Health Care Marketing During Changing Times Fred J. Tyson PhD Published by BayResearch & Consulting at Smashwords Copyright 2011 BayResearch & Consulting Health Care Marketing During Changing Times Index Sales & Marketing Strategies HealthCare Marketing 101 Reasons to Have a Marketing Plan What Is a Health Care Marketing Plan? Elements of a Marketing Plan **A Target Marketing **B Competition Analysis **C SWOT **D Goals, Strategies and Tactics Marketing Budgets Marketing Without the Risk Guide to Market Research for Small Practice How to Define Your Target Audience Marketing as a Business Too Writing a Press Release Web Marketing Sales & Marketing Strategies In today’s changing economy people’s priorities in regard to health care are also changing. Consider what the prospective patients want or need the most. Don’t think about what you want to sell, but determine what it is that they want to buy, and then deliver it to them. In a down economy the last thing you want to do is eliminate you marketing budget, but instead at least keep it consistent. The healthcare entity that stops communicating to the community is totally invisible to people who need its services. The entity feels like it is preserving resources, but it is giving up more in lost revenue and opportunity. Every dollar wisely invested as a stronger ROI potential when the competition is reducing or stopping all marketing. Take advantage of the competitive vacuum by using this time to grow market share. Instead of reducing marketing, slash any wasteful spending that has crept in. Take this time to carefully examine where there may be waste or more efficient processes. Now is a good time to look at new tactics that might not have otherwise been considered. Healthcare professionals tend to be conservative and dismiss good or new ideas without consideration, ideas that could vastly improve profitability of their organization. Remaining open to new ideas is especially important right now. Since all other healthcare organizations are facing the same economic downturn, it is important to fortify and strengthen all professional relationships. These referral relationships are more important than ever, and better partnerships make a win-win situation. Refocus on lower risk internal marketing that may have been overlooked. Internal marketing, working with existing patients is low cost, low risk and high ROI. Your best assets are your patient base and it is a solid source of referrals, especially in declining economy. Begin or increase your marketing in the internet arena. It is getting harder to be found on the internet; therefore just having a web presence is no longer the only answer. Look into Search Engine Optimization, Pay per Click, Cross promotion, Content Utilization, Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc. If your healthcare organization is advertising with different media, us the opportunity of the rough economy to negotiate your pricing schedule. This is a time when the media is hungry for new business and they can be much more flexible about rates. Look for ways to bundle your services that can create a value-laden and compelling package. For example: *Plastic surgeons are bundling together Liposuction, Botox, and Tummy Tucks into a product they call the “Mommy Makeover.” *“Executive Physicals” consist of all the normal and necessary test usually spread out or ignored by busy people. *Cancer centers offering full coverage offering from prevention, testing, treatment, rehab, “Mind, Body, Soul” areas of retreat, education centers, and many other services bundled into one center. You can test low risk offers by using existing valued customers that are willing to give you honest feedback. Consider how you might use and profit from a trial offer on something in your office or facility. Allowing for a low-risk or introductory trial is appealing to a conservative audience. Make sure you provide above expected value and word of mouth will drive the marketing. Your marketing message should be much more about the value you provide and less about gimmicks or fluff. People respond to value as a means to get more for their expenses. They are tired of being marketed to, and then discovering the value was not as promised. Make sure your marketing budget and plan is at least 12 months long, and based on specific objectives and your ROI goals. This plan must be based upon who you are, how you practice, what you are trying to achieve, and your goals. It should be organized by category. Example: *Internet Marketing *Internal Marketing *External Advertising *Professional Referral Marketing *Publicity *Branding During rough economic times, stopping your marketing plans sacrifices your previous marketing investment. What you have put into building your branding message is lost without continuing it. Patients may think that you and the organization have disappeared because you are silent and market share goes down. A continuing marketing effort maintains your connection with the community, your recognition is brighter on everyone’s radar and it inspires greater confidence. In rough economic times, buyers are more selective. Individuals will look carefully at purchases, and they might even delay their decision, but they are likely to buy from someone. Healthcare organizations that remain visible communicate trust and patients gain confidence in knowing you will be there for them when they need you. Prospective patients are looking for strong value in all their purchase decisions. Carefully review and adjust your marketing message to emphasize how you deliver solid value. Communicate high value, not fluff. Prospective patients want reassurance that you understand their needs and deliver effective solutions that directly answers these needs. Satisfied patients are a great source of referrals, but you have to ask them. Because decision makers are more selective in soft economic times, the referral of another patient carries added weight. It is a simple process that is effective in any economic climate, but it can be easily overlooked when the office is busy. Many Healthcare organizations revert to “feel good” marketing. Soft marketing is like giving away coffee mugs or sponsoring a little league team. While these actions might feel good and seem safe, they simply do not produce results. Others will just “throw spaghetti at the wall.” They feel they need to do something, but they begin with no plan and no idea of what does or does not work. The better plan is to stick with your marketing and stay in the game. Obviously the most productive and cost effective marketing opportunity is when there is little or no competition. When other Health Care organizations duck and cover with negative economic news, it opens the playing field for the smart marketers. The competitive vacuum is a rich opening to reach and attract the patients who are still seeking services, to protect your patient base and to build a larger market share. Focus on strategies that deliver a positive ROI. Narrow your promotional sights from the wide field of all things you do to selectively focus your promotional messages on the professional services that build profits. If money is super tight, it is ok to tread a little carefully at first, but again, do not disappear from the marketplace. Instead, take smart risks and reasonable steps until you find the combination of variables that works. Once you do, turn up your marketing while everyone else sits on the sidelines. [...]... professional) referrals Work smarter not harder What Is a Health Care Marketing Plan? A Health Care Provider marketing plan is not just a list of marketing ideas from which the marketing department randomly selects different ideas to test or combine for trial-and-error or experimentation This concept is just random, “spaghetti on the wall” marketing activity This technique is almost always a high risk... from the marketing outcomes of other healthcare practices and organizations; *Create a strategic marketing plan based on strategies and tactics most likely to be successful, including geography, specialty, personalities, strengths and weaknesses, etc.; *Test whenever possible before committing significant sums of money; *Track results carefully; *Roll out the "winning" strategies Health Care marketing. .. how and why to think of you and your organization Health Care marketing will produce professional results in measurable growth and enhance your reputation in positive ways The starting point for Health Care marketing is like a blank canvas People who do not know you are completely unaware of what you do and have no image of you at all The professional marketing messages of your organization communicate... Marketing The marketing budget of a Health Care provider is going to be more effective when it reaches its selected target market Efficiency is the benefit of target marketing Solid target marketing is a method to more efficiently reach you intended audience Target marketing is a better use of the most valuable resources, time and money, to generate additional revenue The goal of targeted marketing is... other issues that are the day-to-day business of the business/practice Health Care Marketing is about building a positive reputation, getting your phone to ring, getting people to come in for a first appointment and converting them into patients Practice Management is largely about the wheels that turn inside the practice Health Care Marketing is the planned process of communications that goes on with... not yet aware of or part of the practice Advertising is a small sub-set of marketing, and one that you may not even need While marketing and advertising are often mistakenly used interchangeably, marketing is the very broad, overarching heading Marketing encompasses many variables, oftentimes referred to as the Seven Ps of Marketing These "Ps" include: *Product (the services you deliver and needs you... image and reputation Health Care marketing is a positive tool to inform and influence people toward a better quality of health and life Unfortunately marketing can deliver a disastrous outcome if you do not know what you are doing or understand how to use it properly and effectively You will want to do proper homework and then seek out expert guidance prior to embarking upon a new marketing program The... good marketing plan allows you to: *Anticipate *Assess progress *Prepare for volume of patients *Build a road map to follow *Cover-Your-Bases *Construct necessary support systems *Improve chances of marketing success Elements of a Marketing Plan Target Marketing Competition Analysis SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Goals Strategies and Tactics Marketing Budgets A Target Marketing. .. reputation Many Doctors and Health Care organizations remain marketing- shy” more than 30 years after the landmark 1977 Supreme Court case made marketing legal for doctors and other professionals While the licensing boards deemed marketing to be ethical in the 1980’s, many doctors still feel uncomfortable because they are worried about coming across as “needy, cheesy, or greedy.” Marketing is an important... completely implemented marketing plan, all strategies and tactics are implemented comprehensively Each strategy in your plan should be implemented in the same comprehensive and synergistic manner that it was conceived Marketing Budgets Healthcare entities typically establish budgets for various categories of operational expenses but not always for marketing Even those who frequently engage in marketing activities . & Consulting Health Care Marketing During Changing Times Index Sales & Marketing Strategies HealthCare Marketing 101 Reasons to Have a Marketing Plan What. harder What Is a Health Care Marketing Plan? A Health Care Provider marketing plan is not just a list of marketing ideas from which the marketing department