The Most Important Messages to Get Out When Marketing a Service Line

What are the most important messages to get out to the community when marketing a service line? (Are there specific points marketers need to make sure they focus on in order to be effective? Are there things they should leave out of their message in order to be successful? Etc.)

Ahhhh, service line marketing. This is the perfect opportunity to climb the promotional pyramid. What’s the promotional pyramid, you ask?  Well let’s take a look:

Consumers move up the pyramid as they become more familiar with your organization and the services you offer – from awareness (I know who you are and what you do), to preference (I would like to use your services), to trial usage (I’ll test your offerings to see if I like you), and hopefully on the brand loyalty (I’ll stick with you for all my needs.)

Different forms of advertising help consumers move to the next level on the pyramid. Brand advertising is useful in generating awareness. Product-specific or service line advertising is beneficial in building preference and facilitating trial usage. But if brand loyalty is your goal – and who doesn’t want that – you have to make sure the customer experience is sublime. (Even a great ad campaign can’t overcome a rude receptionist or a 3 hour stint in a cold, uncomfortable waiting room.)

So now that we know how product-specific ads operate, let’s look at some of the things that can make them more effective.

Support your brand.  Product-specific ads should reflect your organization’s brand – including your brand position, promise, personality and visual identity. It is a natural inclination for product managers and department directors to want you to create separate identities for their particular services. (How many times have you heard those dreaded words – We need to brand our Cardiac Services?)  There should be a consistent thread running through all your ads and marketing materials – whether they are designed to build brand identity or grow volume for orthopedic surgery.

Keep your eye on the ball.  We’ve all been there. The chief of OB/GYN wants you to cram your ad copy with every technical reason in the book why his fertility program is the best – from a multi-disciplinary team of world-class specialists to state-of-the-art technology. (If we try really hard we might be able to fit one or two more tired bits of healthcare lingo into that verbiage.) And of course, the doc wants the photo to be a line of eight middle-aged male physicians all wearing lab coats and intelligent, humble smiles.  But what does your target audience really care about? She cares about one thing – having a beautiful, healthy baby. The take away message is to stay focused on the consumer benefit, not just the features of your program or service.

Sell your service.  Healthcare marketers are noble people. I genuinely believe that. We take pride in not only selling services, but in helping people live longer, healthier lives. But it’s not enough just to educate consumers on the importance of having a mammogram or a colonoscopy. You need to let them know why your mammography or GI service is the best option. That doesn’t mean your ad should be chock-full of healthcare jargon, but it does mean that you must offer a compelling reason why they should choose your particular hospital or medical practice for a specific service.  Perhaps your mammography unit promises to share the results on the spot. That’s a differentiator and a benefit that your customers will value.

Call them to action.  A clear response mechanism or call to action is important for two reasons:  (1) It engages your consumer – and a consumer in motion is one step closer to buying. (2) It allows you to track your results and measure the effectiveness of your advertising campaign.  So what would you like your consumer to do? The most effective product-specific ads offer two levels of response. For those consumers who are only ready to stick their proverbial toes in the water, offer a source of free information. It may be an informational kit or robust content on your Web site. But for that wonderful customer who is ready to jump right in, make sure you provide convenient means of making an appointment or securing a referral. 

One question I am often asked is should precious ad dollars be spent on brand ads or product advertising? Who says you can’t have both? A strong consumer-driven product ad that is well grounded in your brand can help support your marketing and business development efforts.

- Susan Dubuque, President

This "Ask The Experts" column was originally written for HealthLeaders magazine.