Scottsdale, Ariz. March 15, 2017 Amendola Communications, an award-winning healthcare marketing and public relations agency, announced today that Zynx Health, a market leader in providing evidence- and experience-based clinical improvement solutions and part of the Hearst Network, has selected Amendola Communications as its agency of record. Amendola will provide a broad range of public relations and content services that promote Zynx Health as a pioneer and innovator in the delivery of clinical solutions that improve the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare.
“The Amendola team has impressed us with their in-depth knowledge of the healthcare IT space, as well as their commitment to going that extra mile to meet our needs, such as helping to secure a recent interview with the industry-leading blog, HIStalk,” said Kevin Daly, president of Zynx Health. “Not only has Amendola represented Zynx Health before but one of our executive management team members has worked with Amendola at two companies with stellar results. We are confident that they are the right partner to help us create excellent content and achieve our PR goals as we launch new solutions into the marketplace.”
Amendola Communications will provide broad public relations and marketing services, including media research, media and analyst relations, and the generation of 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 Zynx Health’s subject matter experts, including bylined articles, blog posts, press releases and other materials.
“Zynx is a KLAS-recognized leader in healthcare IT based on their long history of delivering evidence-based clinical decision support solutions that improve patient safety and the delivery of quality care,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications. “We’ve worked with Zynx in the past and we look forward to promoting its new leadership team as thought leaders/visionaries as the company continues to enhance and expand its portfolio of solutions that help reduce variations in clinical care, financial performance, and clinician documentation.”
Zynx Health was founded around a mission to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare. For more than 20 years, Zynx Health has empowered thousands of healthcare organizations and clinicians to align their clinical decision support, strategies, and workflows around the standardization and infusion of evidence-based vital information and experience-based best practices. Over the years, Zynx Health has earned numerous awards for its products and was recently named the 2017 KLAS Category Leader for Clinical Decision Support Order Sets.
About Zynx Health
Zynx Health, part of the Hearst Health network, provides healthcare professionals with vital information and processes that guide care decisions and reduce complexity across the entire patient journey in a way that leads to healthier lives for all. Zynx is a pioneer and market leader in evidence- and experience-based clinical solutions that help health systems improve patient outcomes, financial outcomes, clinical engagement and technology performance. With Zynx Health, healthcare organizations exceed industry demands for delivering high-quality care at lower costs under value-based reimbursement models. To learn more, visit zynxhealth.com or call 855.367.ZYNX.
About Hearst Health
The Hearst Health network includes FDB (First Databank), Zynx Health, MCG, Homecare Homebase, MedHOK, Hearst Health International, Hearst Health Ventures and the Hearst Health Innovation Lab (www.hearsthealth.com). The mission of Hearst Health is to help guide the most important care moments by delivering vital information into the hands of everyone who touches a person’s health journey. Each year in the U.S., care guidance from the Hearst Health network reaches 84 percent of discharged patients, 177 million insured individuals, 60 million home health visits, and 3.1 billion dispensed prescriptions.
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 four 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 and LinkedIn.
One of the most important questions a content marketing team can ask when charged with developing a new press release/blog post/case study/white paper/video/etc. doesn’t come from a marketing textbook or TED talk. It actually comes from the lowbrow movie “Dude, Where’s My Car?”
At one point the two not-so-bright main characters (played to perfection by Ashton Kutcher and Sean William Scott) pull up to the drive-through speaker at a Chinese restaurant to place an order. Each time Ashton Kutcher says what they want, the voice on the other end asks a simple question: “And then?” Even after he tells her they’re done ordering, which leads to a very funny scene.
When you think about it, though, there’s a lot of beauty and wisdom in that simple question for marketers. Often when there’s a new development or new idea to convey we get caught up in thinking about what’s needed immediately.
We say “we need a press release on such-and-such a topic” and we spring into action. A message is developed, subject matter experts interviewed, the release is written and revised, the pitching plan is developed and so forth until finally the release sees the light of day and maybe generates some interviews.
Yet considerably less time is spent answering the question “and then?” As in “what happens after the target audience reads the press release?”
Is there a landing page to refer them to? If so, what’s on it? If they’re really interested in the new product or service is there a way for them to gather more information about it, such as a data sheet, video, blog post, white paper or other piece of additional content to keep them interested and moving toward the narrower end of the sale funnel?
The thing to consider is that the period of active promotion around a press release, or any new piece of content for that matter, tends to last for just a few days. Then you’re on to something else. But the period after the initial release is infinite. If there isn’t somewhere else for your target audience to go, or something else for them to do after consuming the content, you’re losing opportunities.
Here are some of the content marketing best practices for ensuring you’re maximizing the value of everything you’ve worked so hard to produce.
Provide a destination
Think from the prospect’s point of view. I’ve consumed whatever content was produced. I’m intrigued by what you’re saying, although I still have questions. But I’m not quite ready to speak to a salesperson. How do I get my answers? This concept is particularly important given studies that show that 60 percent of the purchasing decision is already made before any conversations with a supplier take place.
For general topics you may just want to point prospects to the appropriate page on your website. You can do that through links embedded in the text, or with a more obvious call to action such as “For more details on”
For more significant topics such as a new product/service, you may want to create a specific landing page that offers more detailed information.
And then?
Create content in different forms
Often landing pages offer up content in one form usually more text, either on the page or offered as a download. If that’s what you’re doing you’re again limiting your own effectiveness.
Keep in mind that some people prefer to read more formal presentations of information while others like the easy accessibility of a blog post. Then there are those who like FAQs, or prefer video over any sort of reading. Having options that present the same information in different ways helps you avoid losing any part of your audience.
And then?
Use gated content
Most healthcare and health IT products/services aren’t purchased directly from a website like a retail transaction. They require interaction between the prospect and someone on your team. A good way to move that along a little faster is to use high-value, gated content such as a white paper or executive summary to entice the prospect to let you know they’re interested by giving you their contact information.
When you get to this point, of course, determining whether to provide the information is a big decision. The best thing you can do is keep the amount of information you’re asking for to a minimum. If you can limit it to the person’s name, job title, company and email address you’ll find you capture far more prospects than you will with a lengthy qualifying questionnaire.
As long as prospects believe what they’ll be getting from you is of greater value than what they’ll be giving to you, they’ll be willing to make the trade.
And then?
Incorporate lead nurturing
If you’re lucky, once they go through the gated content they’ll have a high level of interest and are ready to buy. More often than not in the real world, however, there’s still work to be done.
That’s where an email-based lead nurturing campaign comes in. (Also the reason you want to capture that email address in the first place.) Think through the sales process what messages people need to see at which points in the sales cycle in order to nudge them forward. Then develop a series of emails to provide that nudge.
One thing to keep in mind is don’t automatically start the program at communication #1. Determine as best you can, either by their messages to you or their interactions with your content, where they are and pick up from there.
It’s kind of like calling plays in football. You don’t want to try to score the touchdown on the first play every time. Work the ball down the field in increments and you’ll find it’s easier to score more consistently.
And then?
Look for holes
You may think you’ve thought of everything. But if the program is consistently breaking down at some point (meaning you’re losing prospects or sales) it’s time to determine why and fill in any gaps that lead to disengagement. There’s always something to tweak.
And then?
There really isn’t much of an “and then?” after that. You will have done all you can do.
Clearly, not every announcement or piece of content will require all these steps. But use this as a guide to determine which steps it needs.
The most important thing is to cover all the bases that need it. Otherwise you may find yourself wandering around in daze, wondering “Dude, where’s my sales?”
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., February 14, 2017Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare and healthcare IT public relations and marketing agency, is pleased to announce that it has been selected as the agency of record for Clarify Health Solutions. Amendola will utilize a broad range of public relations and content services to promote Clarify Health’s belief that real-time care guidance powered by predictive analytics can orchestrate the far better healthcare journeys that we all deserve.
“Clarify Health’s mission is to improve healthcare and make a meaningful impact through our unique real-time care traffic control system,” said Jean Drouin, MD, CEO and co-founder of Clarify Health. “We searched for an agency that would serve as a partner and foster broad awareness and industry connections. Amendola shares our ambitions and has the knowledge and experience to help us reach our goals as we grow.”
Clarify Health has built a breakthrough digital care guidance system that seamlessly integrates powerful analytics, artificial intelligence, real-time patient navigation and smart workflows. Its analytics platform currently processes over 200 million records to illuminate the care and practices of over three million patients and a million physicians. Using AI to surface actionable insights and identify issues before they occur, Clarify supports clinicians and hospitals in delivering more precise and personalized care that is also more affordable. Clarify Health brings together committed and passionate colleagues with backgrounds in big data and AI engineering from financial services together with extensive clinical operations expertise.
Amendola will work with Clarify Health to increase brand awareness and thought leadership by delivering its core value proposition to target audiences, drawing on its deep industry knowledge and significant media relationships in healthcare IT. Amendola will also be responsible for delivering a range of content demonstrating the thought leadership and expertise of Clarify Health’s subject matter experts.
“Value-based care has broad implications for the healthcare industry and creates opportunities for companies that can execute on a vision to improve healthcare delivery,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications. “Our knowledge of the healthcare IT space and proven track record of elevating clients will be instrumental in helping Clarify Health reach its PR objectives. We are excited to work with their team.”
About Clarify Health
Clarify Health Solutions believes that patients and those who care for them deserve far better care. Clarify Health works to improve the lives of patients and their caregivers by delivering an innovative real-time care guidance platform that enables more satisfying, better outcome, higher value healthcare. The Clarify Health digital platform seamlessly integrates powerful analytics, artificial intelligence, real-time patient navigation and smart workflows to proactively guide patients and their caregivers through personalized care journeys. Providers and payers receive faster, more actionable insights to deliver more delightful care. Clarify Health brings together committed and passionate colleagues with backgrounds in big data and AI engineering from financial services together with extensive clinical operations expertise. For more information, please visit http://www.clarifyhealth.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 four 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 and LinkedIn.
The Associated Press named the Cubs winning the World Series as the top sports story of 2016. Aside from the fact that Captain Obvious must have been moonlighting for the AP sports department this year, there are two critical lessons that PR strategists can take from the Cubs championship season to play winning PR.
The author (right) with his son Jeff outside Wrigley Field before Game 5 of the 2016 World Series. Cubs were down 3-1 at this point but came back to win the Series 4-3. They had a plan, and stuck to it.
Have a plan and stick to it
When Theo Epstein became President of the Cubs, he was upfront with the fans. He said he had a plan but the fans would have to be patient. He was confident it would work. For fans (like me) of a team that at the time had gone more than a century since last winning the World Series, that was a big ask.
A team built with the compass of a guiding philosophy that everyone buys into has a much greater likelihood of winning the World Series. And so it is in PR.
In the haste to generate immediate leads for the sales team, a PR plan is slapped together with lofty and often unachievable short-term goals Page 1 story in the Wall Street Journal, interviews on CNBC or Fox Business News, feature in the New York Times. But without first building the PR plan basics and getting everyone on the team to buy into the goals, those lofty aspirations will remain out of reach, especially if you are starting from a position far back in the standings of your industry.
Basically, you’re trying to hit an 8-run homer to take the lead when you are behind 7-0 in the first inning, instead of think about how to move runners from base to base within your integrated marketing plan to put (and keep the) pressure on to take the lead in your market.
Instead of swinging for the PR fences, start first by looking to hit some singles and doubles. Understand your priorities, where your fans (your prospects and customers) are, what challenges they have, what will interest them. Then build a strong content lineup that gets and keeps them circling the basepaths with you as they tap into your bench for your depth of industry knowledge as they make their purchasing decisions. That’s a proven winning PR strategy.
BUT Adjust on the fly
The Cubs went through some tough times during Theo Epstein’s early years running the club. They lost 101, 96 and 89 games his first three years, as the team looked to unload the bad attitudes, the bad contracts and the bad fundamentals that had jinxed the team for decades. They were progressing, albeit slowly, and adjusting ever so slightly on the fly only when it made sense.
Then Joe Maddon became available to manage the team. Maddon was a proven winner who worked with young players throughout his tenure in Tampa Bay, making repeat trips to the playoffs against much bigger-market teams with much larger payrolls, so the Cubs jumped at the chance to bring him in.
They also added several playoff-proven veteran pitchers, even though their plan focused initially on young hitters. The time was right to go for it all. They were winning, but they adjusted on the fly and got even better.
That’s what your PR team needs to do as well. There will be a lot of swings and plenty of misses as you look to see what scores with your prospects, but once you start making contact with the ball look to adjust the program to get even better. The unique buying personas who may be interested in your solutions may not swing at a webinar, but they may subscribe to your blog or pay attention to a particularly insightful infographic.
Then start going for extra bases with more exclusive, deeply researched thought leadership pieces placed in major healthcare industry trade publications, or white papers distributed as part of an integrated digital marketing campaign. You may want to build on your winning streak with videos or a serial ebook that takes those leads being generated and keeps them coming back for more and more compelling content.
Keep adding to your PR program based on what’s working, and don’t be afraid to trade off something that isn’t working for something new.
Extra Innings
With PR, like any sport, practice makes perfect. But along the ways, bad things can and will happen. Your executive team can lose a key player, your organization may face a communications crisis due to a disgruntled ex-employee or dissatisfied customer, or an industry analyst may criticize your solutions.
Bad things happened to the Cubs, too, late in the game against the Indians. The Cleveland team came from behind to tie the score, sending the game into the 10th inning tied.
That’s when the most disappointing player on the Cubs, Jason Heyward, stepped up during a rain delay and reminded his team how good they were, that they were ready for what happened to them. And that they could win. And they did. The World Series. In my lifetime. I can die a happy man.
By building your PR plan to be fundamentally strong, by not being afraid to try different things to see what works, by leveraging the depth of knowledge on your bench to create strong, compelling content you too can be World Champions, in PR.
Why should you write a book? Most busy tech executives have a hundred good reasons why they can’t spare the time for books. Their PR advisers may be tempted to concur since PR performance is judged largely on the quantity of placements secured. After all, why spend months writing one 80,000-word book when you could write 100 800-word articles for a variety of online publications?
Yet a book’s value exceeds that of even dozens of articles. With a book, you can dive into your topic in much more detail than you ever could with online content. Sure, it might not sell but sales aren’t the point: books are tools for establishing you and your company as thought leaders. They’re magnets for relationship building. An expert who is confident and knowledgeable enough to set her expertise in stone with a book will win instant credibility in the eyes of potential partners, clients and customers.
Books also achieve a few very important goals in PR:
Books are assets that you can share with brand advocates, customers, prospects, investors, and industry stakeholders.
Books can attract other opportunities to you and your company. Conference organizers, for instance, are much more likely to give a keynote to the author of a respected book even if it doesn’t sell well than to a book-less competitor.
A book can build trust by positioning your company as having a knowledge-based environment, rather than one focused on sales alone.
The key to making the most of a book is good promotion. At Amendola, while we don’t specialize in book promotion, we’ve learned over the years how to augment the distribution and promotion efforts of book publishers to drive PR value.
Below is a sampling of the tactics we use in helping our clients draw attention to their books and leverage them for relationship building:
Send the book to key journalists and bloggers and request a book review (ideally) as well as offering the author for an interview on the book’s topic
Pitch the author as an expert on the topic, with the book as proof of their expertise. Broadcast media love interviewing authors with new ideas.
Do a Google Hangout with the author to promote the book
Run a Tweetchat with the author leveraging a major partner hashtag to drive attendance
Turn the book chapters into a webinar series, with each chapter or section a separate webinar. Give the book away as enticement to register for the webinar.
Turn the book into blog posts: one for each chapter or section, and link to the book at the end of each post
Arm all salespeople with several hard-copy versions of the book as leave-behinds, or use book giveaways to drive a Salesforce email campaign to prospects in their territories
Hand out the book at all events where you exhibit, as well as at your end-user conference
Email the book to attendees at webinars, trade shows or seminars as a follow-up
Write a LinkedIn status update about the book and post a link to it in groups where prospects congregate.
Pull out keys facts or items of interest from the book and tweet those on Twitter with a link to the book and a popular related hashtag
Include the book in your email signature, with a link to download it for free.
If this short list helps convince you to write a book, give us a shout. We can help.