Growing your telehealth business can be a constant struggle. Although the technology is improving every day and the need for your company’s services are crucial during the pandemic, demonstrating the importance of telehealth to many hospital administrators and healthcare professionals alike remains a difficult task. There are a variety of different marketing strategies you can use to grow your practice, including video campaigns and education of clients, but an underutilized method for selling telehealth today is an effective and strategic healthcare public relations campaign. Here’s a handy guide for developing and implementing a healthcare public relations strategy to help sell your telehealth business.

Let your story come first

There are many amazing uses for telehealth today. The technology is being used like never before to help areas affected by natural disasters and biological quarantines. These and other hazards make for great stories you can share with clients when you stress the importance of telehealth for their business. Understanding this will help you improve your healthcare public relations results.

It’s not enough to get your business out in front and garner excessive attention; you must also present a story, a narrative that will entice your audience and your consumers to remember, respect, and interact with your company in the long term. The story you tell can be based on fact, outcomes, or data, or related to a larger story or challenge. Your story can even demonstrate your company’s unique value impacts the healthcare industry – as long as you have content worth sharing, people will listen and respond in kind.

Find great spokespeople for healthcare public relations

Along the same lines as having a great story, make sure your company has great outward communicators. Many companies today trod out phony spokesmen who tow the corporate line and give no one information they don’t already have or simply don’t wish to hear. Consumers and the media want to hear from interesting characters and be spun an engaging, intriguing tale from top to bottom.

The best spokespeople are not only interesting, they teach their audience about the field they’re working in, through harrowing stories and education about the tech currently present in the field. Your spokespeople should be knowledgeable, articulate, and passionate, bringing awareness to your company and brand while conveying key messages. Being proactive in acquiring great spokespeople is a crucial step to formulating a winning healthcare public relations strategy and campaign. This is a critical part of your healthcare public relations strategy.

Utilize all channels

In the old days, reporters were mostly isolated, preferring their communications come through e-mail so they didn’t have to deal with the average headlines ordinary companies and days would generate. Today, however, social media lets anyone gain access to many top members of the media through platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Your company should be utilizing these channels to spread your message far and wide, garnering a following by using all of the resources at your disposal. Reporters today are looking for a story, an angel to hook more viewers and improve their own company’s brand. Healthcare is front and center because of the pandemic, so be sure to strike while the iron is hot.

Be aware of deadlines

There may be times when your company simply cannot keep up with the hustle and flow of the average workweek. Don’t be afraid to reschedule interviews or other planned healthcare public relations engagements if the workload becomes too unmanageable, as tiring your team will decrease efficiency and dig the hole deeper. Keep in mind, however, that most rescheduling can be avoided by shifting priorities and moving around other dates. Trust takes time to build and even longer to repair once shattered, so always prioritize reporters and other healthcare professionals. Just like your telehealth workers, you must find the time if the time can be found.

Submit for awards

Healthcare public relations campaigns are all about showing off to your peers and the world outside your industry. If your company qualifies for an award, it’s never a bad idea to apply, as each award you receive will generate additional clout and trust between you and your current and potential clients.

The award may also garner media attention and increase word of mouth, expanding your company’s reach and profit margins. Finally, the juries which hand out many awards in the healthcare industries are also potential clients. Putting your new product or service out there for them to see will instantly net you some fresh eyes even if you don’t win the award.

Build relationships before the pitch

In life, the saying goes, it’s not about what you know, but who you know. In the cutthroat world of healthcare public relations this saying holds absolutely true. Building a relationship with reporters will always enhance your chance of getting positive coverage and having the story be picked up to begin win. Even if your company believes it has a firm relationship with some or many reporters and media currently, there is always room for improve.

Every kind word spoken and generous deed done is another chance to build a relationship that will foster your company’s growth and lead to more pronounced media attention. Remember to stay abreast of your industry as well: always read current headlines within the healthcare industry, share and post appreciative comments on stories, and offer a token of gratitude without expecting any compensation.

Use every platform

In the modern age, everyone gets information from several different sources. Different demographics turn to different platforms to catch up on the news of the day and your company should be present in all of these to ensure maximum views and potential sales. You can repurpose existing material or create new content to shape your presence across a variety of media channels, including television, scientific literature, and the internet. Even social media, e-mail, and newsletters are great for reaching new clients and expanding into channels you never thought possible.

Measure your reach

Once you’ve taken the initiative spread the good name of your company far and wide using all available platforms and media angles, it’s time to measure your results. There are various tools you can use to track placements in publications and on social media, as well as measure the share of voice, reach, and exposure your company has garnered at any given point. You don’t need advanced analytics to tell you where and how you’re succeeding.

The simplest but sometimes most effective metric can be as easy as a coveted healthcare publication’s readership. This measurement is particularly effective when the publication caters to key decision makers and influences within the community.

Telehealth has never been more important in the modern world. Spreading the word about your telehealth company and attracting great healthcare public relations strategy is as easy as building relationships, using all available channels, and taking advantage of every opportunity presented to you.

You can read more about healthcare public relations article online or take our free courses at telehealthist.com.

One of the fastest growing trends in the business world right now is the implementation of telehealth program marketing using educational content in marketing strategies. Marketers have adopted educational content as the number two method to sell their products and services, behind only e-mail campaigns. Telehealth program marketing with educational content is a solid strategy to improve your results.

This strategy is hailed as being widely successful by most B2B content marketers but with a caveat – the strategy must be implemented appropriately to draw in and engage the correct audience. While the process is simple, there a number of tips and tricks to market your telehealth services using educational content.

Implementing the strategy

The core philosophy of educational marketing is that those partaking should not try to sell their product. Instead, they should teach. This means that substantial time and resources should be spent to help your clients go beyond the simple “what” of your product into the “how” and “why.” Educate your clients on how to use your telehealth services; there are many complex and complicated procedures which can be simplified with telehealth, tell your clients about how telehealth will save them time and money and demonstrate the technologies on a firsthand basis. 

Rather than trying to sell your services form the start, give your clients a tour – either virtual or in person – of your equipment and go through the different procedures each physician will work with on a daily basis. Demonstrating the products in real time and giving the client a solid foundation on which to learn will help sell your services by creating closeness and understanding between you and your client. Don’t be afraid to have fun with the presentation, as clients who are being entertained are far less mindful of the fact they’re being sold to.

Educating creates value

Helping your clients understand the need and operations of telehealth will do more than just sell the product. By educating your clients, you’re creating intrinsic value in their minds because you’re also solving problems they desperately need solved, creating awareness of the solution in a way which goes beyond simplistic sales strategies, and building a stronger sense of trust between the two of you.

Telehealth program marketing with educational content will create intimacy, which in turn helps clients see your products in a more detailed and thorough light. Value is created when the client believes the benefits of your service far outweigh its costs and educating them on telehealth services is a great way to get them to this point.

The customer is the spotlight

The unfortunate truth of business is that customers usually only care about themselves and their own bottom lines. This can be a painful pill to sallow when you’re marketing life-saving technology and services such as telehealth but understanding this sad truth will allow you to market your services more effectively. Telehealth program marketing with educational content makes them the center of your marketing, the prime focus of your efforts.

This strategy is great for feeding into the self-centered nature of businesses and making them feel appreciated. If they believe their needs will absolutely be taken care of, they’re more likely to buy what you’re offering. That’s where telehealth program marketing with educational content comes into consideration.

Trust and confidence

Any buyer is often skeptical when simply being sold to. There’s never a guarantee that the product they’re buying will work as marketed and many are wary of being duped into spending money on snake oil. By taking them through your process and teaching them about the benefits of your product, you’ll be putting your client’s minds at ease and helping to establish the trust and confidence necessary to seal the deal. Building a foundation of facts and proven benefits will also create emotional closeness between you and the customer, creating a feeling of safety and compatibility with your brand.

Announce your brand as a field leader

Competition is stiff in all walks of business life, and telehealth is no different. Your company will need a strategy to stand out from the crowd and prove to your clients that it knows what it’s doing. To establish a track record and show off your company’s expertise, there’s no better strategy than educational marketing. Telehealth program marketing with educational content helps establish your brand as a field leader.

Like professors speaking to an audience of eager students, your sales team should be able to answer any questions and go into depth about why your services work and how they operate on a general and technical level. The more information presented, the sharper and smarter your team will look and the more likely you are to make a sale. Telehealth program marketing with educational content will help with that.

Lead qualification

Sometimes a deal won’t close simply because the customer is unsure of what your business does and how it operates. They may be interested, and you may be doing all you can to sell them on your services, but there’s a last gap of confusion that’s impeding the deal from being done. This confusion should be all but eliminated by telehealth program marketing with educational content.

By giving a thorough presentation and ensuring your client knows what your business does and how it operates, the clients should be firm in their decision to either buy your services or pass. Either way, they’ll be confident in their answer and you’ll know for certain that they are or are not a safe bet as repeat customers.

Brand awareness and traffic

Educating your client can mean more than just telling them about your services. Your educational session should be brand-inclusive, espousing the values and trajectory of your company. Expanding your client’s knowledge includes educating them on what kind of a company you are and what your employees strive for every day. Taking them through your telehealth services is important, but this is an opportunity to sell your brand’s commitment to quality and customer service as well as your physical equipment and time-saving services. Educating potential clients online is also a great way to enhance SEO capabilities and drive more traffic to your site.

Keep your focus on the future

Educational strategies are not just short-term sales pitches. If done properly, these strategies can be investments in the future of your company, as clients will become more interested in your field and want to follow along, to various degrees, in your company’s journey. In an exciting, emerging, and technologically-driven field like telehealth, it’s easy for clients to become fascinated with the future and want to keep up with new trends and technologies, aspects of the field your company will be on top of and can offer clients as they’re developed. Educating your client once is an opportunity to educate them again, selling another service or piece of equipment every time they learn from your company.

Final thoughts on telehealth program marketing with educational content

Telehealth can be a difficult service to sell directly. However, you should marketing your telehealth prgraom with educational content to excite your clients and make them eager to buy and use your new and exciting services. You can always research more online or take free courses at Telehealthist.com.

Consumer trends have changed drastically in the age of the internet. Customers have more access to information than ever before; they conduct their own research before they buy now, reading product reviews and garnering recommendations to make a smart, savvy decision before pulling the trigger on a product or service. This is where developing an online community for your telehealth practice is beneficial.

Businesses are learning to adapt to these trends, studying their consumers’ behaviors at a rapid pace. In fact, 45% of business buyers spent more time and resources researching purchases than they had the previous year. In this climate, the more platforms a business uses to launch one of their products, the more likely they are to see sales increase and the quicker their business will expand over the course of a year. B2B communities exist on services such as G2 Crowd and GetApp, but what’s the process to start using apps like these to grow your online business?

The preliminary question

The first step you should take before trying to grow your telehealth business online is figuring out if you should pay for a membership in an online community for your telehealth practice or utilize a free social media platform to garner attention and customers. It’s tempting to see social media as the correct choice simply because it’s free to use and participate in but there are many other factors to consider. 

Firstly, those who use social media generally have very little in common besides their loyalty to the platform. An online community for your telehealth practice, however, revolves around one specific topic and all your company has to do is focus the community’s members around the issue and drive conversation. Utilizing an online community for your telehealth practice will allow you to build your brand identity, speaking more quickly and easily to those who are already interested in your telehealth company and are currently seeking answers to commonly asked questions. 

However, free social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter also come with their audiences built in. Once you find the correct audience for your business on these sites, the platforms themselves have already done substantial legwork to ensure you can set up engaging communication avenues and interact with them in a meaningful, fulfilling way. One downside to free platforms though is that your community is not entirely “yours.” That is, the audience is more beholden to the search algorithms of the platforms and less to your specific content, meaning right when you’ve achieved a captive audience, you could lose them in an instant. 

Having an online community for your telehealth practice offers their own set of pros and cons. “Community forums” are online platforms, much like Facebook and Twitter, which are owned directly by your telehealth brand and can be controlled with ease. These offer flexibility and greater communication but also requires more upkeep and content generation. Blogs and forums within your website are great examples of “community forums.” The downside to these communities is their resource and time commitment. Unlike an established free platform, you’ll be starting from scratch when building your user base. You must both attract customers and get them to engage with your brand and each other for an extended period of time and in the same place more or less. 

However, with these hassles comes a greater degree of control on the platform. Your company is the master of the site and has almost no direct competition, commanding their users’ attention and assured in the fact that every user on the site is there for the brand and deep conversation. Brand-owned community forms also allow for greater analytics and have other features which tell you exactly what users are looking for and why they’ve chosen your business over a competitor’s.

Here’s a typical process for developing your online community for your telehealth practice:

Choose a forum for the online community for your telehealth practice

Once you’ve chosen the platform that fits best with your business and your customers, you’ll need to choose the type of forum you’ll be using to interact with your userbase. There are two different types of forums, one which revolves around shared interests and another which is more informational in nature. 

Shared interest forums are self-explanatory; your forum will unite many different types of people from different backgrounds who all share an interest in your chosen telehealth business. These people can collaborate and share their own stories with each other. Informational forums are available for members to share stories and content related to your product. Choosing which type of forum you want for your users will set the tone for you community and can determine engagement and satisfaction.

Develop a launch framework

The “launch framework” of an online community for your telehealth practice is like a mission statement. You should know why you want to launch this community – specifically – so you can create a more focused, engaged userbase from the start. 

There are a number of questions you need to ask yourself before the official launch of your community, questions such as: is there a certain problem you wish to solve with this community? Do you want to increase demand for you product? Decrease costs related to customer support? Increase collaboration? Identify and mobilize influencers and advocates? Knowing the answer to these questions will help you establish a more complete list of goals you want to achieve from the very first minute of the launch day.

Identify key internal stakeholders

Once you’ve formulated a need and strategy for launching the online community for your telehealth practice, it’s important to identify and understand who your company’s stakeholders are. These stakeholders should be placed into one of three separate categories:

1. Those who will be managing the online community for your telehealth practice.

2. Those who will be impacted by and engaging with the community.

3. Upper management.

Identifying and categorizing your stakeholders is a good way to delegate responsibilities and maintain a stable hold on the community without too many diverse opinions by those in charge. Online forums can sometimes become chaotic and it’s important to know who in your company will do what to either extinguish the flames or get the community refocused in times of turbulence. Taking care of this before the community launch can save tons of time and headaches down the road.

Set up the online community for your telehealth practice

You’re nearly at the stage where you can launch your community, but there are some minor, preliminary factors which must be accounted for first. The primary goal in this step is to ensure your team is comfortable with the software you’ll be using and can navigate the site cleanly and efficiently. Once this is taken care of, you can move on to other decisions such as:

• Keeping your community pre-launch private.
• Setting up a view of recent discussions in the “homepage.”
• Creating your initial categories.
• Reviewing your sign-up process for new members.
• Assigning all permissions for staff members to ensure administrative ease.
• Enabling and disable features you feel comfortable with and not.
• Setting up gamification.
• Implementing your theme.
• Ensuring spam filters are in place.
• Setting up outgoing e-mail.
• Testing your site ahead of the official soft launch.

These may seem many steps to complete, but they’re simple and mostly user-friendly. Many companies can knock out this list in well under a week and once they’re finished, it’s time for the fun to begin.

Enhance the community for a soft launch

The purpose of any “soft launch” is to give your business and team a chance to work out any kinks in the system before the official launch of your website. Don’t be afraid to experiment and completely embrace the community’s users who are signing up for your community before the official launch. The soft launch phase is crucial for communicating with your community, gathering all of the feedback you can and responding to users’ questions and concerns with maximum efficiency. 

The smoother your site before the official launch, the more users you’ll attract, as no one likes a platform that seems amateurish or constructed as if their time and effort is not respected. For an even smoother transition into your external soft launch, consider hosting an internal soft launch first. Allow your employees to use the website and begin the feedback process; this is a great time to fix any large errors or bugs within the system in anticipation of pickier, more detail-oriented users from the general population.

Once your soft launch is over, it’s time to launch your community forum for real. Sit back and watch those interested in the telehealth process flood in, swapping stories and experiences they’ve had within the community and building excitement for the future of this technologically driven field.

There are other articles online but you can also take free courses at Telehealthist.com.