Media outlets deemed essential to overall group marketing strategy

Physician Compensation Report, June, 2003

The use of the media--through news and features as well as advertising--is an essential part of an overall marketing strategy for medical practices, especially ones with sites serving several communities, offering several specialties, or combined with hospitals or other facilities, says practice consultant Margaret Jackson of Janssen Associates in Lafayette, La.

The importance of the press in long-term efforts to attract more patients applies to urban, suburban and rural practices, and to all practice sizes, she says. Her recent experience with press relations is in a rural area. Jackson, who also is executive director of the Vermilion Community Health Network in Abbeville, La., encourages the hospitals and clinics in Louisiana's Vermilion Parish to furnish the press, both print and electronic, with material for stories when they have items that are newsworthy to the community, such as the opening of a new clinic or service.

Jackson recently was able to get coverage of a small clinic in Guaydan, La., in local newspapers and TV news programs. The clinic has been open full-time since September 2000, but just lately got a full-time physician and will get filmless X-ray installed in September 2003. She says the physician and staff at the clinic looked attractive and spoke well on TV. "We have 3,000 to 4,000 patient slots a year wide open right now that must be filled," she notes.

Physicians, nurses and administrators, Jackson adds, should consider being sources to the press on other articles, for instance, when a reporter needs a comment on a medical issue or even just a sounding board on the credibility of another source about a medical matter. Serving as a source helps get the name of the practice out in the community, and gives reporters a comfort level with the credibility of the group's physicians. Reporters often have problems with access to information, she says, so being available as a credible source is very helpful to them. Appearing on a radio talk show to discuss an area of research interest or a health matter that concerns the community also buttresses credibility with patients and reporters.

Two other suggestions Jackson has for dealing with reporters are:

* Try to accommodate reporters' time frames and, if you're doing a press release, do it in correct news format.

* Be very careful in what you say, and be assertive in getting your message across.

Advertising Is Needed Adjunct

While news and features generally have higher credibility to potential patients than advertising does, Jackson says the latter also is an important way of getting out a practice's message. That message consists of what the practice is, where it is, what it does especially well or that's new or interesting or meets particular needs, its attitudes, and even its image.

Although expense is a major issue with advertising, most media firms that carry ads also have sales from time to time, and nearly all offer substantial quantity discounts, Jackson notes. By placing a monthly ad for two hospitals and several clinics, Vermilion obtains discounts of more than 60%.

When both news coverage and advertising are at issue, often there is an overall "media relationship," she says. It may benefit a practice to know people in the media who are concerned with both the editorial and advertising sides of the operation, Jackson adds, and there is nothing wrong with such relationships as long they are "dignified and professional."

"Don't marry" one newspaper or TV station or other media outlet--either for news coverage or advertising or both--she advises. For instance, Jackson says, practices should place ads in several outlets and types of media if possible, and seek coverage of newsworthy events in print and electronic publications. If you focus on only one outlet, or one print and one electronic outlet, she warns, others in the field will lose interest in what you have to say, and will stop competing for your news and ad business.

Ad campaigns often use follow-ups such as a "friendly mailing," Jackson adds. And the basics of good marketing--good care and service, friendly staff, good location--still apply.

Contact Jackson at (337) 654-6491 or janssenassoc@aol.com.