Using information to boost your business (Part 2)
Before planning or implementing any of the various tactical marketing activities that are available, independant practitioners should complete a business analysis process.
This process will arm you with all of the information you need in order to set the direction for the business in the short to medium term. The right hand side of the diagram below lists the key areas of focus.
Agreeing a direction and setting some high level objectives for the business is fine but the important thing now is to identify what activities need to take place in order to get you from A to B and realise your strategic goals. It is imperative you identify what you should spend your money on and why. Any costs which you incur as part of your marketing/business development budget should be seen as an investment which will ultimately generate a positive return for your business. If you can’t measure it, don’t do it.
The left-hand side of the diagram below identifies some tactical marketing activities which you might consider as part of your overall marketing plan.
Brand identity (name/Logo)
If you are just starting out or have been trading for a while there are a few questions you need to ask yourself:
- Does your business have a name which is recognisable and memorable?
- Does the name reflect what you do?
- Do you have a clever well designed logo which creates an identity and makes you unique?
- Is there an appropriate domain name available for purchase to support your online presence?
- It is important that you do take some time to think this through as brand identity and guidelines for usage is your clear starting point.
Trademark protection
Whilst not essential, it is recommended that you conduct a Trademark Search via the UK Intellectual Property Office to ensure that you are not in conflict with any previously registered names of companies covering similar classes of service.
They will also decide whether your trademark is distinctive enough to be registered and if it is, then they will publish it in the trademarks journal. The trademark search can be conducted for your company name and also include your logo and this can be fast-tracked to avoid delay.
Brand application
Once you have created an identity, it is very important that you use it consistently in any communication with the outside world. This could be on e-mails, letters, invoices or in fact any piece of written correspondence or promotional material.
You should be proud of your brand. It should be respected by you and your customers alike. If there are a number of consultants in the business, it is important that you and your support staff all commit to a common persona for the group.
Brochure/Offline
It is becoming a predominantly online world, so ask yourself what purpose a printed brochure might play in your marketing plans.
Do you really need one? The reality is that you probably still do need to have something but you need to think carefully as to how you wish to use such print material before committing to a design.
Is it to be used as a mailshot to GPs?
Is it to be located in plastic display folders in private hospital waiting areas?
Should you develop something that is very different to the normal A5 leaflets so that it stands out from the crowd?
Should you include a detachable credit card size information card to the leaflet so that people can easily retain for future use?
Is this to be used to target potential patients or GPs and/or other referrers?
Is this a good use of our budget and how many should be printed as circumstances might change?
Website/Online
The general public is often well informed through use of the worldwide web even before they discuss health issues with their GP or private healthcare insurer. Your website is your online window to the world.
It is critically important that you get this marketing tool correct as it is probably the single biggest supplier of potential new customer enquiries and referrals you have at your disposal. You can have a wonderful looking website but if it is not optimised correctly no one will find you.
Remember, you will always get what you pay for. Keep it simple; don’t overcomplicate the design as your customers won’t appreciate it. The search engines like well structured sites rich in content. Content should change or be supplemented regularly and there should be links to and from your site from other relevant sources.
The two things which differentiate a good website from a bad one are the quality of the photography/images and the copy (language) that is used. You should be able to use images and words to clearly convey the services your business provides as well as the culture/values which underpin it.
Put yourself in the shoes of your potential patients/customers and envisage what information they are looking for so that they can then make a decision. The website journey or path should reflect the patient discovery process resulting in an action to either contact you online or by phone.
Search engine marketing which is sometimes referred to as “performance marketing” or “pay per click” for the very sound reason that marketing expenditure can be directly linked to performance, is actually growing significantly as a percentage of total marketing spend.
You should develop a series of adverts which will attract partially qualified new prospects to your site. It is a competitive world out there. You need to work hard to get your share of the market. Don’t just rely on organic searches.
You must ensure that you regularly monitor and analyse the traffic hitting your site. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Where is it coming from?
- Are there any trends you can identify?
- Are you getting referrals from other sites or banner ads elsewhere?
- How long are people spending on your site?
- What pages are most popular?
- What keyword phrases are being used?
- What is the split between “paid for” and “non paid” traffic?
- Does the site encourage positive activity in terms of online enquiries or initiating a call?
Advertising
Advertising, if targeted properly, can still play a role in any marketing plan. However, it can also be very expensive and sometimes difficult to actually quantify its impact on generating increased exposure resulting in new business. Any advertising needs a clear call to action which can ultimately be measured.
PR
Public relations, if worked well, can gain you far more brand awareness and recognition. than any form of paid advertising. Good PR consultants will have an extensive network of relevant contacts and will source opportunities and angles for stories and interviews in key publications.
The PR plan doesn’t need to be complicated but again it does need to be measurable, especially if you take on a consultant on a retainer basis.
Thankfully, there are a range of different tools at your disposal in your marketing bag. Whichever mix you end up using, they should complement each other and must be aligned with your goals and objectives.
Specialist medical accountant Ray Stanbridge of Stanbridge Accountants has identified that practices with focused marketing plans generated 9-10% higher profits than those who do not. So, don’t view marketing as a cost; think of it as an investment to generate increased turnover and ultimately greater profits.
Posted on Wednesday, 11 January 2012 under Medical