The year is almost up, so now is the perfect time to begin thinking about how your hospital or healthcare system will approach marketing communications in 2023.
As you reflect on the current year and what you would like to accomplish in the New Year, planning a communications audit might be extremely helpful in determining what marketing communications-related changes need to be made in the future.
Communication is essential in today’s market for small and rural hospitals to maintain patient relations and improve community outreach. Adapting and improving your strategy is crucial for meeting and exceeding next year’s goals.
Performance Assessment
Are you on course to meet your year-end goals? Crunching the numbers and going over the spreadsheets is not the most exciting aspect of healthcare, but in a data-driven industry, paying attention to the data can give you a better picture of what is working and what is holding you back.
Assessments also mean evaluating your staff. This often takes the form of performance reviews and one-on-one meetings to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of everyone’s role in the overall communications strategy.
Reviewing your business goals and internal capabilities together helps you determine what gaps, if any, exist. This information is critical in your move-forward approach in the New Year.
Review Messaging
Sometimes it can be easy to lose sight of the primary goal of healthcare communication – reaching out to patients and addressing their needs.
When reviewing your messaging, ask yourself what you are communicating, whether it addresses your audience’s need(s), and if there is an action statement.
Your marketing and communications strategy should not be about your hospital and brand. Instead, your messaging should supplement the patient’s experience at your hospital.
Messaging should provide timely, helpful information about your patient’s healthcare needs and show how your facility’s services and expertise will provide them with the proper care.
Comb through Collateral
Marketing materials and techniques evolve over the course of time. Collect all your promotional material – whether in physical or digital form – and review them closely for consistency of style, message, and clarity.
Do your messages across all mediums speak with the same voice? Do your print ads reflect the same topics and tone as your digital materials?
Losing consistency can damage the effectiveness of your marketing strategy and create confusion for patients. So, if you notice any disparity in messaging, aim to streamline that in the coming year.
Look for Opportunities
After reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of your communications program, decide how you can build upon your strengths and improve your weaknesses. Do not forget to analyze how the market has changed over the past year and use the changing conditions to outline next year’s strategy.
With the New Year coming up, there is still plenty of time to review your communications strategy to begin a successful program starting in January. Being proactive and self-critical will help give you the building blocks for a successful 2023.
Do not let a single day of 2023 be a missed opportunity! A communications assessment and strategic marketing communications plan can help streamline your hospital’s marketing communications initiatives to use your resources better and help you achieve bottom-line profits.
If you are not sure how to maximize your communications in the New Year, please give me a call at 214-528-5755 for a free consultation.