Heart and Vascular Services Top Hospital Marketing Priorities for 2014

It was nearly unanimous.

Hospital marketing executives and administrators ranked marketing for various service lines as “extremely important” (65.5%) or “very important (24.1%), among respondents to the recent Healthcare Success Strategies (HSS) survey.

It was nearly unanimous.

Hospital marketing executives and administrators ranked marketing for various service lines as “extremely important” (65.5%) or “very important (24.1%), among respondents to the recent Healthcare Success Strategies (HSS) survey.

Although service lines have generally commanded an important position in the marketing mix, Heart & Vascular Services ranked as the clear leader. It’s likely that the promotional emphasis during coming months will shakeout with the following priority, according to survey takers:

Having High Priority:

• Heart & Vascular Services (65.5%)
• Orthopedics (51.7%)
• Cancer Care (50.0%)
• Women’s Health (46.3%)

Having Low Priority:

• Sleep Disorders (53.5%)
• Geriatrics (48.1%)
• Digestive Disorders (32.1%)
• Children’s Health (29.6%)

Rate your most successful marketing channels for service lines.

When it comes to getting the message out, hospital marketing efforts routinely employ a wide range of communications tools. When asked to rank those that are among the “most successful,” respondents told us:

• Physician Liaison marketing (43.3%)
• Publicity (32.2%)
• Community Events (29.0%)
• Print advertising (19.3%)
• TV advertising (16.1%)
• Organic online ranking via SEO (12.9%)
• Radio advertising (12.9%)
• Internet paid search advertising/remarketing (12.9%)
• Direct mail (9.6%)
• Social Media (6.4%)
• Online directory sites (3.2%)
• Online display advertising on other sites (3.2%)
• Outdoor advertising (0%)

And an alarming stat about tracking…

Regular Healthcare Success followers and readers know the importance of tracking response from external and online advertising efforts. We were a little taken back by the fact that many survey respondents confessed that they didn’t track. When asked “how do you track response,” the answers were:

• Tracking referrals from physicians (40.0%)
• We don’t track (36.6%)
• Website contact form submissions (36.6%)
• Call tracking phone numbers (26.6%)
• Call center reporting (13.3%)