By: Aimee Romero

Getting your practice in front of the public through the media is an invaluable opportunity. Many think of it as “free advertising,” but it shouldn’t just be perceived this way. The public knows that a practice cannot pay to be featured or quoted in a media outlet. It must be thought of as a credible source by the media, a non-biased third party. Thus receiving media coverage also establishes your practice as a trustworthy source by the public.

However trying to receive  coverage is not easy. You can send out press releases about your company or you can try to pitch a story to a reporter that will include your practice, but you are rarely guaranteed editorial space in the paper or news broadcast. You are also in a sense competing against numerous other companies or practices that are all vying for coverage as well.  

Below are a few tips to keep in mind when pitching the media:

• Journalists and producers get numerous pitches daily, so you must craft your pitch carefully to make sure it is unique, useful, newsworthy and will stand out.
• Determine which media outlet would be most interested in turning your pitch into a story by knowing your target audience and what publication they read or types of news they watch.
• Find the reporter or producer that covers the healthcare field in their outlet.  Do the research so that you are contacting the right person right off the bat instead of jumping through hoops to find who the appropriate person is.  One way of doing this is by going through recent news stories and determining what reporters are doing health stories.
• Attract the reporter by showing them that you follow their stories and take an interest in it. Provide them angles that you think they will appreciate based on their previous stories and on events and happenings in the healthcare field.
• Similar to making sure you contact the right person the first time, keep it short.  Recognize how valuable their time is and that you would like them to do the story because it is in their best interest, not just yours.
• Stay on the reporter’s or producer’s top of mind or radar by keeping in touch. When they have a story and need a source that you or your practice would be a good fit for, then they may be more inclined to reach out to you.  

Follow Aimee on Twitter at @AimeeDRomero or contact her at aimee@massmediacc.com

If correctly utilized, media can be a powerful third-party endorsement for your practice. Recently, Good Night Pediatrics was able to position themselves as excellent sources for health-related news stories and promote their practice through the media.

Challenge

Six years ago, Good Night Pediatrics opened its first all night urgent care for children in Phoenix. The popular practice was an instant hit with parents.  Five years later, three more clinics were operating in Arizona and business was booming.

Last year, Good Night Pediatrics expanded to a new state and opened its first clinic in Southern Nevada.  After a year of slower-than-expected business, the practice managers contacted MassMedia to develop a plan to grow the number of new and returning patients. They wanted to get the word out that Good Night Pediatrics was a new urgent care alternative to the emergency room.  They wanted parents to know that this was the best place to take sick kids in the middle of the night. 

Good Night Pediatrics had two main message points to communicate with potential patients. 

1) They are experts in children’s health care.

2) They are open every night, including weekends and holidays and every child sees a pediatrician rather than a nurse practitioner or ER doctor. 

 Solution

MassMedia recognized Good Night’s unique business model as an opportunity to position its doctors as excellent sources for health-related news stories.  Good Night Pediatrics’ physicians are experts in children’s health care and urgent care, which makes them an interesting expert source to health reporters. Good Night has another unique attribute that makes them an attractive interview, especially in the 24-hour news world – it is open all night long.

On February 3, a report was released that ranked Nevada last in the nation in health care for children.  MassMedia immediately seized on the opportunity and secured a television interview with the doctor and a tour of the facility for the local Fox news station.

Results

That night at 10pm and 11pm, the local Fox affiliate reported the story live from the lobby of Good Night Pediatrics and used Dr. Sandy Kalm as an expert source on the state of health care in Nevada.  Dr. Kalm was presented as a very knowledgeable person in this area, making her a legitimate expert to discuss this topic.  Dr. Kalm explained that Good Night came to Nevada in response to the need for an overnight urgent care for children.  The two key message points were reinforced during the broadcast; the practice specializes in children’s health care and the facility is open all night.  The news station also interviewed several parents who were delighted with the care their children received at Good Night Pediatrics.

Next Steps

With summer rapidly approaching, MassMedia is now pitching Dr. Kalm as a source for stories that involve heat exhaustion in children. She will provide the signs and symptoms of this heat-related illness as well as prevention tips. In doing so, Good Night Pediatrics and its competitive advantages will be highlighted in the stories as well.

The future media coverage obtained will continue to reinforce Dr. Kalm as an expert in children’s health care and will increase her name recognition in Southern Nevada. This will lead to increased awareness of Good Night Pediatrics in addition to more patient care for the urgent care clinic.

By: Carmesha Thompson

What do you think are the top five things that come to mind when someone thinks about your practice? Hopefully one of these associations involves your practice’s branding.

Most people think of branding as just a logo, but branding is more than just creating a recognizable logo. The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.”

A strong and distinct brand will create name recognition, deliver a strong message about your company, confirm your credibility and connect with your audience.  Your health care brand affects all forms of communications, from advertising to public relations to product packaging so it should be well-thought out and carefully developed.

To build your brand you must start off by asking yourself a few questions about your practice that will help with the conceptualization of your brand:  

-          What are the benefits and features of my practice?

-          What qualities do I want my customers to associate with my practice?

-          What is my practice’s mission?

Once you have answered these questions that help you pin down your company’s identity, it is now time to bring this identity to life through the intelligent use of design. Meet with an Art Director or Graphic Designer to discuss your vision and make your brand visual, by creating or updating your logo and tagline.

After your brand has been created, it is important to ensure that it is consistent and seen on all of your marketing materials such as ads, your website and direct mailers. Doing this will help your brand resonate with your current and potential patients. The more times the public sees your brand, the more likely they will instantly recognize it and associate it with your company.

Branding is a major reflection of a practice and conveys its mission, environment, core essence, character, purpose, features and benefits. If done correctly, it should be memorable and so deeply ingrained that it is top of mind when someone thinks or hears of your practice.

Follow Carmesha on Twitter at @carmeshathomps or contact her at carmesha@massmediacc.com.