You might be one of our blog readers but not one of our newsletter readers, so as 2009 draws to a close, we thought we would provide our blog readers (and our fans) with a look back of this year’s hot topics featured in our monthly newsletter, AVID Insight.
Make it your New Year’s resolution in 2010 to subscribe to AVID Insight and see what’s in store for healthcare marketing…
Rich media was heavily discussed in 2009 and was prominently featured in our February newsletter. The story proposed the question, “why is rich media so attractive to advertisers?” This was answered by four important factors:
• Video is more effective than still images
• More people have broadband
• Rich media expands and enhances content
• Unprecedented customization
Why does rich media work?
In March we wrote a piece about Web 2.0’s emergence and if it has a future of a solid advertising and marketing strategy for businesses. The answer to this is: yes. Although tailoring Web 2.0 marketing for different industries, such as hospitals and healthcare systems, is tricky, it’s about educating and showing how Web 2.0 can work so healthcare clients can receive the most from their investment.
How does Web 2.0 work for marketing?
In April we explored three challenges of marketing – money, staff and support – and how reduced budgets, shifting expectations for staff and conflicting priorities with other internal departments for hospital and healthcare systems are becoming something difficult to do. After delving into these issues hospitals and healthcare systems are facing, we came up with some solutions:
• Money: Develop a more carefully planned and implemented strategy that integrates various types of marketing techniques and carefully developed content.
• Staff: Use third-party contractors and consultants and develop more focused Website steering committees.
• Support: Consider moving your Website to an external server
What else are hospital marketers doing to adjust to the economy?
Digital signage has been establishing itself as a rising force in electronic media and marketing. In May, we decided to write a feature story on why digital signage has become attractive to marketers. Our findings showed that digital signage is:
• Affordable
• Appealing
• Non-static
• Message Focused
• Repurposed For Multimedia Content
How are these factors influencing the growth of digital signage?
In June we contemplated the notion to when it’s appropriate for a hospital to redesign their Website and the reasoning to do such. By comparing a hospital’s Website in need of a redesign to an automobile that needs a tune-up, it was revealed that Websites, much like automobiles, show their age and should be re-examined regularly.
What are some reasons why you should redesign your hospital’s Website?
Conversions…it’s what pulls content, online video, rich media, social media and other aspects to your hospital or healthcare system’s Website together. In July we examined how to think outside of the box and to consider using keywords that are less competitive for SEO or PPC, and then to be prepared to offer conversions or a logical path of links that lead to a conversion.
Why are conversions important to your Website’s performance?
Hospitals and healthcare systems are recognizing the importance of social media marketing and are adapting it into their marketing campaigns in order to engage their patients. But, are hospitals listening to their patients and monitoring what’s being said? In our August newsletter we answered this question and more about the importance of how social media is changing healthcare.
How are hospitals and healthcare systems adapting to social media and are they properly using this type of communication?
How can Facebook be used to help support a hospital or healthcare system’s marketing goals? In September’s feature we took a look at the answer to this and other common questions relating to the benefits of using Facebook.
What are the benefits for Facebook and healthcare marketing?
In October we wrote a story on pay per click advertising, or PPC, and implementing this form of strategy to your hospital or healthcare system’s Website in a risky economy. Launching a PPC campaign can be a gamble, there are no guarantees that the investment will be returned and it could be quite pricey. However, that should not discourage you. AVID Design came up with some suggestions in starting a small-scale PPC campaign when your hospital has a low budget:
• Start with one service line
• Be prepared for losses
• Maximize your bids
• Don’t fix PPC campaigns with more money
How do you implement a healthcare PPC campaign in a difficult economy?
For November’s feature, AVID Design’s team of professionals explored and shared their opinions on how new, emerging trends and cutting-edge technologies will affect healthcare marketing? These hot trends include:
• Google Wave
• Bing
• Mobile Technology
• Social Media
• Integration and Leveraged Marketing
What will be hot for healthcare marketers in 2010?
Closing out the year, our December newsletter featured a Q&A session with Greystone.Net Senior Vice President Neal Linkon. We asked him questions that might help a hospital make the right decisions about finding the best CMS for their needs and capabilities along with other less frequently asked questions about vendor-supported content management systems.
How do you make the best decisions for your hospital’s content management system? Find out with expert Neal Linkon.
Be on the lookout in early 2010 for the January edition of AVID Insight!
Lisa Federico | Content Specialist | AVID Design
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This entry was posted
on Monday, December 21st, 2009 at 11:05 am and is filed under AVID Design, Analytics and Metrics, Industry Trends, Keywords, Link Building Strategies, Marketing, Online Video / Rich Media, Pay Per Click (PPC), SEO, SEO Tips, Tricks and Advice, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter, Web 2.0, eNewsletter.
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