By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    health benefits of taking a vacation to reduce stress
    Relaxing European Destinations to Reduce Stress Risks to Health
    October 11, 2021
    pain management tips
    Managing Pain Differently: Alternative Pain Management Techniques
    January 12, 2022
    5 Ways to Promote Wellness in Your Home
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    What To Expect On A Meditation Retreat In Miami
    February 6, 2023
    Botanical Extracts That Should be on Your Health Radar
    February 5, 2023
    Navigating Medical Care as a Wheelchair User
    February 4, 2023
    4 Common Myths and Misunderstandings About Brain Injuries
    February 5, 2023
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Kratom – a Solution for Opioid Addiction?
    February 5, 2021
    English: U.S. President delivers the while sta...
    Obama to Congress: Quality, not Quantity of Care
    February 13, 2013
    Is The Future Of Injectable Drug Delivery In Needle-Free Devices?
    February 16, 2021
    Latest News
    Why Is a Referenced Based Pricing Tool Necessary?
    February 3, 2023
    Simplifying the Genetic Testing Process: How At-Home Kits are Changing the Game
    January 25, 2023
    9 Hospitals That Have Introduced Green Initiatives
    February 1, 2023
    Why a Health Retreat Can Be the Best Medicine
    January 12, 2023
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Four Money-Wasting Marketing Mistakes Doctors Make
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Latest News
meditation retreat
What To Expect On A Meditation Retreat In Miami
Health
Guide To Pursuing a Career in Nursing as a Foreigner in the USA
Guide To Pursuing a Career in Nursing as a Foreigner in the USA
Career
Botanical Extracts
Botanical Extracts That Should be on Your Health Radar
Health
Navigating Medical Care as a Wheelchair User
Navigating Medical Care as a Wheelchair User
Health
common misconseptions about brain injuries
4 Common Myths and Misunderstandings About Brain Injuries
Health
Aa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Aa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Social Media > Four Money-Wasting Marketing Mistakes Doctors Make
Social Media

Four Money-Wasting Marketing Mistakes Doctors Make

Stewart Gandolf
Last updated: 2015/09/22 at 7:17 PM
Stewart Gandolf
Share
5 Min Read
save dollars
SHARE

save dollarsHas there been a dramatic up-tick in the number of marketing mistakes lately? Perhaps there’s some sort of business-blooper epidemic; a bug of sorts, making the rounds.

I raise this mostly rhetorical question because there seems to be a bumper crop of published articles that offer much the same advice. Roughly translated they admonish readers:

save dollarsHas there been a dramatic up-tick in the number of marketing mistakes lately? Perhaps there’s some sort of business-blooper epidemic; a bug of sorts, making the rounds.

I raise this mostly rhetorical question because there seems to be a bumper crop of published articles that offer much the same advice. Roughly translated they admonish readers:

More Read

branding in healthcare

Should Healthcare Care About Branding?

How can Healthcare Professionals Manage their Reputation Online
How to Handle Negative Physician Reviews and Feedback
5 Effective Ways to Market Healthcare to Millennials
Truth From Comedy: ZDogg Does for Medicine What Late Night Is Doing for Politics

Making mistakes in healthcare marketing is sort of a good thing because you have to make mistakes to learn something. Mistakes produce experience. And, if you’re not making mistakes, you’re not doing anything.

It’s reasonably good advice…for as far as it goes. There are bound to be mistakes in business, and learning from them has great value. Unfortunately, there’s a price tag that comes with this benefit. Learning-by making-mistakes costs something; perhaps money spent without a return, lost opportunity, or maybe both.

What would you add to this list?

So, with that in mind, here are four common money-wasting marketing mistakes and how to avoid them. (There are dozens more.) We’ve seen doctors and medical practices make these often, so consider them “pre-paid.” Embrace the good advice, and chalk it up to experience (with no extra cost.)

Understand the difference between direct response and brand awareness advertising. There’s a throwback idea that says—in brand awareness—a physician “just needs to get his name out there” and new patients will flock to the front door. While there is value in branding, name recognition and reputation management, it is a long-term process.

Direct response advertising, on the other hand, is intended to inspire immediate action on the part of the consumer or target audience; to make an appointment, for example. Direct response advertising is more cost-effective in that the investment produces more immediate and measurable results.

Tracking results—in specific and quantifiable terms—is absolutely vital to marketing success. If you don’t have a reliable means to track response in near-real time, you have no way to know what’s working, what’s not working, and how to measure your Return-on-Investment. Without a tracking system, you’re driving blind…and likely over a cliff.

An effective marketing plan will integrate multiple tactics. Healthcare is entirely too competitive to put all your marketing eggs in one, do-everything basket. It is especially important to realize that the online and the off-line components of your plan must work together.

Train your staff—especially the front desk—to handle prospective new patient phone calls. One of the most wasteful situations is where a marketing and advertising investment causes the phone to ring, and the person in your office doesn’t know how to handle convert the call to an appointment. (Hint: Their only objective is to have the caller make and keep an appointment.)

“Experience,” to quote Oscar Wilde, “is simply the name we give our mistakes.” We’re all in favor of learning and gaining experience. And it’s all the better to gain experience without paying a big price for the mistake.

What can you add to this list? Please take a minute and share with others how to avoid a mistake, or even something you “learned the hard way.”

Stewart Gandolf, MBA

Author information

Stewart Gandolf
Stewart Gandolf
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at Healthcare Success Strategies
Stewart Gandolf, MBA, is CEO of Healthcare Success, a medical marketing and health care advertising agency. He is also a frequent writer and speaker. Most importantly, he is happily married and a “rock-n-roll daddy” to two wonderful girls.
TwitterGoogle+LinkedIn

The post Four Money-Wasting Marketing Mistakes Doctors Make appeared first on Healthcare Success.

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Stewart Gandolf September 22, 2015
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article 5083301663_9927455d1c_o Breast cancer while uninsured: One woman’s story
Next Article ROI, IROs, peer review, healthcare 5 Ways IROs Can Increase Your ROI

Stay Connected

1.5k Followers Like
4.5k Followers Follow
2.8k Followers Pin
136k Subscribers Subscribe

Latest News

meditation retreat
What To Expect On A Meditation Retreat In Miami
Health February 6, 2023
Guide To Pursuing a Career in Nursing as a Foreigner in the USA
Guide To Pursuing a Career in Nursing as a Foreigner in the USA
Career February 5, 2023
Botanical Extracts
Botanical Extracts That Should be on Your Health Radar
Health February 5, 2023
Navigating Medical Care as a Wheelchair User
Navigating Medical Care as a Wheelchair User
Health February 4, 2023

You Might also Like

healthcare video marketing
MarketingSocial Media

How to Maintain a Successful YouTube Channel as a Healthcare Organization: Advantages of Video Marketing for your Medical Practice

November 9, 2022
social media addiction is harming teenage mental health
eHealthMental HealthSocial Media

5 Ways Social Media Affects Teen Mental Health

April 4, 2022
social media in healthcare
eHealthSocial Media

Ethics of Social Media Success and Instagram Influencers in Healthcare

October 6, 2021
MarketingSocial Media

7 Tips To Make Sure Your Medical Practice Is Found Online

March 22, 2019
//

We influence million of users and is the most authentic source of information on healthcare business and technology news.

Quick Links

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Follow US

© 2008-2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?