Today, the marketing spotlight often shines on Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen X due to their vast numbers, combined influence, and economic power. However, marketing to Baby Boomers remains vitally important. At approximately 68.6 million strong, Baby Boomers remain a formidable and highly-valuable consumer segment. Unfortunately, when building their marketing strategies, many marketers fail to […]
It’s not your imagination. People really are ruder to each other these days. The pandemic, economy, political unrest, war, and continued uncertainty have taken—and continue to take—a toll on people’s mental health. These all contribute to stress, anxiety, frustration, and anger. And according to Harvard Business Review, frontline workers are taking the brunt of this […]
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 […]
10 Ways To Deal With Angry Patients and Why You Definitely Should By Stewart Gandolf, Chief Executive Officer When patients take their grievances out on their healthcare provider, it can be frustrating—not only for the provider but also for the administration. More than ever before, healthcare organizations have to worry about the threat of legal […]
Welcome to step four of our “Marketing to Doctors” blog series. This comprehensive playbook is designed to help people in virtually every sector (e.g., healthcare businesses, device and supply companies, SaaS, etc.) market their products and services directly to doctors, physicians, surgeons, and other healthcare professionals. If you haven’t read steps 1-3, I highly recommend […]
Welcome to part three of our “Marketing to Doctors” blog series. This series is a comprehensive playbook for healthcare businesses, device and supply companies, SaaS, or anyone who wants to market their products and services directly to doctors (physicians, surgeons, and other healthcare professionals). As mentioned, marketing to doctors can be extremely challenging, complicated, and […]
Marketing to doctors, physicians, surgeons, and other health care professionals can be extremely challenging, complicated, and expensive. What’s more, most doctors work in a hospital or multilocation medical practice, making it even more challenging to identify key decision-makers. Not only are doctors and decision-makers difficult to reach—and even more difficult to persuade—you have to contend […]
By Stewart Gandolf, MBA (Editor’s Note: I wrote the first version of this blog post back in 2006 when we launched Healthcare Success. While I intentionally wrote it with a quick, playful tone, more than sixteen years later, it remains one of our most popular posts. I recently updated it here for your reading pleasure!) Every time I run […]
Healthcare consumerism has drastically changed the way healthcare professionals need to market and deliver their services. Today’s consumers expect a healthcare experience as innovative and digitally advanced as any other industry. Hospitals, health systems, and medical practices must evolve to meet these changing needs to remain competitive or risk falling behind. As more healthcare professionals […]
Get expert advice on today’s latest physician liaison strategies to build doctor referrals.
COVID-19 has been a life-changing event for us all. It's the kind of event that has lasting effects on people that we can't even truly see just yet. We've thrust an entire population into a cycle of grief that is ubiquitous but unique to every person. How will the healthcare consumer, patient, and caregivers' needs, […]
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 […]
If a patient on medication for depression started to feel better, should she go off her meds? Should someone experiencing relief from strep throat throw out the remaining antibiotics? Of course not. From time to time, we hear from clients that their current patient volume is just fine. They're ready to stop the marketing and […]
[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) […]
Not long ago, we published an article titled: Doctors Don’t Advertise” and 10 Other Lame Marketing Myths. Some of the ill-advised “reasons” on our list sounded a wake-up call for a few readers. It turns out that they recognized that medicine is a profession, but healthcare is a business. Ultimately, for every hospital and healthcare […]
Medical professionals, providers and industry leaders are constantly challenged by the changes in hospital and healthcare delivery and marketing. Resources are constrained while performance expectations increase. The best of annual continuing education and professional development conferences provide opportunities to evaluate and implement practical strategies and tactics. These concepts attract and retain new patients, strengthen and […]
Seemingly overnight the Internet created dozens of directory, listing, review and rating sites. In a digital flash, negative online reviews—or outright bad reviews—can soil the fabric of years of good work and positive impressions. The high altitude overview reveals that the vast majority of online reviews are positive. By and large, doctors provide their services […]
Perhaps the only rock-solid prediction for 2018 is that hospital, medical group and healthcare marketing is the ever-present challenge to keep pace with change. Competition is tough, resources are precious, and performance expectations—delivering a solid return on investment—are always demanding. To achieve a new level of success in the New Year, industry leaders and marketing […]
A major hallmark of delivering patient-centered care is convenience. Today’s hospital and medical practice patient has become a sophisticated consumer. This is someone ready and willing to select a hospital or provider based on the quality and ease of service that truly puts the patient first. Millennials—the largest of the demographic groups—want and expect health […]
Most doctors are well respected, even beloved, by the vast majority of patients. In the broad spectrum of patient-provider relationships, physicians have a positive head start. As the widely held and generally correct stereotype goes, skilled and experienced professionals in the healing arts are intelligent, well educated who do good for patients and the community […]
More than a few physicians have gone into practice with the expectation, wish or hope, that marketing or advertising was mostly unnecessary. They believed that they would inspire a word-of-mouth-only (WOM) practice, and patient and professional referrals would do it all. Related: 9 Essential Steps to Improve Doctor Ratings Online That concept was popular, but […]
Resolved: 2018 will be a time for thoughtful positive planning to achieve greater business success. The best or the worst of every marketing year is the fourth and final quarter. For some hospitals and medical groups, unfortunately, this is a red flag danger zone. It’s hard to say what caused the year-end period to become a […]
Nearly 100 percent of the hospitals and medical practices that we meet in the course of a year want their business to expand. These are the marketing savvy doctors and communications professionals who recognize that medicine is a profession, but healthcare is a business. They usually represent the premier providers in a region—already holding a […]
[First of two parts. For 2018 planning and beyond.] It’s downright tough, but to consistently attract new patients, hospital executives, doctors and marketing professionals contend with a changing landscape. Tracking with the latest trends and visions in healthcare marketing is a future-think exercise in planning. When you have the time for a high-altitude view, a […]
Every savvy marketing executive knows the John Wanamaker (1838-1922) quote: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half.” Somewhere in his distinguished career, John must have found the answer. More than 150 years later, it turns out he was exceptionally successful in retail merchandising, and to […]
We don’t want to step on anyone’s toes with this post. But marketing savvy doctors and skilled physician liaison people will agree about these common and costly mistakes. Nothing personal here—but we discover this business blunder all too often. There’s about a million dollars in revenue on the line with a practice representative or physician […]
I didn’t mean for this to sneak up—but surprise—it’s that time of year! Right now—meaning today—is the best time to take care of the holiday gift-giving and doctor-recognition-marketing routine. There’s got to be a shorter name, but traditionally, it’s when everyone wants to thank the various referral sources among doctors. The most common referral channels […]
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 […]
There’s a good chance that you navigated your way to this article with the help of our newsletter, Healthcare Success INSIGHT. For nearly a decade, our free marketing newsletter and blog have helped subscribers learn how to boost their marketing effectiveness. We thought this was a good opportunity to share some of how this works, […]
Here’s an insightful management and business reminder called “moving the needle.” It’s a useful metaphor for inspiring employees and achieving personal goals and recognition. It’s also about achieving greater success for the company. Recently, a business colleague told a story about an employee who was feeling under appreciated in the work they were doing for […]
Each week I look forward to Chris Brogan’s business advice email. You probably know his name; Chris is a respected author, consultant and speaker…and he knows marketing. His notes are insightful, conversational and they deliver solid, practical guidance. Without mentioning hospitals, medical practices or doctors, his recent note about a Tale of Two Local Cafes […]
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 […]
When everyone is working diligently to attract new patients and new business, it’s extremely frustrating to uncover a "crappy old website" that’s turning people away. (And wasting money, too.) Sophisticated Internet marketing tools reveal a big “hole in the bucket;” the lost opportunity is real and downright painful. That’s exactly what happened recently when we […]
[Second of two parts in a continuing healthcare marketing series] Today’s consumer is constantly, and instantly, exposed to “nearly everything.” Thus marketing must connect with consumers in precious micro-moments at precisely the moment of need. Micro-Moment Marketing travels at the speed of thought. At least 150 times each day, people interrogate their smartphones—with the standard […]
Not long ago, I received an iPhone snapshot of a doctor/client. No doubt someone in his office grabbed a quick picture—convenient but low quality. In the kindest of terms, the photo was crappy quality. This was definitely not the executive portrait of a distinguished, experienced and respected provider. Professionals working in marketing, advertising and public […]
Some day in the nearly immediate future, it wouldn’t be surprising to find a bold warning label on the latest-and-greatest smartphone that cautions: Negative effects include a need for instant gratification and loss of patience. It may not be on the consumer packaging, but these are real cautionary words straight from Pew Research Center’s Internet […]
There are some highly effective, but elementary marketing tools in your healthcare promotional toolbox. They’re fundamentals, but they shouldn’t be overlooked. These tips, tactics and ideas deserve this spotlight reminder of the hardworking fundamentals. Some are low cost, while others…well, not so much. But done right, all are highly effective contributors to success. Think of […]
[Part of a continuing series] A colleague told the real-world story about seeing a group of senior citizens talking about their grandchildren. To our observer, the curious part was that each of the 70-plus-year-old grandparents had their smartphone in hand, complete with proud-moment pictures and videos. This snapshot is a micro-moment reminder of how personal […]
[Part of a continuing education series.] Simply mention learning Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and more than a few professionals will roll their eyes upwards. Virtually all marketing-smart individuals truly appreciate the vital importance of SEO. But they also know that it’s a specialized skill set and vocabulary that they would rather leave to the tech-smart […]
At the risk of sounding like a loveable-but-annoying coach, it’s midyear and time to check your healthcare marketing plan. What's the score? Are you attracting more patients? Six calendar pages are missing, so climb above the daily grind and take the 35-thousand foot perspective. Have you achieved half of your planned objectives…or are you stalled? Check-in […]
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. […]
Your website is healthcare’s new front door, and nearly everyone has a website. Good, bad or mediocre, hospitals, health systems and doctors’ offices have some degree of Internet presence. But better than half the time, the all-important website metrics—the numbers that monitor performance—are neglected or ignored. The plus side of an effective website is that […]
Here’s a simple, easy and nearly automatic way to generate online reviews via the wildly popular Facebook. This useful tip is completely free to use, plus it’s nicely suited to many—although not all—healthcare offices and facilities. “Facebook,” declares the recent CNNtech headline, “is closing in on 2 billion users.” And just to be perfectly clear, […]
The quick backstory here started on LinkedIn and turned out to be an amazing little coincidence. Although I was busy preparing for (yet another) business trip, I happened to notice the name of a business acquaintance that popped up via LinkedIn. Our West Coast offices are close to each other, but we both travel a […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
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. […]
