September 4, 2012 Advertising You will need to advertise. Patients now can choose the clinic they want to go to. What works in one area, may not work in your area. You need to find avenues that work for your clinic and be consistent in branding your clinic. Use multimedia options to create name recognition Don’t be afraid to spend significant sums of money as long as you can measure the effect. Create a budget using approximately 10% of your revenue.
Print Ads Place ads in your local newspaper and consider adding coupons. Patients will bring in there coupons and this is a great way to track the success of your ad.
Television Try 3-4 months. TV stations will come to your clinic to make your commercials. Use your own staff to save $.
Radio Try 3-4 months. Consider trading services with announcers and they will promote your Vein Center. Best days are Monday through Wednesday during commutes to and from work.
Billboards Can be quite costly and you only have seconds to tell your story with billboard advertising.
Google Ad words Use Google ad words which is a pay per click service to direct traffic to our website. You only pay if someone is searching for a keyword related to venous disease and you can limit how much you pay per click People that are searching for these keywords are valuable. You can also use network TV, print ads and radio.
Market in Your Clinic Display your flyers in your waiting area and the exam rooms. The local office supply store has many options to choose from. Add labels with your contact information to all of your flyers so that when the patient is at home they know where they got the flyer and can call you easily.
Snail Mail Send a note by snail mail. Patients like the personal touch. In the past we have snail mailed birthday notes and included a $50.00 off coupon on any treatment or procedure. Patients love their birthday note and coupon! You can send cards too on for special occasions such as Mother's Day. Your billing system may have an option for birthday notes. Now we just add the birthday note to our listing on Vein Experts one-way to conserve resources.
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Screenings Offer free screenings at nursing homes, hospitals, women’s groups, assisted living facilities. Have the organization send our email blasts or flyers to their own database.
Email Addresses Collect your patient’s email addresses and mail out a monthly email blast and use a third party to email it for you such as ‘EMMA.’ Have this added right to your patient forms. Your billing system may be able to generate an ‘Email List’ for you. One way we collected email addresses was to add a raffle in the waiting area. We used an attractive glass jar. Make sure you leave slips of paper, sign about your raffle, and a pen. We offered ‘One Free Spider Vein Session.’ Patients loved this promotion and we collected hundreds of email addresses.
Save Money Find someone in your own office to do your marketing. Hiring outside marketing companies can be 2
quite expensive. Use your own staff to when making TV commercials or doing radio ads. The ‘Marketing Representative,’ can visit potential referring physicians. Have him/her put together a nice ppt presentation and take flyers, business cards, referral pads, and bring lunch.
Track Your Results You should have the ability to measure the effect of your efforts. Ask new patients how they heard about your ad and also put unique phone numbers on different ads. These can be bought from your local carrier for as little as $10/month. At the end of the month you receive a statement, which shows you which ads are making the phone ring. Keep a tracking list. When a patient calls in, find out where they heard about you and make sure your staff keeps track of this information. We can share our tracking sheet with you if you need one.
Staff You can’t teach people to be nice so hire wisely. Provide significant incentives for your staff based on production to push them in the same way you are being pushed. Make sure the person answering the phone is pleasant. There are ways to track this and you can actually hear recordings of conversations between your staff and patients.
Website Design A nice website makes you look better than you already are. Vein Experts offers website design and social marketing programs that are very inexpensive. Our staff is extremely knowledgeable about venous disease and treatment, search engine optimization (SEO), and marketing. Use a professional web-programmer. Do not use your son, daughter, neighbor, etc… This can create so many issues and hard feelings. When you need to made additions or changes to your website, things will get done in a timely manner.
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Patients If all went well, at the follow-up visit, the patient loves you. Make a point of telling patients how much you enjoyed working with them and if they have any friends to refer; you will take good care of them. You want your patients to share their experience with their colleagues, friends, and family. Exceed patient expectations both in service and results. Look at your office from a patient’s perspective. Be on time. Be meticulous about cleanliness. Treat people like they are in your own home. Offer them a drink if they are waiting. Make the patient feel like they are the only person that matters at that point and time. Have respect for a patient’s privacy and modesty. Provide them with disposable shorts if they forget to bring their shorts in. Talk to patients during procedures, if you get them to talk, they don’t hurt as much. If you get them to laugh, they don’t hurt at all. Do not leave the room until all questions are answered and never rush out of the room. It is not the amount of time that you spend with the patient, but the patient’s opinion on the quality of that time that counts.
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Do your patients feel appreciated and cared for? Send out an occasional survey to find out how they feel treated in your clinic •
Ask them if the staff is friendly
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Ask them if they had to wait to long
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Ask them if the staff LISTENS to them
*Consider following up with a personal phone call to check on their condition or have your nurse do it.
Clinic
Make your waiting area presentable. Consider adding some artwork or flowers. You can contact local artists & florists and they would probably display their work for free. This is a great way to promote others in your community and network at the same time. Consider adding a coffee maker such as a ‘Keurig’ to your waiting area. Patients love this. We add pretty napkins, various sugars, & miniature chocolates.
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Here is a great example of what your clinic and waiting room should look like
Photo courtesy First State Vein and Laser Center
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Photo courtesy First State Vein and Laser Center
Before & After Photos Before and after pictures is a powerful tool. Make sure each patient gets a set at follow-up and a set is sent to referring physicians. Telling someone that a patient had a great result is one thing showing him or her is another. Have a booklet with before and after photos available for patients to browse through. You can also use an IPAD to share your photos. Consider using a colored backdrop when photographing your patients. The most popular material for backdrops is 100% linen canvas and this is because the light is absorbed more efficiently. Royal blue seems to be a great color for a backdrop. You do get a more dramatic image of what you are photographing. Inexpensive Pearl – Use blue foam board Referring MD’s Cultivate relationships with referring MD’s. Provide local offices with your flyers and referral cards. Give Greg Martin MD’s, book, ‘Say Goodbye to Varicose Veins and Spider Veins Now,’ to referring MD’s. This book is an ideal reference for medical professionals who are not familiar with the latest 7
techniques in the treatment of venous disease. Visit businesses in your community and share your flyers. Examples of businesses you could drop your flyers & coupons off include: Nail salons, hair salons, spas, grocery stores, libraries, etc… Presentations Community - Speak at groups in your community, men’s groups, women’s groups. Hospital – Grand Rounds, In-services, conferences, medical schools Fundraisers Donate a certificate for services to fundraisers in your community Sponsor charitable events
Clinic Marketing Examples
Bill Boards
Booklet For Referring Physicians
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Branding
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Coupon Book
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Direct Mailers
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Fundraisers/ Charitable Events
Google Ad Words
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Groupon Groupon is a company that provides a deal-of-the-day website that features gift certificates used at companies. Groupon was launched in 2008 and has millions of registered users. Groupon is an excellent way for procuring new patients, but be careful of how you word your ad. Groupon representatives will try to get you to give everything away for nothing. Consider one free spider vein treatment for X amount of dollars. Make sure you check details such as ‘One Groupon per person,’ etc… Most people love coupons and most people will require multiple spider vein treatment. We found approximately one in four people needed some kind of procedure.
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Postcards For Referring Physicians
Postcards & Flyers for Patients
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Referral Forms
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RSVP RSVP  is an upscale cooperative mailer. The company uses attractive, glossy, full color postcards to attract attention to generate high response rates and maintain a positive image for their clients.
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Social Media Marketing
Online Social Marketing by Vein Experts Social Media Marketing: What Is It?Social Media Marketing (SMM) refers to the process of using social media sites (ex. Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to reach out to social media users and attract attention to a business/cause. This form of marketing arose from the desire to capitalize on the increasing amount of user activity on these sites to raise business awareness. By effectively using SMM, advertisers can not only be continuously connected with their current clients, but also increase their perspective client pool through current client connections – at a much lower cost than traditional advertising methods. Social Media Marketing: How Does It work and Why Should I Care?Social Media Marketing is a low cost way for businesses to advertise their services to current and future clients. As online communication between people has increased, user interactions on social media sites have become the new “word of mouth”. By creating and maintaining an active business page, businesses can attract attention to their services and potentially grow their clientele. 24
Social Media Marketing works by setting up business pages on social media sites that not only advertise services offered, but can be used to provide important information to clients (i.e. discounts, new advances in the field, etc.). These business pages can present the same information as traditional forms of advertising such as highlighting the advantages of the business’ services, and promoting the business’ expertise. Social Media Marketing has the potential to help businesses gain a competitive advantage in their respective field. By connecting with the business, users can be notified of business updates increasing user awareness. Additionally, the awareness of the business is further spread to the user’s already existing connections increasing visibility. If users repeat business updates, further awareness of the business is generated. Lastly, users have the ability to connect their personal website to their social media pages, resulting in an increase in search engine optimization. Combining all these steps, SMM works to increase the visibility of the business, potentially increase the volume of clients, and revenue for the organization. Social Media Marketing & the PhysicianSocial Media Marketing is fairly new in the world of healthcare, as physicians seek to find a balance between advertising clinics on social media sites and respecting the privacy of their clients. By having a social media business site available for clients to connect to, physicians provide clients with the choice of whether they want to associate themselves with the page. Periodic updates on these sites reminding clients of the services available, as well as user activity within the field (ex. new technological advances, publications, conferences, etc.), will generate attention that can lead to an increase in business. How Vein Experts Can HelpVein Experts members have access to a low cost Social Media Marketing program (http://www.veinexperts.org/social-media.asp). This program is specifically targeted to help participating physicians develop professional social media sites, and manage updates that will increase clinic visibility and business. Vein Experts can help physicians capitalize on this emerging market.
Social Marketing Packages for Vein Clinics Vein Experts is pleased to offer a social marketing package for individual Clinics and Physicians. Social Marketing includes marketing for your clinic on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and includes Linked In for the Physicians. The fee is a flat $150.00 per month The social marketing sites will be updated as you submit information you would like to post! Should you not currently have accounts set up with some or any of these websites, this service will create the accounts on your behalf. Payment for this service will be set up on an automatic monthly credit card charge. For additional information please email admin@veinexperts.org.
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Streaming Streaming is a method of delivering an audio signal to your computer over the internet.
Television Interviews
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Website Design
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Visual Edge Imaging Studios offers medical professionals the opportunity to receive a professional looking website at a very affordable price. In addition to designing the Vein Experts website, please 28
view a few of the other medical related websites we have designed (samples on right). Listed below are a few advantages of using our services. Vein Experts Members Can Save Up To 30% On Website Design Services Increase The Number Of Patients Visiting Your Practice Inform, Educate And Communicate With Your Patients More Effectively Increased Search Engine Visibility With Search Engine Optimization Choose From One Of Our Pre-Designed Templates Or Have Your Site Custom Designed Google Ad Words Programs Available Option To View Quarterly Website Traffic Statistics Option To Add Video Website Hosting Available
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Google Ads
Best Vein Doctor in Ohio www.daytonveins.com/ Board Certified Vascular Surgeon Varicose & Spider Vein Treatment Venous Ulcer Treatment www.daytonveins.com/ Midwest Vein & Laser Center Dayton, OH | Ph. (937) 281-0200 Be Specific: Be as specific as possible. You may need multiple Ad groups for different sets of keywords. For example, we have an ad for Venous Ulcer Treatment and one for Varicose & Spider Vein Treatment. Highlight your Unique Value Proposition (UVP): You need to be different from your competitor? What makes your service unique? What benefit would the customer get after buying what you sell? – If you can answer these questions, then hopefully you will get your UVP. Don’t forget your keywords: Advertisers often try to make their Ad copies very creative. But sadly very few of them do well in terms of Click-through-rate and conversion. Creativity is good and is essential for writing any sort of advertisement. But when it comes to PPC, sometimes too much creativity can hurt you. Because of the nature of PPC Ads, it’s very important for you to grab the searcher’s attention right at the beginning. Include A Call to Action: Many advertisers forget to include a call to action in their Ads. Having a good call to action can increase your CTR and also increase your campaigns effectiveness. A searcher needs to know what’s in it for him if he clicks on the advertisement. He is already in a page full of related links that he was searching for and you are just one of those guys. So if you are going to take him away from this great page, you will have to make sure that he knows what he will get from your page. Stand Out From Your Competitors: Try not to copy other Vein Clinics. Develop a unique title. Get Right To the Point: Google Adwords only allows 25 characters in your Title and 35 characters each in Description Line 1 & 2. So avoid all the unnecessary words and include things that add value to your advertisement. You will get only about 5-10 seconds before the searcher moves away to a different page, so you really need to grab his attention the first time he sees your Ad. Ad Formatting is Important – Make sure your ad is formatted properly with correct casing & spelling grabbing the attention of your customer via PPC. So make sure that the searcher gets a good first impression by looking at your ad copy. Capitalizing the first letter of each word is a common practice, which makes your ad copy look attractive. Try testing with various other methods and use the method that works best for you. 30
Display URL is Important: Your Display URL is a part of your Ad Copy. Use It wisely: Many advertisers don’t pay any attention to their display URL. But display URL does play a huge role in your Ad’s effectiveness & click-through-ratio. on how far can you test and implement the change that brings you a positive ROI. Testing is absolutely essential and should not be ignored at any cost – No matter how good your campaign is currently performing.
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12/7/12 < back
Patients Use the Internet to Find Doctors
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48% of patients took 2 weeks to research information, before making their
appointment •
Patients used the Internet to do their research
o 77% searched the internet prior to making their appointment o 21% booked their appointment online o 56% booked their appointment by phone o 23% booked their appointment in person
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Patients are sharing their experiences
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o 50% recommended family, friends, colleagues, to the facility o 12% posted a review on a social network site o 6% posted a review on a website
â&#x20AC;˘
Patients Experience
o You need your patients more than they need you o Think about what it feels like to be your patient o Talk to your patients o Talk to your employees o Follow a patient through the office experience
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Patients report that digital matters
o Being able to search for information is priority o Mobile is as important as the desktop o Patients like videos
â&#x20AC;˘ Devices Used o 98% used a desktop o 10% used a mobile phone o 8% used a tablet
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Physician and the Digital Consumer
o Searching for health related information is the 3rd most common online activity for all age groups o 84% physicians are online & do approximately 6 searches per day
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Social Media
o Patients want the right information o Patients want it available at their fingertips o Patients want to share their information with others
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Some of the top social media sites used daily
o Facebook – 1 billion users o YouTube – 4 billion views o Twitter – 500 million users o Google+ - 400 million registered users o Linkedin – 175 million users
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â&#x20AC;˘ APPS/Mobile Phones
o 650,000 iPhone apps o Only 13,000 health apps (Vein Experts has an app!) o 29% of patients read reviews of clinics o 27% locate a facility o 57% make an appointment with their mobile device
If you are not using Social Media Marketing, you might want to consider it to stay on top!
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Vein Experts is pleased to offer a social marketing package for individual Clinics and Physicians. Social Marketing includes marketing for your clinic on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and includes Linked In for the Physicians. The fee is a flat $250 per month (Vein Experts members only pay $150.00 per month). The social marketing sites will be updated as you submit information you would like to post! For additional information please email admin@veinexperts.org.
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12/26/12 Why is your website important? You should have a professional-looking website if you want to be taken seriously. Patients are now searching online for information prior to consulting with a doctor. Your website may be the first chance you have at making a good impression to a potential patient. I believe it is actually better to have no website at all than to have one that makes your Vein Clinic look bad. Have your website professionally done. Try not to use family members or friends, since this can cause hard feelings. The sad truth is that eventually the majority of doctors wish they would have started with a professional web design company. Benefits of a professionally designed web site • • • • • • •
Technical expertise You can focus more on your business Being found on the search engines Professional, clean, crisp design Easy to use and easy to navigate Increasing traffic to the site Future growth and expandability
There are many areas to be considered when thinking of getting an online presence: • • • • • • •
Goals of the site Usability Professional, clean, crisp design Future expandability Who is going to keep it updated The information you should we have on your web site How your web site will be found on the internet
Having an online presence is not enough. Your web site should be optimized for the search engines. Google, Bing, Yahoo and MSN, are just a few of the main search engines the professionals work with. Professional web designers have industry knowledge that helps your web site rank higher and be more useful to customers. Your web site should be easy to read and to navigate. The layout should be attractive and the text should be readable. 37
Two companies I would personally recommend: Visual Edge Imaging • • • • • • • • •
Vein Experts Members Can Save Up To 30% On Website Design Services Increase The Number Of Patients Visiting Your Practice Inform, Educate And Communicate With Your Patients More Effectively Increased Search Engine Visibility With Search Engine Optimization Choose From One Of Our Pre-Designed Templates Or Have Your Site Custom Designed Google Ad Words Programs Available Option To View Quarterly Website Traffic Statistics Option To Add Video Website Hosting Available
Sixth Gear - A Branding, Marketing and Web Design Studio Formerly known as Corey Adams Design, Sixth Gear is a branding, marketing and web design studio with experience helping vascular surgeons and other medical professionals grow their practices. Our goal on every project is to make you look the best we can. A consistent brand and professionally designed website is not only rewarded in today’s business environment, it is expected. We don’t use any gimmicks to help propel your business just carefully crafted designs and sound marketing strategies. Sixth Gear takes great pride in providing the highest quality design and marketing solutions at affordable prices, the following are just a few of the services we provide: • Logo & Identity Development • Print & Advertising Design • Marketing Consulting • Social Media Management • Web Design & Content Management • Website Hosting Please feel free to contact us for a complimentary quote or business evaluation. Sixth Gear LLC Phone: 401.451.1429 Email: corey@wearesixthgear.com Website: www.wearesixthgear.com
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Remember your website is an important part of your business.
References Information retrieved online 12/7/12 from 2012/Google/Compete Hospital Study Information retrieved online 12/7/12 from http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/resource-how-many-people-use-the-topsocial-media/ Information retrieved online 12/7/12 from http://www.veinexperts.org
Peggy Bush, APN, CNS, MSN A special thank you to Marcus Jimenez, MD, FACS, for contributing to this section.
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