Social media marketing has
become mainstream and offers medical practices the potential to become more
relevant to their patients.
Many companies are now transitioning
from the 4Ps of outbound marketing world (product, price, place and promotion) to
the 7Cs of the evolving world of inbound marketing and it makes sense that doctors
now also explore the opportunities offered by social media marketing.
The following seven simple
steps are vital to positioning you or your practice within your targeted
community and enhancing your ability to consistently deliver value.
Step 1: Commit
Many consultants will agree
how frustrating it is that our clients want to share in the success that social
media promises, but often resent and resist the commitment required making it
happen.
It is important to remember
that social media is not a quick fix...quite the opposite. Unlike more
traditional forms of marketing, such as advertising and direct mailing, its
effects are built slowly and with great purpose. It is not for the impatient.
Social media marketing
requires the commitment of time, resources and personnel to drive the mechanics
of the process. If you can’t or don’t want to, walk away now before a half-baked
attempt actually hurts your standing in the community.
Step 2: Connect
The next step is to find and
connect with your target audience/s. Who are they, where do they live, what distinguishes
them from other non-targeted individuals and, most importantly, what platforms
do they use to communicate, learn, ask, laugh, cry, complain and share?
All of the major networking
sites contain powerful search facilities to help find those groups of people.
They might be disease-state or category specific, such as those within your
area who have diabetes or allergies, or others more interested in, say,
improved convenience and service offerings.
Examples of these include:
Twitter Search; Technorati Search; and SocialMention.com search.
When you find these preferred
platforms, you will also have found the podium from which your communication will
eventually flow.
Step 3: Comprehend
Critically, through active
listening we aim to gain real insight into: peoples’ true and often unmet needs;
the reasons why they have these needs; the costs they incur by not having these
needs met; and ultimately how they would benefit if these issues, problems,
concerns and desires were adequately met.
Doctors typically ask their
patients ‘where does it hurt?’
Now modern marketers turn to
social media to ask and answer that same question.
Step 4: Care
People who provide additional
care for their patients stand out like a beacon in the dark.
At this point ask yourself:
do I really care about what my patients are thinking or is it mainly just about
business. If it’s just business, rethink
your position.
Marketing and ultimately
selling are about serving people and their needs. As a by-product of this
quality – sustained and caring service – good businesses make good money.
Don’t try to put the cart
before the horse. Social media will highlight and hurt those who continue to
make this mistake.
Step 5: Communicate
Only when you fully understand
the landscape and listened to your audience in terms of challenges, fears,
concerns, existing and future issues, can you start to communicate with
authority.
The first golden rule here
is: Start low and go slow.
Earn the right to advance
gradually with time and ongoing engagement of people within the various close-knit
communities. Wherever possible contribute your expertise to help solve problems
and answer questions as they arise.
The second golden rule: Give
first to get.
Many, unfamiliar with the
etiquette and expectations of this medium, have jumped in with a strategy of carpet
bombing their community targets with a plethora of information, broken up with
only special pricing offers. Surprisingly this has not produced good results.
You need to communicate intelligently and generously.
Step 6: Control
As you begin to connect,
interact and contribute to the discussion, it’s important to to monitor (as a
means of controlling) how your brand, business and messages are being perceived
by your audience.
As social media technology grows,
so too the number and sophistication of the tools available to social media
marketers to measure and monitor activity and campaign effectiveness.
These products measure
everything from traffic and activity on your website and blogs (with products
such as Google Analytics), to the positioning, reputation and effectiveness of
message (with monitoring tools such as Trackur and Radian 6).
Given that many clinics will
not have the expertise to set up such platforms, and having been asked many
times about this point I’m happy to proactively mention leading Australian firms
such as Southern Pacific Digital, who are able to help with the set up quickly
and cost effectively.
Step 7: Conquer
Selling your practice, its
brand and attributes happens gradually. At this stage, provide solutions that
deliver a memorable and very satisfying experience. In doing so, it is likely that
a positive message will be freely shared within the community.
While few things are
guaranteed in fiercely competitive markets, by following this process local
practices can strategically align their marketing efforts and help optimise their
ability to listen, learn and deliver in a meaningful way to their target audience.
So until next time, good luck and good marketing.
Regards,
Daniele.
* Daniele Lima, Director Road
Scholars, Strategic Marketing and Business Training Consultancy.
Daniele
Lima is a recognised authority in SME strategic planning, social media marketing
and nationally accredited business coaching. He is the author of Marketing Works: Unlocking Big
Company Strategies for Small Business and course designer and presenter
of social media marketing courses for VECCI including:
Phone:
(03) 9576 8486 or 0413 297617
