10 Steps to a Successful Health Care Marketing Plan

posted by on Friday, August 29, 2014

In many ways, marketing is a science, one with multiple steps that brings about a successful outcome. Katie Stensberg of Ragan’s Health Care Communication News walks health care organizations through the "science" of marketing with this 10-step method for successfully marketing your practice.

1. Assessment: Consult business plans, patient satisfaction surveys, volume reports, community surveys and any other information you can gather. Consider market dynamics such as seasonality, shifting alliances between physician groups and other “political” issues.

2. Comparative analysis: Study your competitors, considering their historical advertising levels, any new product launches that may be forthcoming, and the overall competitive nature of your market. Develop your own “unique selling proposition.” What makes you different from your competition?

3. Define your vision and strategy: Where do you want your program or organization to be in three to five years? How can marketing help realize this vision? Make a list of all the tools at your disposal and determine what options will work best for your product, marketplace and expected budget. Among other tools, consider:

Networking/sales—Go where your market is; develop presentations.

Direct marketing—Use letters, fliers, brochures, postcards.

Advertising—Consider print, broadcast, outdoor, special publications such as chamber of commerce directories and sports programs.

Training programs—Increase awareness of your services by offering training to your customers.

Free media—Write articles for news media; make your organization known as the expert.

Public relations—Consider sponsorships that “fit” with your service; hold events, tours, open houses.

Website/emerging media—It’s not just for young professionals anymore; fast-growing segments of the elderly and minority populations are using the Internet to gather information on their health care options.

4. Build support and enthusiasm: Locate your champions in the organization. Find the experts who will help support your marketing efforts through speaking engagements, newspaper interviews, and quotes for newsletters and media releases.

5. Segment your market: Consider target audiences and think outside the box. Look inward first, as your employees can be some of your best customers—and your best marketers. Know where your business comes from: Is it driven by physician referrals or do patients refer directly? Make a list of target audiences and identify the best ways to reach them.

6. Budget: Now that you have the tools you need and have determined the best way to reach your target audiences, build your budget to support the campaign. Stick with the 80/20 rule: 80 percent of your volumes will often come from 20 percent of your customers. Focus on the top group or groups to make sure your plans have the greatest impact. Determine what you can do in-house and what you need to outsource.

7. Build your creative: Turn your ideas into the creative product that will support your plan. Keep referring to your vision and strategy to ensure that the creative concepts support your ultimate objectives. When outsourcing, give your agency as much information as you can gather. Always share your vision.

8. Kick it off right: Introduce your campaign internally first. Tell physicians, employees, volunteers, board members and other stakeholders. They are often your best marketing support. Conversely, if they don’t “live the message,” your marketing efforts will be for naught.

9. Ready, set, go: Timing is everything. Plan your rollout to maximize exposure. Avoid marketplace “clutter” and down times, such as holidays, when readership and viewers are less than normal. Once you have your media plan in place, stick to it.

10. Measure and evaluate: Whenever possible, include a call to action that can be quantified. You may want to track new patients, calls for information, physician referrals, website hits, patient/procedure volumes or other data meaningful to your organization. You should also consider consumer preference and top-of-mind awareness, which may translate into volumes in the future.

Whatever you do, make sure that your marketing plan becomes a part of the organizational culture. Facility plans, strategic plans and financial plans all garner the time and attention of leadership. Make sure the marketing plan is received and understood by your organization’s top management.