by Grace Vinton | May 1, 2024 | Blog
Sometimes you say what everybody is thinking. And when that happens, the reaction can be tangible and immediate.
I was a member of a panel at the recent HIMSS conference and was talking about misinformation. At one point I observed, “Healthcare has a B2B problem, but it’s not business to business; it’s boring to boring.”
All of a sudden everybody started snapping their fingers. I hadn’t seen this reaction before and asked whether people were trying to get my attention. It was confusing! Someone said, “No, you’re on fire.” It seems they agreed with what I said and wanted me to keep going, but didn’t want to interrupt me by clapping. Hence the snapping.
That interesting cultural moment wasn’t about me, but about an awareness clearly shared by most healthcare PR and marketing professionals: Healthcare technology companies and their buyers are mired in boredom. Boring problems. Boring solutions. Boring conversations.
The sad reality is that both healthcare technology companies and their customers – providers, payers, and third parties – are afraid to express a strong opinion or point of view for fear of losing business opportunities.
We’re all sick of boring. Still, I get it: Clients don’t want to confuse or concern a potential customer by saying something audacious or expressing bold thoughts. Healthcare tech companies want to focus their message on what their product does and the problems it can solve for customers. No point in straying from focused thought leadership.
While I understand the strategic impulse toward boring, companies that want to stand out from their competitors need to get more creative with their messaging without confusing buyers or pigeonholing the company as providing a specific solution to a specific problem. Otherwise they may continue to float anonymously in a sea of boring.
Below are some tips for healthcare marketing and PR pros to help their clients and organizations inject some personality and perspective into their messaging.
Connect on a human level
This is healthcare. By definition, it’s about people; serving people and connecting with people. One of the best ways to connect with people is to tell a compelling story. People love hearing stories and are drawn in by a narrative arc that features a journey with highs and lows, challenges and triumphs, and lessons learned.
Great storytellers are relatable and interesting and thus able to connect with an audience. Their stories create a whole world that provides context, rather than running an audience through a tedious list of specific product features and use cases. To sell your product, tell your story.
Go multimedia
Storytelling is about more than the written word. Audio and video are powerful mediums for healthcare technology companies to tell their stories. Not only do some audience members absorb information more efficiently through multimedia, allowing them to see and hear the people behind a healthcare technology company leverages that human connection we all seek.
Even a great infographic or data visualization provides a multimedia tool that can help you articulate a story and emphasize key points. Audience members have diverse learning styles and digital literacy skills; adding a multimedia element to your message will broaden its reach.
Initiate and be part of a conversation
Rather than just relentlessly pumping out marketing collateral, healthcare technology companies should strive to be thought leaders in their sector. Having a voice in an ongoing conversation establishes credibility and puts a human face on the company. Healthcare is a mission-based career, so advocating for your mission and what you believe in resonates with a like-minded audience. People don’t follow companies; they follow other people with great ideas.
Bylined articles published on respected healthcare websites are a great vehicle for demonstrating sector expertise and thought leadership. When potential buyers think you really “get” their challenges, they’ll remember you and your company.
Social media also provides an excellent platform for conversations and idea exchange. LinkedIn probably is the best for healthcare professionals, though many also actively use X. Healthcare technology leaders also can connect with their community through organizations like HIMSS or CHIME.
Finally, some healthcare technology companies have been successful in using podcasts to tell their stories. Some are even launching their own podcasts to provide another venue for interacting with an audience.
Speak the truth (with humor)
The great comedians find humor in everyday life. They also find humor in the truth. If healthcare technology leaders speak the truth to their audiences and find a way to inject humor into the message, they will stand out from the crowd. Humor that is informed by a deep understanding of the industry and the challenges of a particular sector can be memorable. If your humorous truths support your value proposition, all the better.
Conclusion
Healthcare technology companies that hide in the herd and play it safe get ignored. To rise above the boring noise and get your message across, you need to inject your marketing and PR initiatives with a strong storyline framework that employs passion, humanity, humor, and a distinctive voice. Sincerity sells because it’s real and conveys a compelling message: We’re all in this together.
by Brandon Glenn | Apr 17, 2024 | Blog
As a dutiful student and practitioner of public relations, corporate communications, and journalism, I have become intimately familiar with AP style – like it or not.
For example, I know that “Wi-Fi” is for some reason capitalized at all times and hyphenated regardless of where it’s used in a sentence.
I know that the word “unique” should never be used with a qualifier. Unique means “one-of-a-kind,” so what is the difference between something that is “very” or “rather” one-of-a-kind vs. something that is simply one-of-a-kind?
I know that Oxford commas are an affront to humanity and must be relegated to the ash heap of history.
Unfortunately, I’ve spent enough time learning, studying, and practicing these rules to wish for several years of my life back. Yet there is one AP style rule I keep coming back to mentally and have never been able to get out of my head since I learned it many years ago.
Who vs. that: Who is it that actually spent time thinking about this?
The best rule in the AP style pertains to the answer to a question that few people have ever dared to ask, and even fewer could bear the weight of fully contemplating: When we are referring to animals, is the appropriate relative pronoun “who” or “that”?
In other words, which is the right choice: “The dog who chased after the car” or “the dog that chased after the car”? “The rhinoceros who is bathing in the river” or “the rhinoceros that is bathing in the river”? (Side note: If I’m interpreting AP style correctly, the question marks in the previous paragraphs should be outside the quotation marks.)
Leave it to those visionary and imaginative AP style editors to come up with an answer that sheds much-needed clarity on an issue that most of us would find too trivial to even ponder: “It depends.”
Yes, it’s true. When confronted with a monumental, mind-blowing question that would affect the course of countless lives and have far-reaching implications for the future of humanity over decades to come, the AP style editors opted to hedge by choosing an answer with a little from column A, and a little from column B.
So, here’s the rule: Animals with names should be referred to as “who,” while animals without names should be referred to as “that” or “which.”
I’m not making this up. People were actually (presumably) paid real, legitimate money to sit around discussing this pressing and contentious issue, and this is what they thought was the best outcome. Alas, how we should refer to animals that/who may or may not have names, such as a stray cat that/who once had a name and guardian but now lives anonymously on the streets, remains frustratingly unclear.
I can’t help but fantasize about being a fly on the wall for the discussions that led to the creation of this rule. I can only hope it was an intense, hours-long discussion in the glass-walled conference room of a sleek urban high rise, with advocates of both sides of the debate having prepared long and detailed slide decks that present their sides of the case in agonizing detail.
I imagine that passions became so heated and rivalries grew so fierce between the “who” side and the “that” side that a couple of the editors nearly came to violent blows as they had to be separated by shocked, fearful colleagues who had underestimated the near-religious fervor such a debate would inspire.
I have a difficult time believing that AP style has ever given us a more unnecessary and largely pointless distinction than the “who” vs. “that” named-animal-rule controversy, but I hold out hope that there are even more obscure, dumber rules to discover as I continue my lifelong AP style learning pursuit.
by Jodi Amendola | Apr 3, 2024 | Blog
If you’re a content creator, it’s essential to also be a heavy consumer of content.
To write authoritatively and informatively, you need to stay current with what thought leaders, influencers, and industry experts are talking about, and that means consuming content – whether in the form of news articles, industry journals, social media, videos, or whatever channel you prefer.
As an avid content consumer, one of the most common, easily correctable mistakes I see is known as “burying the lede.” (The term began being spelled as “lede” at mid-20th century newspapers to avoid confusion with references to the printing press, which was made of “lead” metal. It doesn’t seem all that complicated to me, and it makes you wonder how often the two terms were used interchangeably that it really became that much of a problem, but we’ll move on.)
Stated succinctly, the “lede” is the most important, newsworthy part of the story. It answers two critical questions that every reader asks themselves, whether consciously or subconsciously, when beginning to engage with any piece of content: What is this about, and why should I care?
When writers bury the lede, they test their readers’ patience and increase the likelihood that readers will bail out before reaching the end.
The MLA Style Center offers this example of a buried lede: Say that two people died in a house fire, but the article mentions the location, time, or cause of the fire prior to the occurrence of the deaths.
The lesson is just as applicable to health IT thought leadership as it is to basic journalism. Maybe you believe Medicare Advantage needs to be expanded because it offers seniors a low-cost way to access non-traditional medical benefits that can improve health outcomes. Alternatively, maybe you think Medicare Advantage is a government-sponsored corporate giveaway that large insurers have exploited to fraudulently inflate their profits by billions.
Either position is defensible. Simply stake your position out, concisely explain why you feel that way, and do it while you’ve still got the reader’s attention.
In other words, say it clearly, and say it early. (This is also known in writing circles as the “nut graf” and if you’re sensing an unfortunate trend in these naming conventions, you’re not alone.)
“Burying the lede” isn’t a topic that lends itself to the blog or listicle format of “X Helpful Tips.” Just be aware that the problem is real and rampant, remain conscious of it, and don’t do it.
Simply answer the two magic clarifying questions – “What is this article talking about and why should anyone care?” – at or near the top of anything you write, and the problem is solved.
by Philip Anast | Mar 20, 2024 | Blog
I had a chance to read Angela Duckworth’s book, “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance,” and it did not disappoint.
The psychologist and University of Pennsylvania professor attempts to answer the question whether talent or effort is more important in achieving success and reaching one’s goals. Citing numerous use cases and research, she draws the conclusion that it’s not the most talented who succeed in specific tasks, but those who demonstrate the most “grit.”
Showing passion and perseverance for a task or goal and doing so consistently over time are what have inspired some of our greatest thinkers and highest achievers, she asserts.
The Japanese call this continuous improvement kaizen.
What does one have to do to embark on this path? Is this just for the highest achievers?
Duckworth explains that deliberate practice is how experts practice, and that’s what’s required for achievement. Here are other takeaways:
- Make practice a habit.
- Seek out weaknesses that you haven’t mastered and create stretch goals.
- Enjoy working hard, embrace challenges, and don’t fear them.
When one imbues a purpose to these practices and goals, such as contributing to the well-being of others, then things can really take off. That’s when a job or career becomes a calling, she writes.
How one sees her work is more important than a job title, Duckworth asserts.
She also writes that “hard work, really, really matters,” and that one can’t overreact to setbacks.
This is important for those who mentor people in the workforce, as well as kids.
“Teaching a person to do hard things teaches them to do other hard things.”
“With practice, industriousness can be learned.”
Among her use cases, Duckworth references the lives and examples of some of the most storied coaches in professional sports to illustrate her thinking.
Pete Carroll, former head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, says, “Our opponent…creates challenges that help us become our best selves.”
For his part, John Wooden, winning coach of 10 men’s basketball championships at UCLA, writes, “Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.”
And while not referenced in this book, author Malcom Gladwell cites the Beatles and their night-in-and-night-out performances in Hamburg, Germany, that helped them master their craft.
by Chris Nerney | Feb 28, 2024 | Blog
Healthcare marketing and public relations agencies work closely with clients on crafting effective messages designed to gain the attention of (and prompt action from) their potential customers, investors, media outlets, awards organizations, conference organizers, and other target audiences.
Clients and agencies routinely rely on email and collaborative platforms such as Slack and Teams to communicate about messaging ideas and strategies. Still, there’s no substitute for live, verbal conversations. And while meeting in person is always best, the pandemic made Zoom calls a simple and convenient way of life in the professional world. Other than not knowing how tall everyone is on Zoom, it’s just like being in a room together!
When it comes to creating strategic, high-value content assets for clients – such as “thought leadership” bylines, case studies, and white papers – it is essential that agencies and clients arrange what we refer to as an “intake call” to discuss the asset’s target audience, goals of the content, main message, and major takeaways.
Intake calls are both a resource and an opportunity; thus, failure to take full advantage of these sessions can undermine the client’s goals and the ability of the agency to create compelling content. Unfortunately, far too many intake calls are unproductive and fail to provide the agency’s account directors and writers with enough direction to ensure quality content assets. Inevitably, the writing suffers, leading to more time wasted on editing and rewriting that could have been avoided.
Among the many reasons why intake calls go off the rails:
There’s no predetermined topic. I’ve been on my share of calls where the topic of the content asset had not yet been specified. As a result, much time is consumed just kicking around ideas. Once an idea is chosen, the call participants then have to hammer out a message and supporting themes. Without preparation, this process can be highly inefficient, which means the agency team may not get all the information they need from the call within the allotted time.
The “subject matter expert” (SME) is unprepared. Client SMEs are very knowledgeable about their areas of expertise. They’re also quite busy, particularly if the SME is a CEO. Thus, even if a topic has been preselected or an outline produced as a guide for the call discussion, the SME may not have had time to do any prep work. This also can lead to an inefficient and unsuccessful intake call.
The SME lives in the weeds. Some client SMEs can clearly and fluently communicate their company’s technology, market strategy, and product use cases. Other SMEs are CTOs. Just kidding! Seriously, though, SMEs who immerse themselves in technological details can struggle to concisely explain to a non-tech audience how their companies’ platform or tools can help customers.
Too many people on the call. Though this doesn’t happen much with start-ups, I’ve written custom content for large technology vendors as a freelancer and have been on calls with eight, 10, or more client-side participants. I’m not naming names, but one company rhymes with Oracle. These “cast of thousands” mega-calls can be incredibly frustrating and unproductive.
Intake call best practices
So what can marketing/PR agency pros do to ensure they and their clients get the most value they can out of intake calls?
Prepare a list of questions to guide the discussion. Giving the conversation a framework and some direction can make an intake call more efficient and productive. What’s the technology or healthcare challenge? What’s at stake for patients, clinicians, payers, etc.? What are the possible solutions?
Get down to business. I like to chat, and I like learning about people I’m working with. (Is that so wrong?) But when you only have 30 minutes to capture a client’s thoughts about a complex healthcare challenge, it’s best to smoothly move past initial pleasantries and get the show on the road.
Make the client verbalize the value of the asset. Even if you know the topic of the content asset, even if you have a tentative title, and even if you have bunch of on-point questions, it’s always a good idea to ask the client to explain 1) the target audience 2) what the goal of the asset is, and 3) how they would describe the asset to a colleague (“This byline is about…”). The more clarity an agency’s writer and account director have, the more likely they will produce an asset that meets or exceeds the client’s expectations.
Conclusion
Both healthcare technology startups and their marketing/PR agencies are far too busy to waste time on unproductive content asset intake calls. While it’s hard to control how ready clients are for intake calls, agency account and content directors can optimize the value of these Zoom meetings by being prepared, guiding client participants through the conversation, and seeking clear language about the topic and goals of a content asset.
by Kim Mohr | Feb 8, 2024 | Blog
Heading to
ViVE 2024 in Los Angeles or
HIMSS24 in Orlando? These key industry trade shows aren’t just a chance to escape the winter weather for warmer destinations! They can present a great opportunity for executives to establish relationships with journalists from a variety of publications and mediums.
Chances are if you’ve landed an interview, it’s for a brief window, so read on for best practices for making the most of your time.
Most journalists attending trade shows start to populate their calendars weeks, if not months, in advance – which is why many PR pros also start early to secure interviews for key subject matter experts. It’s important for companies to identify which trade shows they will be attending as well as key personnel well ahead of the show. This can be done as part of an annual marketing plan. An added benefit to planning early is that some shows offer early bird registration, so you may even get a deal to attend.
If you’re offered an interview, make sure you have basic knowledge of the outlet, the topics it covers, and their target audience. You’ll want to frame your responses in a way that’s relevant to readers of the publication.
For example, if the outlet targets members of the C-Suite, big-picture, high-level strategic responses are appropriate. If readers or listeners are clinicians, you’ll want to address clinical or patient benefits of your technology. You can’t tailor your answers if you haven’t researched the outlet. Additionally, reporters appreciate it when you reference past stories they’ve done on the topic at hand. This shows that the relationship is a two-way street and further establishes that you aren’t only interested in talking about your company – and are dialed in on relevant conversations and coverage of key issues in the industry.
The show floors at ViVE and HIMSS are a maze of vendors, sponsors, analysts, media and more. Be sure you keep and use the map you get at check-in. Confirm your meeting location. Is there a designated media meeting area? Will the reporter be stopping by your booth?
Find out and arrive early for the interview. Set an alarm in your phone to remind you of the meeting, just in case you get caught up talking to a client, prospect or colleague. With only a few minutes for each interview, if you’re late, you might miss out depending on the reporter’s schedule. We’ve seen this happen many times. While many journalists will graciously offer to connect another time, the odds of it happening in a timely manner are understandably slim, as journalists are just as busy in the days immediately following a show as they are while they are onsite.
There’s nothing worse for PR professionals than sitting through a client interview where the interviewee rehashes old news or espouses cliches. If you want to stand out in the crowd, have something to say. Everyone knows that “innovation is key” and “AI is the future.” But how is your company disrupting your space? How does this benefit patients, clinicians and others in the healthcare ecosystem? Where do you see the industry going and how are you helping to get there? What are you doing that’s different than the other guy?
Clearly defining your differentiators (without directly referencing the competition) and outlining talking points ahead of time are key for a successful interview. For extra credit, have a colleague or your PR team do a mock interview in which you can practice steering likely questions to your talking points. And remember, if you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s perfectly acceptable to say you will follow up. Don’t try to answer what you don’t know.
Pro tip: Shows such as ViVE offer the opportunity to share news in a group distribution to media attending the event. This is an extra opportunity for you to get your message in front of journalists who will be there. While you may not get an interview out of it, your news could be included in a roundup during the show or in a post-event wrap-up.
Remember that every meeting does not yield immediate coverage. However, we have repeatedly seen “meet and greets” at trade shows turn into follow-up, in-depth interviews or coverage that seems to be out of the blue months later. The main goal of these trade show meetings is to meet key journalists, introduce them to your company and technology, and explain why you are making a difference in the healthcare scene.
- Give them something to remember you by
Have you done a recent study, survey or analysis? An eye-catching infographic with meaningful information and guidance (URL or QR code) on where to learn more can be something that sets you apart from others. However, don’t give journalists run-of-the-mill marketing collateral. Anything you leave behind should have a news peg and not simply be self-serving information about the company.
This may be the most important tip of all. While you shouldn’t be overly casual and should always keep in mind that nothing is ever really “off the record,” you do want to establish a rapport with the reporter. Interviews don’t need to be buttoned up and extremely formal. Use a conversational tone and avoid jargon whenever possible.
Best of luck with all your trade show media opportunities!
For more tips on getting the most from trade shows, check out these tips.
