We live in a world of flaccid me-too medical marketing, where doctors and corporate health care systems trade bragging rights over the latest amazing treatment or device. A world where TV and radio stations are more than happy to empty your wallet running ineffectual medical marketing that leaves ordinary people (you know, those people youd like to get as new patients) unconvinced. Or even worse, apathetic.
Looking for inspiration to take your medical marketing materials to a new level? Incorporating a few ideas from late night infomercials might be just what you need. I'm not suggesting your hospital or medical practice start running commercials with flashing phone numbers and a hyped up announcer shouting "Call collect! Call direct!". But if you want your next healthcare organization marketing plan to deliver results, it couldn't hurt to take a few hints from the folks who live and die by results.
Time for a little truth telling: none of these tips are the holy grail of marketing. If you're a student of marketing, it's certain you're aware of most, and maybe all of them. They are fundamental in many ways. But that's what you do when your game is off -- you go back and study the fundamentals. Take a look at these tips, and think about how you could use them to make your medical marketing more effective.
First of all, your patients only listen to one station: WIIFM. If you want new patients to pay attention and respond to your message, you've got to play it on their favorite station, WIIFM - What's In It For Me. You've got to showcase the main advantage of your medical practice or healthcare system quickly, and just as quickly explain why it matters to them.
Less We, More You. Take out the 'WE' (as in "WE now offer Cyborg Knife Gamma-Ray Surgery, the most advanced surgery known to modern man.") and put in more 'YOU' (as in "YOU will have a smaller incision, less pain, and shorter recovery time with Advanced Cyborg Knife Gamma-Ray Surgery."). When you get potential patients to picture how your health care system will make their lives better, you're on your way to having a patient for life.
Words Matter. Keep your unique selling proposition short and powerful, use language that's easy for regular people to swallow. Then repeat as necessary until maximum results are achieved. This tip alone will help you stand out from your competition.
Harness the Unbeatable Power of a Dramatic Demonstration. You will never see an effective infomercial or DR TV commercial that doesn't put this to use - whether it's a man soaking up a liter of cola with a a high tech cloth, a duffer who can now smash a golf ball straight up the fairway, or the before and after pictures for weight loss products. The sheer power of a dramatic demonstration can't be overstated, or underestimated.
If Advanced Cyborg Knife Laser Beam Surgery results in a smaller incision and a scar that no one will notice - show people how insignificant the scar will be. If it helps people get on the road to normal life quicker, show a man or woman on the golf course a few short days after surgery. Every successful Direct Marketer understands this simple fact: In the battle for mindshare, a dramatic demonstration is the ultimate weapon. Yes, seeing really is believing...it's human nature.
I'll share more Direct Response tips with you later that will help you add power to your healthcare organization marketing plan. But for now, let me leave you with a crucial one: Don't neglect to tell people how you want them to respond. People want to respond, you need to make it easy for them. If you want them to call and sign up for a free health screening or prevention guide, tell them that, then show them your phone number. Don't try and hide it - make it easy to read, and leave it on screen long enough for someone to go get a pencil and paper, come back to the screen and write it down. You know how you want people to respond to your marketing - make sure they know. After working so hard to make medical marketing materials with real impact, don't lose it in the inches here.
Looking for inspiration to take your medical marketing materials to a new level? Incorporating a few ideas from late night infomercials might be just what you need. I'm not suggesting your hospital or medical practice start running commercials with flashing phone numbers and a hyped up announcer shouting "Call collect! Call direct!". But if you want your next healthcare organization marketing plan to deliver results, it couldn't hurt to take a few hints from the folks who live and die by results.
Time for a little truth telling: none of these tips are the holy grail of marketing. If you're a student of marketing, it's certain you're aware of most, and maybe all of them. They are fundamental in many ways. But that's what you do when your game is off -- you go back and study the fundamentals. Take a look at these tips, and think about how you could use them to make your medical marketing more effective.
First of all, your patients only listen to one station: WIIFM. If you want new patients to pay attention and respond to your message, you've got to play it on their favorite station, WIIFM - What's In It For Me. You've got to showcase the main advantage of your medical practice or healthcare system quickly, and just as quickly explain why it matters to them.
Less We, More You. Take out the 'WE' (as in "WE now offer Cyborg Knife Gamma-Ray Surgery, the most advanced surgery known to modern man.") and put in more 'YOU' (as in "YOU will have a smaller incision, less pain, and shorter recovery time with Advanced Cyborg Knife Gamma-Ray Surgery."). When you get potential patients to picture how your health care system will make their lives better, you're on your way to having a patient for life.
Words Matter. Keep your unique selling proposition short and powerful, use language that's easy for regular people to swallow. Then repeat as necessary until maximum results are achieved. This tip alone will help you stand out from your competition.
Harness the Unbeatable Power of a Dramatic Demonstration. You will never see an effective infomercial or DR TV commercial that doesn't put this to use - whether it's a man soaking up a liter of cola with a a high tech cloth, a duffer who can now smash a golf ball straight up the fairway, or the before and after pictures for weight loss products. The sheer power of a dramatic demonstration can't be overstated, or underestimated.
If Advanced Cyborg Knife Laser Beam Surgery results in a smaller incision and a scar that no one will notice - show people how insignificant the scar will be. If it helps people get on the road to normal life quicker, show a man or woman on the golf course a few short days after surgery. Every successful Direct Marketer understands this simple fact: In the battle for mindshare, a dramatic demonstration is the ultimate weapon. Yes, seeing really is believing...it's human nature.
I'll share more Direct Response tips with you later that will help you add power to your healthcare organization marketing plan. But for now, let me leave you with a crucial one: Don't neglect to tell people how you want them to respond. People want to respond, you need to make it easy for them. If you want them to call and sign up for a free health screening or prevention guide, tell them that, then show them your phone number. Don't try and hide it - make it easy to read, and leave it on screen long enough for someone to go get a pencil and paper, come back to the screen and write it down. You know how you want people to respond to your marketing - make sure they know. After working so hard to make medical marketing materials with real impact, don't lose it in the inches here.
About the Author:
Is your medical marketing getting the response you need? Steve Fawcett, of Phibnax LLC, is ready to show you how to increase the effectiveness of your healthcare organization marketing plan using the same persuasive DR secrets that have helped him sell hundreds of millions of dollars in products and services. He will be happy to provide a free analysis of your medical marketing materials
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1 comment:
I'm a physician and in my experience medical marketing is very important, to get new patients calls, to improve your patients lead generation. Consult http://www.empowereddoctor.com/medical_marketing/ they will help you to increase the effectiveness of your practice.
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