Wanda Engages Amendola Communications for Public Relations and Content Creation

Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning public relations, content creation and marketing firm specializing in healthcare and health information technology (HIT), is pleased to announce that San Francisco-based Wanda has selected Amendola for public relations and content creation services.

“We had excellent results working with Jodi and the Amendola team while I was at CareInSync, making it an easy decision to select Amendola for Wanda’s PR and content creation needs,” said Steve Curd, CEO of Wanda. “The Amendola team’s healthcare and technology experience is deep and they’ve developed strong relationships with the media and analyst communities. I’m confident that Amendola is the right partner to help us advance our mission to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of care, and the quality of life for people with chronic conditions.”

Wanda provides a digital health platform that connects the consumer and the clinical care team in a virtual network, intelligently collects critical vital and symptom information, and applies proven machine learning analytics to deliver ongoing risk analysis and decision support. Individuals are equipped to take better care of themselves and clinicians are able to more efficiently engage with those consumers when they need the most assistance maintaining a high quality of life at home.

“When Amendola is selected by a former customer, I view it as the ultimate compliment and a testament to the outstanding talent of our team,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola. “We are excited to work with Steve and the Wanda management team as they work to help caregivers deliver better health outcomes and overcome the financial and human costs of managing chronic disease.”

With the shift to value-based medicine, clinicians are demanding innovation that facilitates more informed care decisions. By leveraging machine-learning, advanced analytics and algorithms, and remote monitoring technology, Wanda provides caregivers with more rapid access to better decision-making information, as compared to conventional methods.

Amendola Communications will provide broad PR services, including media research, aggressive media relations, and securing top-tier awards and speaking opportunities. The agency will also be responsible for delivering a range of content demonstrating the thought leadership and expertise of Wanda’s
subject matter experts including bylined articles, blog posts, press releases, and other materials.

About Wanda

San Francisco-based Wanda is dedicated to advancing the effectiveness and efficiency of medicine by using machine learning in place of conventional technologies and by enabling clinicians to make more informed care decisions. Wanda recognizes that remote monitoring and algorithms cannot save lives or reduce hospitalizations unless the individual and their caregivers are promptly informed and highly engaged. Through the collaboration of data science and applied medical research, Wanda has proven that its inline analytics predict preventable events much better than conventional methods. Wanda serves as a diligent companion, providing encouragement and intelligent visual guidance that simplifies and improves lives, while simultaneously helping organizations reduce their care delivery costs. More information about Wanda can be found HERE.

About Amendola Communications

Amendola Communications is an award-winning national public relations, marketing communications, social media and content marketing firm. Named one of the best information technology (IT) PR firms in the nation for times by PRSourceCode, Amendola represents some of the best-known brands and groundbreaking startups in the healthcare and HIT industries. Amendola’s seasoned team of PR and marketing pros delivers strategic guidance and effective solutions to help organizations boost their reputation and drive market share. For more information about the PR industry’s “A Team,” visit www.acmarketingpr.com, and follow Amendola on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Media Contact: Michelle Ronan Noteboom | 512.426.2870 | mnoteboom@ACmarketingPR.com

VIDEO MARKETING: IF YOU’RE NOT DOING IT, YOU’RE MISSING OUT

VIDEO MARKETING: IF YOU’RE NOT DOING IT, YOU’RE MISSING OUT

Our own Matt Schlossberg was quoted in the article below, which originally ran on www.acefitness.org.

Written by Carrie Myers

“Everyone is doing it,” says Jimmy Craig, M.A., video marketing and viral expert and co-founder of MethodLoft, LCC, based in Boston, Mass.

What is Craig referring to? Put simply: video marketing.

“Video isn’t only great at connecting to and converting visitors,” Craig adds, “it can significantly boost your visibility online. Google displays blended search results, too, making it easier for businesses with video to get the coveted spots on the front page.”

Shawne Duperon, Ph.D., six-time EMMY-award winner and founder of Project: Forgive, agrees. “Video is the fastest and easiest way to create relationships in business. People do business with people they trust and like. Video is a medium that builds trust and likeability.”

Not quite convinced video is for you? According to James McQuivey of Forrester Research, the value of a one-minute video is equivalent to 1.8 million words. Here are a few more convincing facts compiled by Adelie Studios and Syndacast:

  • 70 percent of marketing professionals report that video converts leads into customers better than any other medium.
  • The average Internet user spends 88 percent more time on a website that include videos than on websites that do not contain videos.
  • Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of consumers are more likely to buy a product after watching a video about it.
  • Featuring video on landing pages has been shown to increase conversions by 80 percent.
  • If a video lasts one minute or less, 59 percent of viewers will watch it all the way to completion.
  • Only 24 percent of brands are using online video to market to consumers.
  • Using the word “video” in an email subject line boosts open rates by 19 percent and click-through rates by 65 percent and reduces unsubscribe rates by 26 percent.
  • Business-to-business and business-to-consumers marketers both say video is among the top three most effective social media marketing tactics.
  • 52 percent of marketers believe that video is the content format with the highestreturn on investment.
  • By 2017, 74 percent of all Internet traffic is predicted to be video.
  • 69 percent of smartphone users say videos are a perfect solution for smartphone viewing, as it offers a quick way for consumers to grasp an overview of a product.
  • Three out of four brand marketers and ad agency executives expect original digital programming to become just as important as television programming within the next 3 to 5 years.

PUTTING YOUR FEARS TO REST

I know what you’re thinking. You don’t have the budget to produce videos. Or you can’t stand the way you look on video or the sound of your voice. Or perhaps you feel you’re not enough of an expert to be on video.

Let me put your fears to rest. First, you do not need a Hollywood budget to create videos that will market and promote your business, skills or products. In fact, says Duperon, “your phone is perfect, especially if you’re doing little one-minute video blogs with tips.”

“The bottom line for health and fitness clients are client results,” explains Scott Sobel, president of Media and Communications Strategies, based in Washington, D.C. “You don’t necessarily need to dress up those kinds of videos. As a matter of fact, demonstration and testimonial videos that appear to have been shot by a home user demonstrate honesty and simplicity of method. You see what you get.”

“High-quality equipment is surprisingly affordable today,” adds Craig. “Even smartphones have incredible video cameras now, too. I think that the most overlooked piece of equipment is a reliable audio recorder. If you’re working with little-to-no budget, at least pick up a cheap wired lavalier (lav) microphone, because most on-device audio recording capabilities are severely lacking. You might be surprised how much quality audio will improve a video.”

Don’t have a website to upload video to? Our experts overwhelmingly suggested YouTube as one of the best platforms for video marketing. Matt Schossberg, senior account and content director for Amendola Communications in Scottsdale, Ariz, recommends integrating your YouTube account with your other social media channels to get the biggest bang from your video time and buck.

As an example of this big bang, Duperone says, “You can start a channel on YouTube and repurpose your videos to share on your social media. When I post a video on our Facebook page, it’s getting shared up to 15,000 times. It’s deeply impacting my business.”

According to YouTube’s own statistics:

  • YouTube has more than a billion users, which is almost a third of all people on the Internet. Every day, people watch hundreds of millions of hours of YouTube videos and generate billions of views.
  • Each year for the past two years, the number of people watching YouTube each day has increased by 40 percent and the number of hours people spend watching videos on YouTube has increased by 60 percent.

THE NUTS AND BOLTS

As far as lighting and make-up go, keep it as natural as possible, suggests Schlossberg. “Unless you have a budget and expertise, try to use natural lighting. Avoid fluorescent lights or spotlights that shine directly down over your head.”

If you’re a man with a shiny face, Schlossberg recommends splashing some water on your face and drying it off or do a light dusting of translucent powder. “For women, their normal amount of make-up usually works fine.”

Try to make sure there are no shadows on your face, points out Duperon. “If your face is hard to see, it actually has the opposite impact of trust. You literally appear shady and untrustworthy!”

Duperon also suggests keeping your eyes steady and your chin down some. “People have a tendency to raise their chin and it will come across as arrogant,” she says. “People tend not to buy from a person who feels arrogant. It’s actually an act of vulnerability to keep your chin down, similar to how TV news anchors are trained.”

Keep it short and simple. “Keep the topic high level and the message succinct,” recommends Schlossberg.

“Ideally, keep your video under a minute,” Duperon advises. “Research shows more than 50 percent of the audience leaves after 10 seconds. When someone starts watching your 60-second [or shorter] video, they tend to stay with you and the video, because the time investment is so little. Think about how many times you dropped out of a video that says it’s three minutes or longer.”

Lastly, make it personal and speak directly to your audience. “When talking on-camera, talk to one person, just as though you were at [a coffee shop], says Duperon, and use the word you.

If you still feel a little skittish at the idea of going on video, here are a few final words of wisdom from Duperon:

“Dance in the discomfort! For newbies, it takes some getting used to [performing on video]. That’s normal. The more conversational you are and the more authentic, the better. Perfection is overrated. You don’t have to do it perfectly. My motto is that 80 percent is good enough.”

Aprima Selects Amendola Communications For Public Relations and Content Creation

Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning public relations, content creation and marketing firm specializing in healthcare and health information technology (HIT), is pleased to announce that Aprima Medical Software, Inc. has selected Amendola to provide public relations and content creation services.

“Since the advent of government regulations under Meaningful Use and the evolution into alternative payment models, Aprima has brought to market innovative software and excellence in customer implementation and support, complemented by an industry leading Revenue Cycle Management offering,” said Michael Nissenbaum, president and CEO of Aprima. “We needed a firm that has proven experience and connectivity to effectively communicate this great story. Amendola’s strong history and track record was the perfect choice.”

Carrollton, TX-based Aprima offers a fully integrated, single application, single database EHR/PM solution, as well as complete RCM services. Its no-template design is chief-complaint driven with an adaptive learning capability based on a user’s style and habits. Aprima performs all development, support and implementation from the U.S.

Amendola Communications will provide broad PR services, including media research, aggressive media relations, and securing top-tier awards and speaking opportunities. The agency will also be responsible for delivering a range of content demonstrating the thought leadership and expertise of Aprima’s subject matter experts including bylined articles, blog posts, press releases, and other materials.

“Aprima is one of the healthcare industry’s most-established and respected providers of IT solutions for medical practices,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola. “They have a reputation for consistently delivering innovative products and quality support, which has allowed them to build a large network of happy customers. We are excited by the opportunity to partner with the Aprima team to advance their PR goals and provide quality marketing content.”

About Aprima

Aprima provides innovative electronic health record, practice management and revenue cycle management solutions for medical practices. The Aprima EHR/PM is an integrated system built on a single database. Aprima uses a fast, flexible design that adapts automatically to a physician’s workflow and sets the benchmark for ease-of-use, speed and flexibility. Aprima is one of the few companies with an 18-year track record of success, including Certification for Meaningful Use Stage 2. Thousands of Aprima users are benefiting from improved quality of care, improved patient satisfaction, improved quality of life and an improved bottom line. Based in Carrollton, TX, Aprima performs all development, support and implementation from the U.S. To learn more about how Aprima can help your practice, please visit www.aprima.com, call us at 866-960-6890, option 7, or email us at info@aprima.com.

About Amendola Communications

Amendola Communications is an award-winning national public relations, marketing communications, social media and content marketing firm. Named one of the best information technology (IT) PR firms in the nation for times by PRSourceCode, Amendola represents some of the best-known brands and groundbreaking startups in the healthcare and HIT industries. Amendola’s seasoned team of PR and marketing pros delivers strategic guidance and effective solutions to help organizations boost their reputation and drive market share. For more information about the PR industry’s A Team, visit www.acmarketingpr.com, and follow Amendola on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Media Contact: Michelle Ronan Noteboom |512.426.2870 |mnoteboom@ACmarketingPR.com

Amendola’s PR Roadmap to HIMSS Success

Let’s face it, no matter how carefully you plan, there will still be some last minute work to get ready for HIMSS. The key is to minimize how much will be last minute! Plan to succeed by using Amendola’s suggested timeline for core PR activities before, at and after the HIMSS conference.

Four to six weeks prior to HIMSS:

  • Media Relations Prep (media coaching/messaging)
  • HIMSS Media/Analyst meeting pitching
  • Thought leadership pre-HIMSS media opportunities
  • Draft pre-HIMSS/HIMSS content

Three weeks prior to HIMSS:

  • HIMSS Media/Analyst meeting pitching
  • Ongoing thought leadership pre-HIMSS media opportunities
  • Finalize pre-HIMSS/HIMSS Content

At the show:

  • HIMSS on-site support, including media relations, social media coordination and internal event reporting

Post-HIMSS:

  • Follow-up with media/analysts
  • PR support for opportunities arising from HIMSS

 

Have questions? Contact us today!

Amendola Appoints Michelle Ronan Noteboom Senior Content and Account Director Healthcare

IT veteran is latest creative talent to join agency’s “A-Team”

Amendola Communications, a nationally-recognized, award-winning healthcare and healthcare technology public relations and marketing agency, announced today that Michelle Ronan Noteboom has joined the agency’s team of creative talent in the role of senior content and account director. Noteboom will manage and provide PR and marketing content for multiple high profile national accounts to drive brand awareness and introduce new programs, products, and services.

Noteboom spent seven years as an independent contributor for HIStalk and HIStalk Practice writing under the name of “Inga” and leading the online publication’s explosive growth in sponsorship support. She was also a freelance writer and marketing communications specialist for various healthcare IT publications and vendors, including Healthcare IT News, HL7 Standards, The Health Care Blog, healthfinch, and HCS. Previously Noteboom spent 22 years in healthcare IT sales and sales management with Misys Healthcare Systems. She holds a BA in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Texas State University.

Agency CEO, Jodi Amendola said, “We have always made it a priority to hire top talent but Michelle’s celebrity-like notoriety is a huge win. We are very excited to leverage her industry acumen, superior writing and strategic input. She will make a great addition to our team of seasoned HIT PR and marketing pros. Our clients are ecstatic.”

“I’ve long admired Jodi and her team of professionals, who are among the best in the healthcare IT industry,” said Noteboom. “While I have loved being a freelancer, I am excited for the opportunity to learn new skills and grow my expertise with the help of the talented Amendola staff, who have impressed me with their commitment to delivering outstanding content and marketing and PR services on behalf of Amendola’s prestigious client base.”

About Amendola Communications

Amendola Communications is an award-winning national public relations, marketing communications, social media and content marketing firm. Named one of the best information technology (IT) PR firms in the nation by PRSourceCode for four years running, Amendola represents some of the best-known brands and groundbreaking startups in the healthcare and healthcare IT industries. Amendola’s seasoned team of PR and marketing pros delivers strategic guidance and effective solutions to help organizations boost their reputation and drive market share. For more information about the PR industry’s “A Team”, visit www.acmarketingpr.com, and follow Amendola on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Media Contact: Jodi Amendola, CEO, Amendola Communications | jamendola@ACmarketingPR.com