Social media is the new marketing phenomenon – how LinkedIn can help your marketing efforts.

Chances are someone has already invited you to join them on “LinkedIn.com.” This may include friends, colleagues, salespeople and maybe even some people you barely know.

What should you do? You already have plenty to do – do you really need to add something else to your plate? Since we have researched LinkedIn and used it effectively, we can give you some tips.

Generally yes, you should go ahead and join LinkedIn. However, to make it productive you’ll need to consider a few things:

1.) The first step is to define your objectives. Why do this? Do you want to get or share ideas with colleagues? Do you want to position yourself as a thought leader in a given area? Are you looking for new social opportunities? Are you looking to find new opportunities through networking? Or are you simply looking for an easy, non-obtrusive way to stay in touch with people you know?

2.) Your Profile. Don’t do what most people do, i.e., simply sign up for your free account and then forget it. Plan on investing an hour to get to know the LinkedIn arena and fill out your profile. You don’t need to list everything you’ve ever done when you are getting started, but the more relevant you look to your desired target audience and objectives, the better.

3.) Strictly business. Remember that LinkedIn is business oriented. Most Internet-savvy people put their social lives on Facebook, their business lives on LinkedIn. While there are exceptions, getting too casual on LinkedIn is not a good idea.

4.) You can reach nearly anyone. LinkedIn has a reputation for being a place for salespeople, recruiters and people looking for jobs. However, you would be making a mistake if you assumed that everyone on LinkedIn falls into those categories.

You can use LinkedIn to connect with many hard-to-reach VIPs including the press, government officials and executives at leading companies.

For example, Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn’s Founder and CEO, is also one of the Internet’s leading financiers and entrepreneurs. In March, 2009, Hoffman stated on the Charlie Rose Show that he won’t “take a meeting with a prospective entrepreneur if they don’t come referred. It’s actually one of the ways I use my own personal LinkedIn profile.”

Most of what LinkedIn offers is free, but they do offer several premium accounts that will increase its utility. Once you know your way around LinkedIn you can explore these options if appropriate. LinkedIn’s most important feature is “groups.” LinkedIn offers thousands of groups that you can join, based upon your interests and background. Some are open – anyone can join – and others require approval from the group’s creator. Some of the groups I have personally joined include the American Medical Association, Association of Medical Media and the AIGA (The professional Association for Design).

You can get updates weekly (or daily if you prefer), and some groups are better than others. The good news is that you can easily opt out of the ones that waste your time. Participate in the groups you join. Contribute useful comments, forward links, share content or ideas, answer or ask questions. Over time, people will begin to notice you and reach out to you with things that will directly benefit you. Beware, however, that overt self-promotion is a faux pas.

While LinkedIn advises its users to link solely with people they know, the dividing line can become fuzzy. You really need to use discretion, because if too many people say they don’t know you, LinkedIn will suspend your account.

You may find these new groups helpful:

At this stage, your best path to learning is experiential. You’ll have to get online and sign up to really understand it. So go get an account, fill out your profile, and make sure you do a search for groups that might be relevant to your interests. If you need help setting up online profiles for social networking sites, or if you think that you could incorporate social networking into your marketing plan, but need some advice, call us at 561 596.9071 or contact us via email.

The truth is that everyone’s situation is different. But I do know that when economic anxiety goes up, some professional organizations think it’s a signal to pull down the marketing flag and quickly head for the sidelines.

What’s not well known is that your marketing-savvy competitors actually want you to be scared off the field. The better course, although counterintuitive, is to stay in the game.

It’s the secret that successful healthcare businesses don’t want you to know. Here’s why… The most productive and cost-effective marketing opportunity is when there’s little or no competition. It’s a rich opening to reach and attract the patients who are still seeking healthcare services, to protect your patient base and to build a larger market share overall.

Things to consider under a “falling sky:”

Healthcare needs are not economy-driven.
The demand for healthcare services is based mainly on personal need, and regardless of the economy there are always people who require your services. This market exists and it’s a good time to be delivering value in the community.

Marketing is communicating with the community. The healthcare business that abruptly silences its voice is totally and suddenly invisible to people in need. Marketing works best with consistency and reliability.

Be alert to new opportunity. Economic change can also mean social change. Some procedures or services may be in greater demand, so consider marketing messages that adjust your patient mix.

Maintain or increase the budget. Although cutting or eliminating the budge “feels” like you’re preserving resources, you are likely giving up more in lost revenue and opportunity. Advertisers who increase their budget in a soft economy increase their market share. And as an added bonus, media costs might be available at bargain rates. There’s a good possibility that media rates and services are negotiable.

Have and use your marketing plan. If you don’t have a marketing plan, let’s talk about creating one for you. If you have a plan, we can guide you on how adjustments can boost the results. A hard-working marketing plan is your most valuable defense if economic times are soft.

The practice that stops marketing at the sound of discouraging economic news gains nothing. Period. Assuming a “defensive” posture on the sidelines is empty silence that allows your patient base to erode.

Instead of throwing in the towel, let’s talk about ways to maintain or increase your marketing efforts. It’s an opportunity for you to stand out and capture the market share. Turn off the news, and call us today at (561) 596-9071

Direct mail
A well-optimized web site
Coupon marketing
Print advertising

But remember, there are three keys to effectively implementing this process:

1. First, you need a solid brand developed for your practice which will allow the marketing to tell the story of “Why You”. External advertising fails when you develop a “Name Recognition Ad” that just lists your services, without telling prospects what sets your practice apart.
2. Try this test: If you can remove your name from your ad and insert another physicians name and the ad works just as well for his/her practice, then you have not told potential patients anything unique to attract patients to your practice.
3. Second, all advertising should have a “Why Now” mechanism in the ad or a reason for the patient to call now. You could offer a discount with a time limit, or no-charge consultations with time limits. Even if you already offer these incentives to all patients anyway, by adding an expiration date on your offers you’ll drive more responses and customer buying behavior.

Why should I choose your practice?
What makes you different from the others?

Here is how to begin setting your practice apart from your competitors…

1) Promote your unique benefits. What brands your practice? (That is, what sets your practice apart from your competitors?) Brand your practice based on your gateways:

a. What you do well
b. There is a need
c. You like to do it

Do you have expertise in a specialized area? A caring staff? (If so, play it up. Believe me, it’s rare.) Which cases do you really enjoy? And which are most profitable? Make sure your marketing tells these specific prospects all the benefits they’ll gain by coming to you. Tell them in your brochures, your posters, on your website, and especially on the phone during inquiry calls. Make sure you and your staff are ready to answer the question, “Why you?” and you will have established your brand – what makes you different from all your competitors.

2) Offer free services that are “bite-size” tastes of your practice. This is a great way to show prospects the high level of care you offer. If you are a dermatologist, you might offer a discount on microderm abrasions, one or two free IPL sessions when the patient purchases an IPL treatment package, or 50% off on Botox or any of the injectables (Sculptra, Radiesse®, Restylane, etc.)

Physical Therapists might offer complimentary pain/sports injury consults, free pregnancy back pain consults, gift certificates toward a massage or a free round of golf (for your patients to enjoy once they’re back on their feet).

There’s a bonus, too: You can target the specific types of cases you really want.

Many of these “freebies” will turn into loyal, paying patients if they like their experience in your practice. And they will tell their family and friends about you. Offering free services can set you apart — and boost your bottom line.

3) Provide more than what people expect.  This is the basic key ingredient to great Word-of-Mouth. It’s what makes people happy and makes them think you’re special, and it’s rare. That’s why it will help set your practice apart from your less-motivated competitors.

Follow these basic guidelines and your practice will be well on the way to standing out even in the most competitive market.