by Steven R. Jolly | Feb 22, 2023 | Uncategorized
When it comes to utilizing earned media to gain exposure
for your hospital and brand, properly utilizing public relations tactics can
gain your facilities valuable exposure without having to shell out big
advertising bucks.
Over the last three decades of working with small and rural
community hospitals, we have discovered that many of these community
institutions do not really understand the goldmine of content they are sitting
on. As a hospital, you have many opportunities for reaching out and getting
noticed – in a crucial, newsworthy way.
Public relations is a set of practices that can increase
attention and shape the perception of your business. When combined with an
integrated marketing communications strategy, public relations can enhance the
central messages being distributed by your hospital – creating a stronger
impact in your community.
So, what are some ways you can leverage earned media to get
your hospital and brands in the local media?
In a nutshell, there are five opportunities where public
relations can help your hospital.
- Serve as the central source of health-related
information in your community.
- Be a resource for important healthcare topics
and trends that matter to your patients and families.
- Coordinate events and activities that promote
the awareness of your hospital’s programs in the community.
- Evaluate and improve community perceptions and
attitudes about your hospital.
- Plan and execute programs designed to fulfill
the above opportunities.
Each of the above opportunities are relatively
self-explanatory while simultaneously can be a topic of discussion all on their
own. When you review these five opportunities, it is imperative that you
remember that public relations is more than a press release. It is a process that
involves many different strategies that contribute to a stronger image of what
your hospital.
A comprehensive public relations program can help your
hospital build acceptance among the community, increase the credibility and
claims of your marketing and advertising, break through the clutter seen
through local media outlets, and reach out to the primary target audiences. The
best part is that public relations can help your facility achieve these goals
in a cost-effective way compared to mass advertising.
As with any marketing communication function, strategic
planning will help you monitor your resources and ensure you do not overwhelm
your community. Don’t continue to miss out on publicity opportunities that your
hospital deserves.
With more than 33 years of experience working directly with
rural community hospitals, clinics, physicians, and healthcare organizations,
SRJ Marketing Communications is your resource for improving communication and
stopping out-migration.
For a free consultation to discover if SRJ Marketing
Communications might be a good fit for your facility, call 214-528-5775. You’ll
be glad you did!
by Steven R. Jolly | Feb 22, 2023 | Uncategorized
One question we often hear from our rural and small
community hospitals is, “What do we post on our Facebook Page and other social
media outlets?” You have likely wondered if you are responsible for your
hospital and clinic’s marketing program.
The good news is that when it comes to social media
marketing, content and ideas are abundant. You just have to think about it from
your community’s perspective.
Social media involves more than just a platform for
advertising. Using such media effectively means knowing what to post so that you
can engage your audience and grow your presence online.
So, what kind of content should your hospital and clinics be
posting online? Here are six ideas to help guide your content strategy in Q4
this year.
Health Awareness Programs
There are many important health awareness topics this fall
and winter, including Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Diabetes Awareness Month,
Lung Cancer Awareness Month, National Physical Therapy Month, and World Mental
Health Day.
Leverage health awareness programs and initiatives like the
above to create content for your social media outlets. Whether it is a tip, a
fact, or a news story, share it!
Vaccinations
Protect your community and drive people to your facility. The
time is now to promote immunizations for the flu and COVID-19. Immunization
clinics, partnerships with local businesses, advertising, and public relations
material are some ideas to get you started.
Do not just stop there! Stay persistent in your messaging
through the end of the year. After all, many significant health concerns, like
the flu and COVID-19, are not going away soon.
Wellness Exams
The end of the year will be here before we know it, and we
all know that wellness exams are an essential source of revenue for rural
health clinics.
Because most insurance plans cover them once a year, now is
the last chance to encourage people to schedule an exam before the new year!
Push the message of the importance of annual wellness exams
and that it is generally a free benefit for most individuals with insurance or
Medicare plans.
Diet and Nutrition
The last three months of the year will undoubtedly be a busy
time for everyone. From Halloween and into the November and December holiday
season, there are lots of reasons for everyone to push their diet and nutrition
plans to the back burner.
Keep the importance of a healthy and balanced diet at the
forefront of your messaging, starting with Halloween. A season heavily
saturated with candy sales is a bad time for dental health and those with
diabetes.
The upcoming holiday season can also be a challenge for
diets with all sorts of heavy meals and rich desserts with which we are all
tempted to indulge. Don’t let the holiday season sideline your community.
Create and keep an ongoing message about diet and nutrition.
Whether it be sharing news stories often or a weekly series that showcases tips
to stay on track – your community will thank you.
General Health News and Trends
Whether it be news about vaccine breakthroughs or general
health and wellness tips, the Web is filled with all sorts of news stories and
content worthy of sharing with your community.
Take a moment to search through major news outlets for
health stories that may be relevant. The possibilities are endless.
Hospital News and Community Involvement
For the right reason, it is never a bad idea to toot your
own horn. Did your hospital or facilities win an award lately? Has a team
member had any life accomplishments they are comfortable sharing? Are there any
significant employment anniversaries (5 years, 10 years, 20+ years)? Is your
hospital participating in any community events or sponsoring something?
There is always something to celebrate. Find those gems and
polish them into something newsworthy. After all, social media is nothing
without the social factor – and your audience loves to see these types of
posts.
Take your social media strategy to the next level. Give SRJ
Marketing Communications a call! Our team specializes in online marketing for
small hospitals, including websites and social media.
To learn more about how an effective social media strategy
can help your hospital succeed, call SRJ Marketing Communications at
214-528-5775 for a free consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
by Steven R. Jolly | Feb 22, 2023 | Uncategorized
Have your hospital and clinics been lacking in marketing
and communications? We often discover that many rural healthcare organizations
fail to communicate because of a lack of strategy and knowledge of where to
begin.
By focusing on your messaging, finding the right audience,
and engaging in communication, rural hospitals and community clinics can
quickly rectify the “they’ll never know what we do” mentality.
Focus on your message
Local healthcare in many communities can be broad and
diverse these days, and trying to reach every field and touch on every subject will
only exhaust you and your audience. Therefore, it is essential to identify your
most compelling strengths and opportunities and focus on them.
There is no need to get carried away explaining every little
detail of your services in your marketing material. Let your medica providers and
in-house experts do that.
Focus on the most important strengths that make for a good
narrative and set your facility apart from the rest. Do you offer a service
that no one else offers? Tell your audience about it!
Similarly, are there opportunities for growing patient
volumes in certain areas? Physical therapy, obstetrics, swing bed, surgery?
Decide what these opportunities are and develop a messaging strategy around
them.
Identify your audience
By understanding your hospital’s strengths and growth
opportunities, you must develop a strategy for sharing these with an audience.
Start by identifying those in your market who need to hear
from you and focus your energy on them. Of course, it is not always obvious
where your target audience lies, but with the right metrics, you can get a
better idea.
Test your market by using data gathered from internal
databases to determine what segments of your community are more likely to use
your services and apply that information to your strategy.
This may seem like a simple concept, but you might be
surprised how many healthcare facilities do not take advantage of the valuable
information already on hand and use it to benefit their marketing plan!
Start communicating
Once you have established messaging and identified your
audience, it is time to start the communication.
Sometimes it can be as simple and old-fashioned as a phone
call or a mailer, but the act of contact can be one of the most powerful tools
in developing repeat business and gaining leads to new clients.
A comprehensive marketing plan and budget can help dictate
what tools you can use to connect with your target audiences. It can be a mix
of direct mail, telemarketing, print advertising, and digital marketing. The
possibilities are abundant, but a budget will help dictate how and which
advertising vehicles you can realistically use.
Engage with your community
One crucial way to get information into the community is to
engage with those living in your area. We often spend so much time looking over
the horizon for new leads that we overlook that they are right outside the door—in
our front yards!
Engage local business groups and host community events to
get your neighbors involved. Demonstrating loyalty to your community and those
around you can generate a lot of goodwill.
A great place to start is by joining and participating in
your local chamber of commerce, Lion’s Club chapter, and community center.
Opportunities will quickly arise from your participation in those
organizations/groups.
Not sure how to make it happen?
With over 33 years of experience working directly with rural
and small community hospitals, clinics, physicians, and healthcare
organizations, SRJ Marketing Communications is your resource for improving
communication and stopping out-migration.
For a free consultation to discover if SRJ Marketing Communications
might be a good fit for your facility, call 214-528-5775. You’ll be glad you
did!
by Steven R. Jolly | Feb 22, 2023 | Uncategorized
Right about now, many rural hospital leadership teams are
reviewing and finalizing their hospital and clinic budgets for 2023.
There is a lot to consider for the new year: patient volume,
reimbursements, economic outlook, among other things. So, when it comes to how
to approach marketing communications initiatives in the next year, being more
strategic and purposeful than is paramount.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many rural hospitals and
clinics saw a dramatic shift in in patient volumes. With that said, the 2023 upcoming
spring season will officially mark three years since the world was changed
because of the coronavirus. Many people have put off healthcare and many
hospitals and clinics have reduced – if not stopped – their marketing
initiatives. It is time to change that.
Aggressive action needs to be taken to help the community
regain confidence and familiarity in their local healthcare system. They need
to know who you are, what you do, and what they can expect from local providers
and facilities.
This next year is going to be critical, and it will
certainly not be the time to rely on an inexperienced person or organization to
handle your hospital and clinic’s marketing communications strategy. The cost
of finding and training a professional is just too great.
With more than 30 years of professional experience working
with rural hospitals, SRJ Marketing Communications SRJ is a multi-faceted
communications agency specializing in increasing the market share of small and
rural hospitals by focusing on marketing, public relations, community
relations, social media, and even effective website development.
Our expertise includes extensive experience in strategic
marketing and the implementation of new media techniques such as social media
marketing.
The time is now to begin a discussion and appropriately allocate
a strategic marketing and public relations budget for 2023. Let’s start the
conversation so you know what to expect for the new year and we can get started
as soon as your hospital is ready.
I invite you to call me today at 214-528-5775 to schedule a
free consultation. You will be glad you did!
by Steven R. Jolly | Feb 22, 2023 | Uncategorized
If there is something the Coronavirus pandemic has shown
us, it is that public relations for hospitals and healthcare organizations are
critical – no matter the size of the hospital or community. News in your town
can spread quickly, so responding appropriately requires perspective and
action.
The practice of public relations is just one of the
ways hospitals communicate with the community. This communication is not just a
one-way track; there should be both speaking and listening because you’re
looking at building long-term relationships that aren’t possible through
one-way communication.
Getting your community involved is vital to send the message
that you care and are not just throwing out information for brand awareness. Quality
information on all healthcare issues will show that you are part of the
community.
I believe four areas are vital when developing your public
relations strategy: hospital information, public health information,
educational programs, and integration with other marketing strategies.
Hospital Updates
You can communicate and get feedback from the community by
publicizing announcements through press releases, public service announcements,
or social media on hospital staff information or new facility changes. This
communication is essential for brand awareness and your hospital’s credibility.
Public Health Issues
We all know a great example of a public health issue –
COVID-19. You are the primary source for your community’s health information
and needs. With this in mind, you can focus on how to share pertinent
information like cancer awareness and immunizations. Bringing up these
nationally recognized days is a great way to announce these health topics.
Getting your hospital in the public eye by hosting events
such as free health screenings means you’ll be one step closer to a healthier
and informed community. Additionally, your hospital staff will interact and be
seen by the locals, giving a brighter face to your hospital. Autumn is a great
time to host a flu shot and COVID-19 vaccines clinic.
Educational Programs
Getting the community involved with your hospital without
admission is one of the most important public relations strategies. Through
auxiliary programs or educational courses, you are not only able to provide
health information to your community but get them directly involved in the
process. The free PR is great, but be sure they get the message you want to spread.
Integrating with Other Marketing Strategies
Finally, you must coordinate your public relations program
with your other marketing strategies. It is essential to bring a holistic
approach to all your communication strategies.
Without integrating your strategies, stakeholders can become
confused, or your strategies will simply not work. For example, what good is it
if you have a great advertisement in the newspaper while the newspaper has
written an article on how people are unhappy with their service there?
Coordinating properly would not let this happen, saving time and money.
As with any marketing communication function, strategic
planning will help you monitor your resources and ensure you do not overwhelm
your community. Don’t continue to miss out on publicity opportunities that your
hospital deserves.
With more than 33 years of experience working directly with
rural and small community hospitals, clinics, physicians, and healthcare
organizations, SRJ Marketing Communications is your resource for improving
communication and stopping out-migration.
For a free consultation to discover if SRJ Marketing
Communications might be a good fit for your facility, call 214-528-5775. You’ll
be glad you did!
by Steven R. Jolly | Feb 22, 2023 | Uncategorized
We can all agree that websites are critical in today’s
world, regardless of industry or business. For rural hospitals, websites are an
essential tool to update stakeholders on the latest happenings at the hospital
or healthcare system, important health updates pertinent to the community, and
an explanation of service line offerings.
Knowing how essential websites are, when was the last time
you took a moment to look at your hospital’s website? Unless you’re taking a
break from the Web, your answer should be within the last week.
Ask a team member when they last visited your hospital’s
website. If your employees have not been frequenting your site much, it might
be time for an update!
If you and your team are not using your website, your
customers are likely not either. There is no better time than now to make some
revisions to your website to make it current.
Refresh the Old
Always view your website’s home page, like the hospital’s or
clinic’s main entrance. You would not like the entrance of your business to
remain unchanged for a year, would you? Checking for out-of-date content on
your home page and replacing it with current happenings is the first step to
cleaning up.
Service Line Updates
Think about the programs and services your hospital and
clinics offer. Does your website appropriately showcase everything, if not
most, of what is available in your community?
Each major department should have its own web page with
information about the department and its capabilities. Mainly if new programs,
services, or equipment upgrades have occurred recently.
Dynamic Content
Having dynamic content will help you expand the content on
your website and keep visitors coming back. It will also help improve your page
rank on search engines to help prospects find your website.
The key here is quality and scheduled updating. If you fail
to update your blog or newsroom regularly, your website will appear dead, and
traffic will begin to drop.
Showcase your expertise with insights into your industry
through blogs and news feeds. You may even find yourself with an in-house
journalist, interviewing your team members on their daily work in their
department. This will make great content for both your employees and customers.
As a bonus, this content is excellent for sharing on social media!
Responsive Design
Going mobile is one of the most significant changes a rural
hospital can make regarding its website. Making sure your website is
mobile-friendly may mean a complete redesign to ensure it is compatible with
all the major web browsers and devices in the market.
If you think it is time to discuss how your
facility might benefit from an improved website, call SRJ at 214-528-5775. We
can schedule a free consultation and provide you with an evaluation of your
website’s strengths and weaknesses. After all, it is the virtual front door to
you
