Earlier this year, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg was justifiably proud in announcing that the popular social media platform “is now officially 2 billion people. We’re making progress connecting the world…” He’s talking monthly active users, and by far, the most popular social networking site with YouTube registering second: The large, worldwide user count is impressive. But […]
This is the time of year when a well-considered hospital marketing budget is in the final-finish stages. It’s nearly ready for rollout with the launch of a new calendar year. But getting it done isn’t the same as getting it right. Here are four thought-leader concepts to help optimize your budget—and your marketing results—as never […]
Even casual Internet users are understandably fearful of online risks. This is a digital age of malware threats, identity theft and ransomware attacks. So there’s a good chance that any of us might instantly back away from a website with a Google Chrome “Not Secure” Warning. Google’s alert is cause for concern for some hospitals […]
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 […]
Many marketing executives and communications professionals recognize this headline is a bit of trick. The answer, of course, is that hospital reputation management (HRM) matters constantly. Reputation is the core component of nearly everything. This post provides a few of the most meaningful moments when hospital reputation management matters the most. Plus we include five […]
A service line—and hospital service line marketing—are hard workers. These doorways into the facility serve several distinct purposes. Among these, in the big picture of things, is the task of communicating the organization’s branding message. In addition, there is the need to spotlight specific services and capabilities to the general public. It’s always a challenge […]
We meet many successful doctors in our travels. You probably recognize the leaders among professional colleagues who have significantly grown their business. These are the principals of an expanding group, a multi-doctor/multi-location or multi-specialty practice, or leaders at a hospital. The important distinction—unlike many other providers—is that they are constantly moving forward. They are growing […]
A fundamental element of marketing and advertising tells us that, before you can persuade or convince an audience, it's imperative that you command their attention. And, when you can effectively and instantly grab the viewer/audience by the eyeballs, their curious mind is bound to follow. It's simply the way that we're wired. The physiology of […]
As the Internet-age-old saying goes: The best place to hide a dead body is Page 2 of Google Search Results. This rule of thumb came to mind recently when someone questioned the purpose and value of Search Engine Optimization. Admittedly, SEO is challenging to understand, and even more difficult to do consistently…but as a starting […]
As a kid, it's likely you spent many Saturday mornings stuffing yourself on popular children's cereal while watching the cartoons and the animated ads that touted them. As adults, consumers are still responsive to animation. And healthcare animation is a popular and beneficial tool in hospital and medical group communications plans. A consumer’s earliest decision-making is […]
It is a remarkable and often painful mistake for doctors to assume that prospective patients know how to judge clinical quality in healthcare. Specifically, many doctors mistakenly believe that any prospective patient clearly recognizes that the competitive hospital or medical office down the street is lacking in quality of care. Thus, they believe, the other […]
If you picture the marketing and advertising process as a circle, success is when you close the loop. Getting the phone to ring is a good start and an important part of the loop. But an inquiry call—to a hospital, service line office or provider—doesn’t complete the loop. The ringing that you hear signals an […]
Communications professionals know the name Ivy Lee, considered the father of modern public relations. Few people appreciate that he also invented—and wrote—the first press release. That was a hundred years ago (1906). It traveled by regular mail and the common name “press release” probably came later. Many things about this time-honored publicity channel are still […]
[Community Manager Series Installment] The single most destructive force in reputation management and social media is neglect. Maybe it’s a misguided idea that says web stuff is a simple set-and-forget proposition. Perhaps every medical office is a super-kinetic challenge of being super-busy. Whatever reason—real or imagined…intentional or accidental—a critical community manager responsibility is to proactively […]
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 Success Leadership Podcast] In this installment of our continuing educational series, Healthcare Success CEO Stewart Gandolf, [@StewartGandolf ] talks with Lee Aase, [@LeeAase], Director of the Mayo Clinic Social Media Network. #MCSMN The seventh Mayo Clinic Social Media Network Annual Conference will be held at the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale campus, December 11-12, 2017. In today’s podcast, […]
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 […]
If you haven’t visited the Coca-Cola website, take a quick look sometime. Your hospital or medical practice does not have to be a global business icon for you to recognize why Coke’s website produces measurable results…and your website does not. Stick with me on this. There’s an insightful backstory to the comparison challenge, so I’ll […]
Over the years, our free library of marketing reference materials has grown steadily. And, among these resources, is an impressive collection of several dozen healthcare podcasts with recognized industry leaders. It was tough to spotlight only 10 articles from this leadership podcasts series. Stewart Gandolf, Healthcare Success CEO, leads these insightful and inspiring discussions from […]
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 […]
[Series Installment] It looks like the majority of hospitals throughout the US want to be gearing up for major advances in consumerism. From a marketing and business development perspective, the institutions that make aggressive consumer moves will differentiate themselves from the other 92 percent of the industry. A mere eight percent of hospitals and health […]
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 […]
Who needs Dr. Leonard McCoy’s classic (but fictional) Medical Tricorder when iPhone health is already in your pocket? (Some of it anyway.) There are various configurations of the Tricorder on the Star Trek TV show. By today’s standards, the devices were bulky, but they enabled: Instant diagnosis ailments/disease Track general metrics/vital signs Monitor ongoing health […]
[SHSMD17 Speaker Podcast Series] Our guest for this podcast is Jenise Celestin, Director of Community Relations at Swedish Covenant Hospital. Jenise talks with Healthcare Success Marketing Strategist Peter Do as a preview of the SHSMD 2017 presentation: From Hospital Employee to Brand Ambassador: Building Bridges in the Community and Enhancing Your Brand. In today’s conversation, […]
[SHSMD17 Speaker Podcast Series] Healthcare Success Marketing Strategist Peter Do talks with Keith Whitworth, Director of Marketing at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. This podcast will preview Keith’s presentation at the 2017 SHSMD marketing conference titled: Rollout a Winning Video Content Strategy with No Budget. Everyone—patients, audience, search engines, and leadership—loves good video […]
[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] In this segment of our 2017 continuing series, Stewart Gandolf, CEO of Healthcare Success talks with Brent Westra, Marketing Segment Manager, and Andrew Tofilon, Marketing Segment Manager at Mayo Medical Laboratories. The topic of this podcast is Brent and Andrew’s presentation at the SHSMD marketing conference on their topic titled: Designing […]
[SHSMD17 Speaker Podcast Series] Our interview today is with Scot Singpiel, Communications Manager at University of Utah Health regarding the upcoming presentation at SHSMD 2017 hospital and healthcare marketing conference. Scott, and his co-presenter Kathy Wilets, Director of Media Relations, will be talking about the unique uses of audio in their content marketing strategy. TheScopeRadio.com […]
[Community Manager Series Installment] Job titles and position descriptions will vary—social media manager, community manager, social media master or the like. But for social media (SM) to be effective, the first consideration is that someone is specifically responsible on a full-time or part-time basis. In healthcare marketing, social media shouldn't be an afterthought or a […]
[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. […]
Has digital advertising eclipsed television ad revenues for the first time or secured the top spot forever? Is TV advertising on its way out—obsolete, retired, a locker room has-been? The shocking news recently is: The once-powerful television advertising has fallen to second place against the fast-rising digital advertising. Here’s how AdAge reported the media breakthrough: “Step […]
[SHSMD17 Speaker Podcast Series] In the Healthcare Success continuing series, Marketing Strategist Peter Do talks with Doreen Pichotti, Digital Marketing and Media Strategist at UC Davis Health System. Today’s podcast will preview Doreen’s upcoming presentation at the 2017 SHSMD marketing conference. PETER DO: I’m pleased to introduce our guest, Doreen Pichotti, Digital Marketing and Media Strategist, […]
Most communications professionals agree that email marketing is a major money-earning hammer in their marketing toolbox. The often-quoted ratio says that every dollar invested in email marketing can generate an average return of nearly $40. That’s a decent target, but some reports have an even higher ROI. Email marketing checklist... But beware. Triple-digit returns aren’t […]
A professional colleague provided this first-person experience and the reasons he fired the doctor. We’ll cloak the identities involved, but here’s what went wrong—and how the problem could have been avoided. “The physician that I had been seeing was leaving the practice, and an alternative specialist was recommended. Two weeks later I was present for […]
The healthcare delivery industry changes daily. Given the many moving parts, creating and maintaining a brand connection today—for solutions the public may need someday—is a serious challenge. Consider how these variables are at work: On one hand, the quiet-and-compliant patients of the past have morphed into empowered consumers. They are better informed bring expectations of high value, […]
Let’s call this an informal Patient Experience survey—or a real-world test of “first impressions.” The thing is, this is something that actually happened to me recently. Please let me know what you would have done in my place. Having waited a couple weeks to get an appointment I was scheduled to see a doctor that […]
Wait. Before you do anything else today, check on your listings on Google. Recent changes in the local search routine could have dramatically slammed your standing. And your listing may have just been kicked downstairs. Here’s a little insight about local filters and how to help your listing. Our regular readers know that local listings […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Talk about a scary scenario—hospitals remain high profile and high-value targets for ransomware cyber attacks. It's been an ongoing threat for decades — worldwide and throughout the United States. We’re not a cyber security company, but clients, providers and hospitals voice concerns about their online presence. Understandably, websites—built for healthcare marketing and communications—are at risk […]
There’s a point of critical need in a business growth curve when you can’t go it alone. Without the resources of a healthcare marketing agency your hospital or medical enterprise is destined to slow, plateau or shrink in the heat of competition. This is a significant step for any organization, and it’s vital to identify […]
Our friend and colleague Rob Klein—a consumer authority for hospitals and doctors—told us this story from a research focus group. Many people in the group agreed that the glass window at the front desk made patients feel unwelcome. A glass window seems to be standard issue for every doctor’s office on the planet. But it […]
It’s a challenge to follow the trends attached to the future of the Internet and video marketing. Depending on your choice of stats, better than 80 percent of all web traffic is expected to be video by the end of the decade. That’s just a couple years down the road. One particularly fast moving—and nearly […]
This post spotlights a few easy but useful little marketing and communications ideas. Each of these gems is completely unrelated to each of the others, so feel free to grab one or more, try it out, and put it to work today. Then let us know what you think. IDEA #1: Don’t write long and […]
A friend of ours is a one-person blend of Yelp-and-Angie’s-List of references, referrals and recommendations. This is a well-connected word-of-mouth resource for recommendations for life’s everyday needs. Just ask: They’ll suggest the best value in retail goods, where to find discounts on groceries, who to trust for reliable home handyman services. This a person who […]
[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 […]
