Earlier this week, I wrote a post on using Social Media as a compliment to traditional media campaigns. So, the question remains: What’s the difference between the two?
Traditional media utilizes impression-based marketing. The more you hear a message, the more inclined you are to research and act on the message. This is accomplished by impressions, or number of spots. In the Medical Industry, this is keenly important as each day you have a new audience when marketing your particular medical treatment, product or service. People are diagnosed each day, the more they hear a message placed in the proper outlet, the more comfortable they are with researching further.
As opposed to impressions, Social Media affords a platform for “active engagement” with your market. This is achieved through consistent communication outside of any mainstream campaigns.
Social Media is:
- Active
- Engaging
- Gives your clients, customers, or patients a voice
- Is a compliment to your campaign and creates a human perspective
My team and I have done a gazillion CNA’s (Client Needs Analysis), researching clients’ websites, search engine optimization, social media presence, growth trends, goals etc. What we typically find is a complete lack of presence in the social media world. Is that the case in your business? If it is, it’s time to make a move. You are missing a great opportunity to capture a presence and position yourself as the expert.
-Jan Beery
www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com
Filed under: media, Social Media | 3 Comments
Tags: brand monitoring, digital, health care, marketing, online, Social Media, Strategy
I recently read a blog post by Phil Simon, on Social Media Today, and it got me thinking. While the medical industry, as a whole, is dipping its toes in the Social Media world; there is a great amount of confusion that’s happening.
This past week, I had a client tell me “a buddy of his” told him there is no need for anything but Social Media anymore. This perception couldn’t be any further from reality.
To qualify as such it would need to be:
- Fulfilling the direct response that mainstream media accomplishes
- Replacing with a lower cost
- Demonstrating that there is no need to continue with the previous methods
These are exciting times in the world of media! Social Media is a new form of marketing that compliments traditional media. They work in partnership with each other.
Bottom line? Social Media is not a replacement but an additional avenue to reach your target audience.
-Jan Beery
www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com
Filed under: digital, Jan Beery, media, Social Media, Strategy, Twitter | 2 Comments
Tags: brand monitoring, digital, health care, marketing, online, Social Media, Strategy, twitter
It’s #FollowFriday at KBK!
@foiledcupcakes Chicago’s online order & personal delivery cupcake brand grown by YOU on Twitter. Always happy to engage with the community. We love shoes, chocolate & SYTYCD. Mari (like Safari) is a riot! Not only has this kick-butt lady grown her business on Twitter, she’s just the type of person that you want to be friends with. It also doesn’t hurt that every time I go to her page, my mouth waters (her cupcakes look oh-so-delicious!).
@mmangen Social Media & WordPress Virtual Assistant. QuickBooks ProAdvisor. Excel Queen. Quirky & always laughing! Michelle is a great resource. From quick tips to useful articles, she’s always willing to share. Not to mention, she’s built a great business, she’s real, and she engages with her followers.
@smallbiztrends CEO, Small Business Trends, an online small biz community reaching over 250,000 each month. Small business success … delivered daily. I love the tips, articles, and insight that Anita shares. It’s apparent that she’s happy to help her nearly 42,000 followers, and KBK is proud to be one of them.
@ChiefHotMomma Hot Mommas Project makes women’s stories teachable to serve as virtual role models. NOMINATE someone! Women’s Entrep Leadership Prof at GWU. Hate word moist. First off, I love Kathy’s username. It just cracks me up, every time I see it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way…I love Kathy’s cause. She (and tons of great women, along with her) is doing great things, and I love reading about it.
-Katie Fassl
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Tags: ff, follow friday, Social Media, twitter
It’s #FollowFriday at KBK!
TGI…#Follow Friday! Here are three Healthcare Facebook Pages worth “Liking”:
BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois BCBSIL adds a splash of fun with their landing page. By sharing information and remaining engaged and transparent (well, as transparent as HIPPA allows); they’re doing a great job of positioning themselves as being accessible…rather than the big bad wolf they’re (at times) made out to be.
Children’s Memorial Hospital I’m not a mom (unless, of course, you count my dog, Ramona the Pug), but I still value the information Children’s Memorial shares on their Facebook Page. What’s more, their fans are engaged; which speaks to the valuable information that they’re sharing.
Innovative Health and Wellness Center New to Facebook, Innovative is doing a great job of keeping their growing number of fans informed. Who knew by eating more like a Greek, and less like a typical American, you may be doing your brain a favor?
-Katie Fassl
www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com
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Tags: digital, Facebook, ff, follow friday, health care, online
I recently read an article by Andy Sernovitz from SmartBlog On Social Media, which talked about a case study presentation given by Procter & Gamble Global External Relations Manager Anitra Marsh. Sernovitz pointed out a few great takeaways from Anitra’s discussion, one of them being:
Listening online allows you to improve your products. Shortly after launching a beauty product, P&G noticed comments on blogs where consumers were having trouble opening the containers. Within 48 hours they worked with R&D to create better instructions and shared them with bloggers.
Talk about customer service. If you’re thinking, well, P&G is a huge company. Something like this isn’t applicable to me and my business. I’m going to be blunt in 3…2…1: You’re wrong. Listening online AND taking action is applicable to any business, whether you have one or hundreds of thousands of employees.
Where to start? My favorite tools are Google Alerts and Social Oomph.
With Google Alerts, set-up a list of keywords that have value to you. For example, if you’re a medical manufacturer, set-up google alerts for the name of your company, your competitors’ company, your products or services, your executives’ names, your sales team’s names, and any keywords related to your industry.
Do the same with Social Oomph. Anytime anything with the keywords or usernames you’ve selected are mentioned, you’ll get an email.
Now what? Are people talking? What are they talking about? If it’s something negative, correct the problem. Don’t be combative. Take care of the problem offline, and address the solution across your social media accounts.
We’re glad we were able to take care of everything for you, customer x. We look forward to our continued partnership!
If it’s something positive, keep doing what you’re doing, continue monitoring, and stay engaged.
What if people aren’t talking? Give them something to talk about. Build your presence online, position yourself as an expert, interact with people, be real, and watch your brand soar.
-Katie Fassl
www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com
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Tags: brand monitoring, digital, marketing, online, Social Media, twitter
It’s #FollowFriday at KBK!
TGI…#Follow Friday! Here are four tweeps worth following:
@sbosm Built for marketers who need to stay ahead of social networking trends, SmartBrief on Social Media is a FREE daily e-mail newsletter. Smart Brief on Social Media is an amazing resource. Want to know what’s going on in the world of Social Media? Have questions about Facebook? Twitter? SBOSM has got you covered.
@mashable The hottest Twitter news, Twitter tips and Twitter help. Plus, the best social media links around! To be honest, I don’t think Mashable’s description on Twitter does it justice. Anytime I need a resource on anything social media related, I go to Mashable. They have how-to’s, breaking social media news, useful research…basically, Mashable has got it all.
@enterprisecity Crain’s blog for Chicago’s savvy entrepreneurs: Small business, your business, brought to you by Ann Dwyer. Enterprise City inspires me. Running a business isn’t easy. Not that we don’t love it. It’s just challenging, and it’s nice to get some encouragement along the way. From guest bloggers to small biz news, Enterprise City is a part of my daily reading.
@coloneltribune The Colonel knows Chicago. He is also a more gentlemanly version of @ChicagoTribune. Chicago news with a splash of humor. And, it’s the type of humor I appreciate…dry, self-deprecating, and witty.
-Katie Fassl
Filed under: Follow Friday, Social Media, Twitter | Leave a Comment
Tags: digital, ff, follow friday, Social Media, twitter
It’s #Followfriday at KBK!
TGI…#FF! Here are four Tweeps worth following:
@MarketingProfs Head of content, editor, social media, marketing, great food, good wine, writer at http://www.annhandley.com. Ann is a great resource, plain and simple. Mix in some good ‘ole fashioned humor, a splash of “real,” and you’ve got someone you should be following.
@CarlaYoung Mompreneur / WAHM, Founder & CEO of MOMeoCommunity.com & Publisher of MOMeo Magazine.com | Bargain Hunter, Shopping Diva, Book Collector & Outdoor Fanatic. This lady’s got it goin’ on. I actually started following Carla after a Tweetchat, and I’ve been enjoying her tweets ever since. From #momeo tips, to great articles, and oop, another splash of real, you’ve got someone you should be following.
@ginidietrich CEO of Arment Dietrich. Author of spinsucks.com. Vistage member. Author. Speaker. Communicator. Avid cyclist. A foodie. Loves shoes & wine. I recently started following Gini, and I’m wondering what took me this long. #1: She’s real. She interacts with her followers, replies, laughs, etc. #2: She shares. I’m not quite certain how this lady stores up so much information in that head of hers, but I’m thankful for it, and I’m even more thankful she shares it. #3: She’s a Chicago girl. Nothing beats a Chicago girl.
@Bleeding_heart Local.sustainable.punk rock pastry. I’ve loved Michelle and Vinny from the first day I stepped foot into their bakery. Thanks to Twitter, I can get a dose of them everyday (even if I can’t enjoy their yummy pastries, daily). Am I punk rock? No. But heck, I admire their fighting spirit, their (here we go again) realness (is that a word? If not, it is now), and it doesn’t hurt that their pastries are to. die. for.
-Katie, Director of Marketing
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Tags: Chicago, digital, ff, follow friday, Social Media, twitter
Let’s start with a handful of thought-provoking questions: Have you googled yourself, or your practice lately? How are your patients and potential referral sources accessing information? What are their best treatment options? What are the cutting edge procedures for their given diagnosis? Where do they find the expert, who can partner in managing successful outcomes?
They listen (mainstream media), they research (online), they ask questions (friends, family, social media), and then begin the process of making an appropriate decision for treatment.
Let’s look at some statistics…
- “E-Patients” are an increasing population that is educated and well-informed about their treatment options
- 72% of patients did their homework before and after they met with a physician
- 93% of consumers, worldwide, search the web for sites pertinent to their treatment options
- 60 million people communicate about their health care experiences online
- Only 30% of the population pays attention to paid advertisements on web searches
Clearly, your patients, referral sources who are considering sending you patients, and manufacturers who are developing and marketing products appropriate for your business, are all researching you before you meet them.
How will they find you? What will they learn about you? How will they first communicate with you? They’ll use the web.
We, as consumers, increasingly research in the comfort of our own homes and offices; and reach out without feeling intimidated, through online communication.
With the dawn of health care reform on the horizon, you need to be certain you are presenting yourself as a choice in care, expert in your given specialty, and leader in positive patient outcomes.
Be certain you are highly visible on the web! Go where your targets are accessing their information and be a resource/destination.
- Mainstream Media: Utilize a connection with a mainstream media website in your given market. This will boost you on Google searches, as you benefit from everyone accessing that site for information. (Our experience with clients resulted in Google Analytics reporting a given news website as the TOP referring site!)
- Facebook: Have your practice develop your own page for informal communication. Example: “Dr. Smith has just completed his collaboration with “x” manufacturer on the new ….procedure. Click here to learn more.
- LinkedIn: What are you working on? What’s your background and experience? Have patients/referral sources recommended your work?
- Twitter: Linking your Facebook page to Twitter is an easy way to share info and gain followers interested in what you have to say.
- Blog: Write a blog on a given topic and start a catalog of blog posts on the web. Your library is also accessible through your website, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
- Website: Be certain you have a site that is easy to navigate and doesn’t overload visitors with information.
Before you know it, you’ll be boosted on the list of organic searches, and you’ll be building your brand as THE source for information, service, and care.
See you on the web!
-Jan Beery, President
Filed under: digital, media, Social Media, Strategy | 1 Comment
Tags: digital, epatients, health care, marketing, online, Social Media
Team Marketing: Are You Ready?
Never before has it been more important, than now, to have a team approach to marketing your organization. In the Medical Industry, we have choices. Each hospital has a reason they’re the best, each physician and specialist has a reason they’re the best. How do you set yourself apart? Marketing……!!!
You devise a campaign telling all your potential patients and referral sources that you are where they need to go for their care. Then your message is distributed into the market through various means; Radio, Print, Social Media, Sales Calls, Scheduled Talks, and Dinners etc. Everything seems to be going well, your message is a good one, your employees and partners are all aware of the marketing program, then…it happens.
A referral source is treated poorly; he is upset and threatens to refer elsewhere. A patient is in the office for their first appointment, and the staff at the front desk is rude, the wait seems endless, and she leaves without seeing a physician and writes a bad review on Yelp. What do you do?
Step one: Avoid such scenarios by involving all the staff in your marketing. Every point of contact is a representative of your business. Keep in check how you are representing yourselves and be prepared. Your staff will continue to be challenged and need to be reminded of their representation of the business.
Step two: If you have already experienced a less than stellar experience with your staff, address it immediately. Contact the referral source and apologize with guarantees of issues being handled differently moving forward. (Often a dinner meeting is appropriate.) Contact said patient, extend apologies, and possibly a free initial appointment with the promise of improved treatment by your staff. Speak with the involved employees and counsel on the importance of their behavior when dealing with the public.
Everyone is a team marketer, is your team ready? Health Care is No Exception! Remember, now more than ever, we are all carefully selecting who will help us manage our care.
Jan Beery, President
www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com
@kbkmarketing
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Part two in a two-part, “What the Twit?” Series…
The age of Social Media is upon us. The good news? As I’ve mentioned in past posts, we’re all on a level playing field. Now, more than ever, brand monitoring is possible for even the smallest of businesses. Move aside, big budget focus groups; and welcome to the game, Social Media.
One of my favorite tools to monitor how you’re representing your brand is Tweetcloud. Self described as, “…born out of a project to synthesize meaning from a high volume of short messages. Our goal is to quickly show users “what’s being said” across the Twittersphere or from a specific Twitter user through an intuitive interface (a cloud).”
Enter your username and see what is generated. I’m pretty satisfied with what our Tweetcloud says about the KBK brand:
-Katie Fassl
www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com
@kbkmarketing
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