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Medical practice marketing vital in the "new normal"

by Helmut Flasch, CEO, Doctor Relations | December 14, 2011

Businesses small or large, local or global will build success on marketing - telling their story, building relationships. Consumers make physician choices based on their perception of affinity with that doctor.

The fitness equation for medical practice marketing requires some careful planning, commitment and application of advanced methods. For marketing dollars to have a healthy return there are four key "fitness" areas:

* Maximize the impact of every marketing dollar you spend. Enlist the support of community forums and piggy-back your messages to the community's existence resources. In this way, you are using other people's effort and money to spread the word for you instead of only depending on your own resources of time and money which will be limited.

* Structure marketing outreach to do more than state a message. Turn community members into fans, and fans into advocates who recommend and endorse you. One of the best ways to do that is to give the community and especially the community leaders a reason to weave your name into the everyday communication without necessarily touching the clinical aspect, but a common community oriented topic.

* Use the power of the press, rather than placing ads. The press will of course have no interest in promoting your practice, but will want to report news. A small suggestion here would be to hook on to already existing press about health and health-related issues, even just about common living, and make it local.

* Utilize communication technology. The internet and the multitude of communications that take place there are multipliers of your marketing time and dollars. Nothing levels the playing field for the not-so-cash-rich promoter like internet marketing, and when it comes to local internet marketing most local business have not yet caught on to the immense potential this medium brings to the table.

Business fitness driven by marketing is the pivot point for survival - and prosperity - for medical practice management on the harsh landscape of the "new normal" as well on the unpredictable ground of the future.

International Business Consultant and author Helmut Flasch is the creator of the award-winning marketing strategy "Un-Advertising" that has helped healthcare practices worldwide increase profits without wasting money on traditional old school marketing.

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