Google, the Search Engine Goliath, has been relentlessly pushing everyone— including medical marketing websites —toward a more perfect mobile-friendly experience. Google's latest mobile search algorithm update is killing, or rewarding, websites according to “mobile friendliness” factors. Without getting too technical or lost in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) jargon, here’s what you need to know, and why, […]
The concept of consumerism in healthcare delivery is a page from the retail world. Although it predates the Affordable Care Act—a major driver in consumerism—it’s a trend that has gained significant traction with health systems, hospitals and medical practices. And, by most indicators, healthcare consumerism is rapidly becoming a top imperative for marketing professionals. The […]
[Series Installment] There’s a line of thinking quietly at work among a few healthcare practices that says: “Simply being a good doctor will guarantee success.” A few satisfied patients will fuel “word-of- mouth,” and that’s all you need in business. There’s a lot of appeal to the idea of attracting new patients with near-no-cost marketing […]
[Guest Post by Dr. Paul Rosen] For the past two months, I have been taking Uber cars around Delaware when I go to the train or to the airport. I have taken about 10 rides and every one has been a pleasurable experience. The drivers are friendly, the cars are clean, the car arrives in […]
At first, I really couldn’t believe what I was reading: “The decline of medicine as a profession began,” according to the blog post, “when it became legal for doctors and hospitals to advertise.” Really? Now that’s an effective, attention-getting lead sentence, especially for a seasoned healthcare marketing professional like myself. Evidently, the demise of modern […]
Early in his journalism career, a professional colleague worked as a field reporter for a top-rated radio station. On any given day, his assignments could range from (boring) City Council sessions to catastrophic five-alarm fires. Some of the most interesting and challenging journalism sprang from the opportunity to report on issues and candidates in the […]
Healthcare marketing professionals have embraced video as a compelling communications power tool. Hospitals, medical practices and individual providers have invented dozens of purposes and places to present their marketing story via a video format. As a quick reference point, take a minute to review our previous article titled: 36 Uses for Video: Magnify Your Healthcare […]
There’s something addictive about Facebook. At least some people I know will dip into the social stream several times a day. Not everyone, of course, but with over 150-million monthly active users in the US alone, that’s better than half the adult population. And, as you’re probably aware, Facebook has more than 1.6 billion monthly […]
Healthcare consumers—the audiences that hospital and medical marketing professionals target—are increasingly difficult to reach effectively with video content. Some of the trends in this techno-mash-up include cable television subscriptions, where the programming bundle includes a zillion channels…including dozens that you pay for, but seldom watch. Homes with Internet and wi-fi service are streaming Netflix and other digital […]
An ophthalmologist approached us for marketing help with his well-established vision care practice. It’s a story we’ve heard from time to time in the past, and perhaps you can relate. It seems that the return on marketing ophthalmology services has, somewhat to his surprise, quietly slipped downhill. He believed that he, personally, was a recognized […]
Healthcare leadership and teamwork are being redefined—for greater efficiency and better outcomes—with an improved, collegial and patient-centered care delivery pathway. Doctors, staff members and other providers and professionals are investing in training for the next level in organizational and individual leadership. The challenge, however, is that the traditional hierarchy is slow to change. Some organizations, […]
Guest Post contributed by JT Ripton Telemedicine is a significant technological and business trend that is influencing medical practice marketing, patient engagement and revenue. Industry estimates report over 800,000 telemedicine consultations in 2015, and the president of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), Dr. Reed Tuckson, declaring telehealth a mainstream slice of healthcare. Advances in tele […]
The widely popular Snopes.com website—AKA the Urban Legends Reference Pages—has a problem with a famous quote by prolific American bank robber Willie Sutton. Supposedly, his reason for robbing banks is: “That’s where the money is.” It turns out that even Sutton denied having said it, but nevertheless, the logic is sound. The best fishing is […]
[Series Installment] When you begin to develop marketing ideas for hospitals and healthcare providers, you bump into some apparent contradictions to be sorted out. There’s the business of consumerism, for example, where traditional patients have become (or are rapidly becoming) informed consumers, newly empowered to make their own health care buying decisions. The medical purchasing […]
Thank you Facebook! The American Academy of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) should send a warm note of appreciation to FB founder Mark Zuckerberg. The reason? The organization’s board-certified plastic surgeons are seeing a big jump in patient requests for facial procedures--because people want to look their best on social media. We don’t know if […]
As a student of marketing, I tend to dissect the brand name-logo-tagline combinations that I notice. Professionally and personally, I admire the good ones. But the bad ones in particular grab my attention. Like driving into a pea soup fog bank, there is a sudden disconnect with the highway, landmarks and even reality. When you spot […]
[Series installment.] Take a fresh and unbiased look at your hospital website. Now compare it, as objectively as possible, with others around the country. About a half-a-zillion would be a generous sample slice, but you will only need a few. If you’re keeping score—and even with a much smaller sampling—the back of your napkin tabulation is […]
I don’t remember exactly when the first flat screen television appeared in a retail store. It’s been a while, but at least some of our readers will recollect a time when the bulky cathode ray tube (CRT) defined the profile of everyone’s television set. What I do recall about the then-new “flat screen” television was […]
[Series Installment] Once upon a time—as all fanciful tales begin—us good common folk of the kingdom never thought to question the reputation or chivalry of noblemen or knights. Nobles had their regal robes, and knights had their armor. And, in this bygone era in healthcare’s crown estate, legions esteemed their doctors, physicians and surgeons—the much […]
Let’s face it: There are a lot of doctors, medical practices and hospitals that wish they could go about their professional practice activities without the worry, hassle and distraction of marketing and advertising. But, as it turns out, modern medicine is a profession, but healthcare is a business. And, like it or not, the Affordable […]
Many doctors and medical practice executives have their marketing brains on overdrive. They’re looking for new, better, improved and/or more efficient ways to attract new patients and cases. The marketing and advertising plan (a left-over from last year) isn’t delivering results. The entire competitive landscape has changed, and not for the better. New patients seem […]
Healthcare marketing and advertising entails a certain amount of risk. Always has and always will. So the challenge for modern medical practices—individuals and organizations facing the new consumerism and intense competition—is how to achieve business and professional goals with a limited element of risk. Many providers are uncomfortable with the need to market their services. […]
Every medical provider's office gets at least two kinds of “opportunity” phone calls (described below) that potentially mean new business. Unfortunately, most doctors, medical groups and hospitals are losing new patients and cases when the phone rings…and they don’t know it. Here’s what’s going wrong, and what do instead. We don’t mean to be unkind […]
[Leadership Podcast Series] In this insightful and inspiring interview, Thomas H. Lee, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Press Ganey, and Stewart Gandolf, CEO of Healthcare Success, discuss An Epidemic of Empathy in Healthcare. In an increasingly consumer-driven health care environment, organizations must compete on delivering value for the patient. The traditional physician-centered world of health care delivery […]
It seems like a large measure of healthcare marketing is digital-driven for doctors. It’s standard practice for providers, medical groups and hospitals to have a website. OK, check. And creating a Facebook page is simple fare. OK, check again. Then there’s Twitter. We’ll that’s only 140-characters; so that’s easy enough. Someone in the office can […]
[Series installment.] Telling a meaningful story in—one that captures the imagination and interest of a patient—is best done face-to-face. Storytelling in healthcare requires preparation and practice, but the payoff is greater case acceptance, better compliance, and best of all, improved outcomes. One example: It’s standard procedure at a particular specialist’s office to present the patient […]
Happy Birthday to Twitter. The ubiquitous social platform in everyone’s pocket has matured significantly since its launch just 10 years ago. Considering the 140-character constraint, and the non-stop, fire hose gush Tweet-stream, Twitter provides some surprising and beneficial advantages for marketing and communications. And, one of the quickly emerging capabilities of Twitter for healthcare, hospitals […]
Is the Millennial Generation—AKA Millennials—a lazy bunch? Or has the pervasive availability of technology in society shaped an expectation of instant gratification? Or is convenience a byproduct of working families constantly pressed for time and resources? In spite of the abundance of reference material that attempts to define and describe the Millennial Generation, researchers can’t […]
Exactly a year ago, Google used its considerable clout to “demand” that most websites become “mobile-friendly.” The world’s biggest search engine now tends to favor responsive web design as a ranking signal. What that means is: Websites (those designed for a desktop or laptop screen) that can be easily seen on users mobile device (Smartphone […]
[A continuing series.] The previous installment of this article, Care and Feeding of Doctor Online Presence, Reputation and Brand, describes the connected relationship of presence, reputation and brand. Quite obviously, the indispensible foundation for reputation building excellence is a consistently high level of patient satisfaction. When patients are pleased or satisfied with the healthcare service […]
Many of us at Healthcare Success have visited many hospitals and health care campuses around the country; usually on business, and occasionally as a visitor or patient. More often than not, navigating a large and unfamiliar building is a confusing and unsettling experience. If simply finding their way around is a challenge for a patient […]
Social media has become so pervasive in American society that it’s impossible to ignore. Yet some physicians still dismiss it as the home for cute pet antics and baby birthday pictures. Mildly amusing, perhaps, but not professionally useful. Social media (SM) is a nearly indispensible tool in healthcare marketing and communications plans. Yet relatively few […]
As we visit with doctors and healthcare practices around the country, it’s usually easy to sense excellence in organizational leadership…or problems. Fortunately, the good examples shine through with a culture of talented people—the doctor, management and staff—working in a positively charged atmosphere that you can almost feel in the air. But then there are the […]
It’s more than simply good fortune that our company enjoys a positive working relationship with our clients. The fact is that people want to do business with people and companies that they like and respect. And that’s a two-way street. This engenders a healthy environment and partnership attitude that drives new business and opportunity. There’s […]
Just last month a guest post by Paul Rosen, MD, observed how some progressive-thinking health systems are reaching out to non-healthcare businesses for lessons in problem solving. “Health systems that want to deliver the best in terms of patient safety, quality and experience,” he wrote, “should consider looking outside their own industry for benchmarking.” Benchmarking: […]
[Leadership Podcast Series] In this conversation with Stewart Gandolf, CEO of Healthcare Success, Dr. James Merlino, president and chief medical officer of the strategic consulting division at Press Ganey provides an insightful perspective on healthcare’s evolving landscape, significant leadership issues and the state of patient experience. Prior to joining Press Ganey, Dr. James Merlino—also a practicing surgeon—was […]
Change isn’t coming; it’s an ever-present consideration. Simply keeping pace is the challenge for physicians, medical practice administrators and hospital leadership. Telehealth—and its various facets—continues to emerge as an important and strong change agent. And two recent, in-depth reports provide guidance for doctors, industry executives and forward-looking marketing professionals. As a component of health transformation, […]
Just about everyone in healthcare marketing would love to have a slice of social media effort or content to “go viral.” But, as you probably know, the chances of your post, video link, Facebook or Twitter post hitting the digital super-big-time are slim. The “viral bonanza” seems desirable. But in social media for health care, […]
It’s human nature, I suppose, to make quick judgments based on appearance. You know, the “first impressions” thing. Does an upscale restaurant serve a better meal than the “Corner Deli” place? Is the guy wearing a Brooks Brothers suit (and $200 necktie) better at being an attorney or financial advisor? Will a sleek and slim […]
[Part of a Series] Many medical practices are unaware of their own potential in evangelism marketing. Virtually every day, doctors and hospitals deliver a form of happiness and satisfaction to their patients. These are people who appreciate the health care solution that has resolved their medical concern. Unfortunately, this sense of patient gratitude is largely […]
Quite often, we see outdoor advertising for hospitals that is giant-sized evidence of a marketing department’s silent scream. Internal politics—more than any clear business purpose—dictated that the billboards prominently display a doctor’s picture. Or we see a stunning portrait of the hospital’s shiny “light speed” CT hardware. (Maybe both.) Yes, doctors are the soul of […]
It would be difficult for the general public to miss the daily torrent of news media coverage about the run-up to the next presidential election. But hospital administrators and healthcare communications professionals are focused on Health and Human Services' increasing emphasis on “quality-based payments,” “patient-centered systems” and “delivery system reforms.” There’s far less mainstream news […]
My son needed some new fishing gear so I took him to our local Cabela’s store. We had our dogs with us in the back seat. I planned to leave them in the car while we ran in for 10 minutes to pick up a couple of items quickly. However, I saw another customer walk […]
Competition in healthcare has never been more intense. Although we speak and write about this topic frequently, we continue to discover—with alarming frequency—that providers, group practices and even some hospitals continue to “duck-and-cover,” underestimate or ignore the competition. All too often we hear head-in-the-sand anti-strategy expressed in various ways: “We don’t have competition…” “Doctors are too […]
The basics of the story are sadly similar. A medical office will contact us about their website. It’s new, colorful and brimming with whiz-bang graphics. Custom-built by the designer guy down the hall, it definitely looks pretty—everyone in the office says so. But by any measure, the medical website just isn’t delivering new business. Diagnosis […]
A highly successful internist we know frequently enhances his doctor-patient encounters with low-key, casual (but purposeful) chitchat. It turns out that the friendly anecdotes always have a useful healthcare punch line. He skillfully brings home a vital clinical lesson or advice wrapped in an interesting, disarming and personable story. “Doctor Bill,” our internist friend, polished […]
At this time of year, some healthcare professionals are tempted to feel that their online marketing plans are “all set” for 2016. Hopefully that’s true. But don’t let “quiet comfort” become painful “complacency.” If you’re not vigilant to constant change—even during the holiday season—your Internet presence can quickly and quietly shift off target. Did you know, for […]
Your brain “reads” images faster than words alone. And for hospital and healthcare storytelling, it’s a powerful way to communicate compelling and more memorable ideas in branding, marketing and advertising. Show before you tell. As you and I spin through the blaze of thousands of marketing messages that assault our brains each day, the ones […]
Every 12 months we turn the page on the calendar and observe the start of a New Year with grand ceremony. Admittedly, it’s a milestone celebration…a memory marker to help sort out “what was” from “what’s new.” Generally, ushering in a New Year can be a lot of fun, but the actual dividing lines are […]
[HS Leadership Podcast Series] David Dirks, Assistant Vice President of Healthcare Transformation for Intermountain Healthcare, and Healthcare Success CEO Stewart Gandolf discuss “shared accountability,” Intermountain’s overarching term for their transformation efforts in patient population health and healthcare delivery. Many hospitals, health systems and providers throughout the United States face the future proactively, bringing a new […]
