Posts in the ‘Home Care Marketing Tips’ Category
Increasing Mobility in the World of Health Care
It’s pretty simple. The world has gone mobile. Smart phones and tablets have given individuals the ability to search for services, purchase products and conduct business from wherever they happen to be. As a shining example, this 2011 holiday season saw a significant increase in online sales, and an exponential increase in sales made from mobile devices, particularly on Christmas Day. In fact, Christmas Day online sales jumped 16.4 percent from last year, likely owing a lot to tablets like the Kindle Fire, iPad, and Nook being hot items on many people’s wish lists.
According to TechCrunch.com, “Sales completed from mobile devices grew, reaching 14.4 percent versus 5.3 percent on Christmas Day 2010, representing an increase of 172.9 percent. In terms of specific mobile devices, the iPad led all mobile device traffic to retailers at 7 percent, followed by the iPhone at 6.4 percent and Android at 5 percent.”
So what does all this mobile use mean for health care? A lot, actually. Mobile technology is being used across all areas of the industry, with big names like Verizon and Sprint getting in on the game with remote patient monitoring devices. And, with customers and potential clients spending so much time on their mobile devices, it’s important for health care industry professionals to have a mobile-enabled website to increase sales and awareness of services, locations served, as well as brands.
A surprising number of businesses have still not taken the steps to make their websites mobile-friendly, so many, in fact, that Google recently sponsored an effort to encourage businesses to make sure they offer websites that work well on mobile devices. The bottom line is simple. Similar to the retail industry, increasing numbers of potential clients will be searching for their health care needs – doctors, local home care agencies, independent living aids – from mobile devices. If a company’s site is not mobile enhanced, chances are the customer will search for what they need elsewhere. (more…)
How to market home care services?
Catering to those who need home care services can be gratifying and fulfilling work; however, marketing these services may present a tough challenge for home care agency owners. Home care is an “at need” service because people do not pay attention to these services until the need arises. The key to home care marketing success is being called when the need arises.
So, how do you get people to call? You give them a reason, based on their need for information. You stay in front of them on a regular basis so they remember your agency name. Unfortunately, the needs for home care often come at unexpected times, and what home care means may not be totally understood. Be the local, approachable resource for information and be a comfort during a time of tough decisions for your audience.
As a former home care agency owner myself and a marketing expert with today’s technology, I know from working experience that growing an agency means:
- Having the right information available in a variety of online ways;
- Interacting and responding appropriately, online and directly;
- Integrating all outreach, communication efforts with online inbound efforts.
My next post will explore finding your target audience and referral sources. In the meantime, check out MOSTSM, our coveted monthly turnkey marketing communications program designed for home care agencies—so you can put my strategic marketing practices into play immediately.
Home Care, home care marketing, Homecare Marketing, homecare marketing plans, marketing strategy, monthly communications
Inbound & Outbound Marketing: A Perfect Marriage
Continuing the inbound marketing conversation, let’s talk about how to marry inbound and outbound marketing campaigns for optimum reach in today’s crowded home care market. Outbound marketing efforts, like PR, advertising, direct mail, and email campaigns are a vital part of an agency’s success. But, when combined with inbound marketing tools like blogs, social media, and search engine optimization (SEO), the two make an unstoppable pair.
Due to the advancement of mobile technology and ad screening/blocking software, businesses of all kinds are focusing more on being found online than pushing their products and services out to potential clients. Knowing your target audience can help you narrow down your focus and attract the clients that are most likely to buy what you’re selling. This blog from corecubed provides more information on how to use inbound marketing to get clients knocking at your door.
For home care agencies, regular blogging, maintaining a presence on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and optimizing websites for search engine rankings are the top ways to boost your inbound reach and ensure you can be found online.
Want a visual of how inbound and outbound marketing work together? This handy infographic should do the trick.
Click image to enlarge
Home Care, inbound marketing, inbound marketing infographic, infographic, outbound marketing, ROI, SEO, social media
Inbound Marketing as it Relates to Website Development
As promised, more on inbound marketing and how it relates to website development and overall strategy. Every day, people are seeking web-based information to learn about home care services, to vet agencies and find jobs. There’s an enormous advantage of having a marketing strategy on the web—24/7 interaction and collaboration with your audience; control of information; ability to have a presence where people are searching. Oftentimes, if an agency cannot be found online, potential clients and referrals will move on to the next provider whose information is available at the click of their mouse. So, website strategy all starts with pursuing, persuading, and keeping in touch.
When designing a website to be a successful marketing tool, be mindful of search engine optimization (SEO)—key words written into your messaging that will help your company to be found during online searches (think Google, bing, etc.). And, use your new site to build a referral base and contact list. Many agency sites use a “Contact Us” form for online visitors to fill out for referral tracking and future outreach.
A contact management process allows companies to remain in regular communication with people and helps keep the agency top of mind with emails or newsletters. However, going beyond basic contact information and asking more questions can mean the difference between just another email address and a potential referral source. When implementing a “Contact Us” page, ask referral sources for additional information such as:
- Is there a specialty service you provide that our patients might want to use?
- Do you have educational needs that one of our home care experts could fulfill?
- Is there a particular type of patient that you work with best?
- What is the most important item you look for when making a referral?
Also, create a separate section within the online contact form for direct inquiries from potential patients or family members and ask:
- Are there any physical limitations which require special assistance?
- Are there special dietary needs or restrictions?
- What is the current level of physical activity?
- Are there any special medical conditions?
And for each and every inquiry, ask:
- How did you hear about us?
Collecting answers to these simple questions will help the intake process run smoothly. Just remember to keep it brief! Check back next week for tips you won’t want to miss about marketing messaging that engages and connects with your target audience.
In the meantime, if you have questions about marketing your home care agency, I would love the opportunity to strategize to help you meet your marketing needs. Or, book me to speak at your next home care or marketing event.
home care marketing, inbound marketing, marketing strategy, website strategy
