost—for greater mileage. #1: Publish, publish and republish. Consumer comments on review sites, as well as the direct testimonials of patients, are highly […]
[Community Manager Series Installment] The successful implementation of social media is the responsibility — and the credit — of your community manager. Every healthcare marketing situation requires a custom plan that artfully blends each of many strategies and tactics. There is no one-size-fits-all list of how-to steps. Successfully achieving the goals and objectives in marketing […]
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] Stewart Gandolf, CEO of Healthcare Success talks with Judd E. Hollander, MD, Associate Dean for Strategic Health Initiatives, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson Health. The topic of this podcast is Dr. Hollander’s presentation at the 2017 SHSMD marketing conference on the topic titled: Building a Value-Based Care Business Model Through Telehealth. […]
Back in the digital dark ages—a decade or so ago—simply having a website was enough to be found online. Early on, only a few healthcare practices and hospitals had a website at all. Two or three HTML pages put your online presence miles ahead of most everyone else. But not so today. To be found […]
[Part Two of a two-part article about long waiting times in accessing care and healthcare service delivery the doctor’s office. Read how to identify the problem and what to do about it. The first post is available here: Rethink Reception and Reduce Patient Waiting in Healthcare.] The nearly universal patient frustration (over 90 percent) tracks […]
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. […]
Unless you diligently track this topic closely, what you thought you knew about doctor and hospital reputation management has probably changed. In fact, this is one tech-savvy, computer-centric landscape that is constantly evolving. If you might have skipped a beat—and that’s easy to do—here’s a brief update about change, the importance of online reputation and […]
[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 […]
In the retail world, it’s easy to find free or low-cost samples of goods, services, and the ever-popular taste-test of (a new flavor) bacon-infused crispy chip. Beyond the wall of healthcare marketing, reciprocity and the psychology of samples, test bits and trial models have a long and successful history. Retailers know that giving away a […]
Now and then someone raises their hand and asks for a generous infusion of marketing automation. They’ve heard the popular buzzword, but the definition isn’t exactly clear. Their well-intended (but mistaken) objective is to realize all the rewards of marketing—generating new business—powered by a semi-magical, set-and-forget software. This description is a bit of an exaggeration. […]
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. […]
[Second of Two Parts - Series Installment: Current Marketing Trends] The first of these two installments, 4 Top Hospital Marketing Trends to Watch Right Now, examined Customer Relationship Management, and Precision Marketing Audience Segments. Our list of top hospital marketing trends continues… The nation’s healthcare delivery system continues to change rapidly. And to keep pace, […]
Creating and maintaining an online wellspring of useful and interesting information is a positive step in healthcare marketing. Presenting authoritative information—on your blog, your website and elsewhere—is a foundation for connections and relationships. But the first secret of content marketing—with the rich rewards of attracting and engaging prospective patients—is inspiring shareability through your audience. Shareability, […]
At a routine medical appointment yesterday, a friend of mine was greeted with a chilling: “Please sign in, and take a seat.” No warm hello. No friendly smile. And no way to treat a regular member of the internal audience of this practice. Here's why: The math is simple and straightforward. It costs at least five […]
Every industry has it’s own, unique vocabulary. These are the specialized terms, buzz words, phrases and jargon that is peculiar to a particular business. I wouldn’t attempt the work-a-day words that a doctor-to-doctor conversation might include. There’s a strong prospect that I’d be lost (quickly) in a forest of multisyllabic medical terminology. The word-world of […]
In a quiet moment, every doctor will admit that some people simply make better patients than other people. On a good-to-bad scale, the “bad news” people sink to the bottom slice of chart. They represent a (hopefully) small percentage of your patient-population. For one reason or another, they are uncooperative, unpleasant and/or difficult. It seems […]
