by Marcia Rhodes | Jul 7, 2016 | Blog
Over the last couple of years there has been a significant shift in the way consumers approach healthcare. Rather than viewing it as something to consider when they are sick or injured, more and more they are taking control of their own healthcare choices and focusing on wellness as well. Smartphone apps and watches (or watch-like devices) continue to grow in popularity, raising consumer awareness about their health in general. Changes in insurance are also driving healthcare consumers to look at healthcare differently. A majority (74%) of U.S. workers now face a waiting period before employer provided health insurance coverage is available. Waiting periods are a specified length of time “usually two months” after beginning employment before employees are eligible to enroll in health benefits. Higher co-pays and deductibles also have consumers looking for less expensive alternatives.
These factors have led to the explosive growth of retail healthcare over the past few years. This phenomenon has manifested itself in many forms, including chiropractic clinics, urgent care centers, walk-in medical clinics, as well as facilities that specialize in dialysis, infusions, mammograms, MRIs, neurofeedback and other consumer-focused services.
The consumerization of healthcare means more and more providers are marketing and selling their services directly to consumers. Many choose to bypass insurance companies and accept only cash payments to keep costs down as well as make it easier for the public to do business with them. But without the name of a big hospital or health system behind you, how do you build credibility with your target audience?
Here are 5 tips:
- Comply with FTC Rules and Regulations
You may truly believe that your product or service can fix a whole host of maladies, but the FTC has strict guidelines on truth in advertising and marketing. Don’t claim a cure-all. For instance, if you are a chiropractor, refrain from stating that spinal adjustments can cure obesity or infertility. It’s safer to say that a healthy spine protects the central nervous system which then enables the body to heal itself. Comply with FTC rules for health and fitness marketing; never, ever make product claims without competent and reliable evidence to back them up.
- Use Plain Language Not Medical Jargon
Few consumers know what “subluxation” means, but most will understand what you mean if you simply say “misalignment of the spine.” Instead of MTBI which stands for mild traumatic brain injury, say “post concussion symptoms.” Do your homework: a quick SEO search may reveal that consumers search online for chiropractors using the key words “back pain” and not “spinal alignments.”
- Be Specific
If you run a cash-only healthcare business, be sure your web site states that you take cash, credit and FSA debit cards. Consumers tend to take things at face value so if you only mention cash, they will mistakenly assume you don’t take credit or debit cards. Make it easy to find your business hours, and include a map that shows your location. If your office is near a well-known local landmark include that in the description as well. If you only offer a certain subset of normal services associated with your area of healthcare, be sure that is spelled out as well so consumers aren’t disappointed when they can’t get what they need.
- Designate a Clinical Spokesperson
In cases where the healthcare business owner is not a licensed medical professional, it’s best to reserve him/her for media interviews about the business. For consumer media it’s better to have a licensed professional as your spokesperson. Consumers care more about who will be providing their care than who is operating the clinic. This is especially important in “PC States” or Professional Corporation states and SMO (Service Management Organization) states where the corporate practice of medicine is banned and only licensed healthcare professionals are allowed to own a clinic.
- Think Hyper-Local
Everyone wants to be in the Wall Street Journal but articles placed in the local and hyperlocal press tend to be more effective for patient recruitment. After all, consumers prefer to get healthcare within a 5 mile radius of where they live or work.
Announce clinic openings in the local community by reaching out not just to business and healthcare journalists, but also lifestyle, wellness and even real estate reporters. Create a campaign where you give back to the community. For example, The Joint Chiropractic invites firefighters and police to walk in for a free adjustment during First Responders Week around September 11 each year. Virgin Pulse organizes National Employee Wellbeing Month in June to raise awareness of the importance of workplace health and wellness. Amendola Communications retail/consumer healthcare experience includes managing PR programs for The Joint Chiropractic, Dermacare and Scottsdale Weight Loss Center, to name a few. To request a meeting or a capabilities overview, please complete this brief form.
by Matt Schlossberg | May 27, 2016 | Blog
Contributing a bylined article in a print or online healthcare publication is one of the best ways to up your PR/marketing game by building your organization’s reputation as a credible information source and bringing attention to your capabilities as a solutions provider.
Here’s what the research tells us:
- Earned media is the most trusted form of advertising. (Nielsen, 2013.)
- Lead-generation driven by earned media outperforms lead generation driven by paid media by 10-15%. (Conductor, 2014.)
- 70% of consumers want to learn about products through content, rather than traditional advertisements. (Inc., 2015.)
In addition to its stellar performance against traditional marketing and advertising tactics, earned media bylines have the potential to enhance every facet of your current PR and marketing efforts.
Think of vendor-neutral, solutions-agnostic bylines as the stock base of a really great soup or stew. Home cooks and professional chefs use these flavorful stock compounds to enhance countless dishes. Similarly, contributed articles can refitted to enhance any number of PR and marketing vehicles, including social media and blog posts, white papers, and case studies. Positive coverage that earned contributions garner can also be a stepping stone to encouraging existing customers to participate in media interviews or as co-authors on future articles.
They can also serve as key collateral for your organization’s sales team. IGD Enterprise notes that 74% of technology influencers and decision-makers turn first to third-party content sites for information on vendors and solutions in order to develop RPFs or RFIs. A glossy reprint or simple PDF of a contributed article is a great for prospects seeking additional information and validation on your solutions and services.
Producing regular bylines will help you build lasting relationships with editors and the audience their publications reach. I helped a client develop an editorial calendar that included topics and targeted publications. After three or four placements, we found that we no longer had to solicit editors they were coming to us.
Whether you are penning listicles, high-level thought leader pieces, or granular articles in the style of long-form journalism, earned media contributions are proven, long-lived, and essential components in any PR/Marketing toolbox.
by admin | May 25, 2016 | News
Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare and healthcare technology public relations and marketing agency, announced that Tara Stultz has joined the agency in the role of senior content and account director. Stultz will develop and create PR and marketing content and manage accounts for multiple healthcare technology-focused clients to drive brand awareness and introduce new programs, products, and services.
Stultz has more than 20 years of healthcare content, marketing and PR experience, including technology, business of medicine and numerous clinical specialty areas. She has worked closely with healthcare IT, managed care, medical device and pharmaceutical companies, major health systems, medical societies and others.
Before joining the Amendola team, Tara ran a healthcare communications firm. Previously, as executive editorial director of the Healthcare Group at Advanstar Communications, she co-launched a content marketing division focused on integrated multimedia programs. She also served as editor/editorial director of several national healthcare publications and websites. Under Tara’s leadership, these titles consistently earned top readership rankings and won numerous national editorial awards.
Stultz is a recipient of the Healthcare Businesswomen Association’s “Rising Star” award. Her writing has earned the American Business Media’s Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honor in the field of specialized journalism.
“I was familiar with Tara’s work at Medical Economics and Managed Healthcare Executive and knew she would make an immediate impact to our PR and marketing programs,” said agency CEO Jodi Amendola. “I could not have imagined how truly talented she is. From day one, our clients have been raving. She knows the industry and provides superior strategic guidance and content. She is a welcomed addition.”
Stultz first connected with members of the Amendola Communications team when she served in editorial leadership roles at well-known trade publications such as Medical Economics and Managed Healthcare Executive. “I soon grew to know them as the very best in the marketing and PR business when it comes to positioning clients as thought leaders and increasing awareness of their brands,” she said. “Later, when I transitioned to a career in marketing and PR, I continued to admire Amendola’s work “and now I’m lucky enough to be a part of this talented team.”
Stultz received her bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
To download Tara’s photo, click 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 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 | 480.664-8412 | jamendola@ACmarketingPR.com
by admin | May 12, 2016 | News
Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized and award-winning public relations, content creation and marketing firm specializing in healthcare and health information technology, announced that HGS Colibrium Inc. has expanded its content and social media programs. The Atlanta-based company is a subsidiary of Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS), which is also an Amendola client public relations client.
Colibrium’s expanded partnership with Amendola was based in part by the creation of a significant internal feedback report. Amendola interviewed more than a dozen of the company’s employees and payer clients. The interviews covered the lifecycle of the Colibrium experience, including identifying health plans” pain points and business needs; the RFP process, demos, and tipping points; marketing and sales efforts; implementation, including transition from sales staff to stand-up; and, when available, metrics and return on investment. The information gleaned from the interviews informed the design of the company’s website and critical components of its marketing, branding, and communications strategy.
Amendola will continue to support that strategy with the ongoing development of case studies, infographics, white papers, press releases, eBlasts, social media as well as bylined articles and media interviews.
“We knew it was essential to retain a health IT-focused public relations firm to help us gain a share of voice in a very noisy marketplace,” said Mark Poling, CEO of Colibrium. “I know that Colibrium, our clients, and our thought leaders are well-represented in the marketplace with Amendola as an extension of our team. They will expertly showcase the tremendous value we bring to the health plan community.”
Colibrium’s Tuo platform solutions are designed to provide health plans with both turn-key and modular solutions, as well as market segmentation and comprehensive functionality across the entire health insurance enterprise.
HGS has also experienced tremendous success with Amendola, enjoying an aggressive earned media program that includes interviews with key thought leadership and bylines in critical healthcare payer publications. Amendola works closely with HGS social media and blogging team to coordinate publishing efforts, ensuring maximum exposure of HGS payer and provider services in the U.S healthcare market.
For example, Amendola authored a blog based on a byline the PR firm earned for the company, and it ranked among the most popular in blog’s history with nearly 1,000 views.
The AC team provides ongoing strategic counsel on market developments and messaging to support media relations, speaker and award initiatives, and support for HGS social media team.
“We value our partnership with Amendola,” said Andrew Kokes, Chief Marketing Officer for HGS. “Brands are built on what people are saying about you, not what you’re saying about yourself. The Amendola team has already elevated many of our key thought leaders through earned media placements, and have helped us foster critical relationships within the healthcare industry.”
Based in Lisle, IL, HGS is a global leader in business process management and provides end-to-end innovations for all facets of provider and payer lifecycle management. As a client partner of five of the top 10 U.S. healthcare payers, multi-state health systems, and large provider groups, HGS brings transformational care management to revenue cycle management, lifecycle management, claims benefits management, and medical cost management.
“Amendola Communications is a natural fit for innovative companies like HGS and Colibrium, and we are excited to tell their stories,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications. “Health insurance reform has been a game-changer in our industry, and our in-depth knowledge of the highly competitive payer marketplace will help position both companies for success now and in the future.”
View a video testimonial from HGS here: https://youtu.be/9zqs_kKIMVg.
About HGS
HGS is a leader in optimizing the customer experience and helping our clients to become more competitive. HGS provides a full suite of business process management services from marketing and digital enablement services, consumer interaction services to platform enabling back office business services. By applying analytics and interaction transformation design to deliver innovation and thought leadership, HGS increases revenue, improves operating efficiency and helps to retain valuable customers. HGS expertise spans the telecommunications and media, healthcare, insurance, banking, consumer electronics and technology, retail, consumer packaged goods industries, as well as the public sector. HGS operates on a global landscape with 29,000+ employees in 60 worldwide locations delivering localized solutions. HGS, part of the multi-billion dollar Hinduja Group, has over four decades of experience working with some of the world’s most recognized brands. For more information, please visit www.hgshealthcare.com.
About HGS Colibrium, Inc.
Founded in 2005, Colibrium, an HGS Company, delivers integrated software solutions designed specifically for the health insurance industry. Colibrium’s award-winning Tuo software empowers health plans with a best-in-class private exchange solution to enroll, engage, and retain members in individual, group and Medicare markets. Colibrium’s pre-configured Tuo 360, their CRM overlay built specifically for Salesforce and Dynamics platforms, enables health plans to gain a 360 degree view of their members to improve marketing effectiveness, customer service and member engagement. For the past two years, Colibrium has earned industry recognition including Microsoft Dynamics Partner of the Year for Health Plans and a recent listing in Hype Cycle for Healthcare Payers report from industry analyst Gartner. For more information about Colibrium or view recent case studies and client results visit www.colibrium.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 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: Â Matt Schlossberg | 630-935-9136 |mschlossberg@ACmarketingPR.com
