Ai Healthcare Marketing

Category: Ask An Expert

  • We want more reviews but how do we ask for them?

    We want more reviews but how do we ask for them?

    Great question! I think most people find it difficult or at the very least, uncomfortable, to ask for reviews. I think it’s even harder for those in healthcare.

    Most businesses today are asking for reviews one way or another. They have links on their websites and social media pages. They use review generation platforms and send emails or texts. Automation is great and it should be part of your overall reputation management strategy. But the number one way to get a review is still to … ask in person!

    Technology will never take the place of the human connection that comes when you look someone in the eye and tell them their opinion matters to you. That’s the advantage those in healthcare have over businesses that ship a product and never see their customer face-to-face.

    But I feel weird asking…

    I get that! I think it’s important to understand why it feels weird to ask. It’s much easier to ask someone to review something tangible like a beauty product or power tool than asking them to give their honest feedback about the “care” you provided.

    Why? Because products either work for someone or they don’t. It’s pretty black and white. But how someone feels about the care you provided is more of a gray space; an intangible. The client’s honest answer will be far more subjective than “it worked great, my skin has never looked better” or “it didn’t have nearly enough power for the job I was doing.” I think this is why so many healthcare providers really struggle when asking for reviews.

    Like me - yes or no

    It’s intimidating and scary because it feels a little bit like passing a note to your third-grade crush, right?

    In our modern “one on every corner” ever-growing competitive landscape, healthcare has evolved into a service industry. People “like” or “don’t like” service and everyone wants to be liked! It’s the human condition.

    It’s ok…they expect you to ask

    For many years hotels and restaurants have been asking us what we thought of their service. We expect to get the “How was your visit” form when we check out or pay our bill. Asking a patient about your service is the same thing. It is becoming the norm. The general public understands that online reputation is important. Reviews are important to them too.

    88% have been influenced by an online customer service review when making a buying decision.

    And you could neglect to tell them where to leave a review for you and if they aren’t happy…they’ll find a way right?

    45% share bad customer service experiences and 30% share good customer service experiences via social media. {source}

    Again, human nature drives unhappy people to complain while happy people will stay silent…until you ask!

    I think overcoming the fear or awkwardness in asking for reviews happens when you change your mindset. And when you help, your team does the same. Don’t see it as “how many reviews can we get”, look at it as we want every client to know that their happiness is our priority. Think “how well are we serving our clients?” instead of “we need more reviews”.

    Let it be natural…

    In healthcare especially, people are looking for someone they can trust to genuinely care about them. Tell them you do. And then ask them what they think. Using an open-ended question will give you the greatest opportunity to get meaningful feedback.

    “My team and I genuinely care about our client’s happiness. What do you think of our service?”

    Let them tell you how they feel. Show them you are open to their feedback. Thank them if they share with you. Some will and some won’t and that’s ok. You have laid the foundation and communicated to them that their opinion matters. That will make the follow-up question easier…

    “I am so glad you’re happy. Sharing your experience will help others choose us. You can help give them a sense of our service. We’d so appreciate a review from you. Would you do that for us?”  

    Whatever you say, let it be natural! Like you’re asking a friend … “hey what did you think of that new burger place?”.

    Timing is everything…

    It will be much easier to ask your client for their review when you pick the right time to ask.

    • First, make sure you’ve communicated that you truly care about what they have to say
    • Train yourself and your team to look for opportunities to work the request into normal conversation
    • Be looking for signs that they are happy with your service – strike while the iron’s hot!
    • Choose a time when they aren’t rushed to answer and you have time to listen

    If you need a boost…review them first!

    Plant review seeds while they are in your office by providing them feedback first. Something like…

    “You are a great client. I appreciate your loyalty and you always have great stories to tell me.”

    “I love having you as a client. You’re a great person to be around.”

    “I’d love to have more clients like you.”

    OR…

    “If we could review clients on Google. I’d give you 5 stars!”

    See what I did there? #BOOM

    Look for opportunities to genuinely compliment them. It makes it a lot easier to ask them if they like you when you’ve told them you like them first!

    Already part of the Ai Healthcare Marketing Realty family but curious about how we can help you generate more online reviews. New to Ai Healthcare Marketing and want to know how we can help with your overall marketing strategy? CALL 800.405.1434 NOW! We’ll help you get started before you can say “I give them five stars!!” 

  • I am a start-up and I’m investing in marketing to gain new customers. What can I do to build customer loyalty?

    I am a start-up and I’m investing in marketing to gain new customers. What can I do to build customer loyalty?

    This is such a great question.  I love customer service, that’s why I do what I do. I think hiring the right team is the first thing to focus on when trying to build customer loyalty.  

    I have spoken to many clients who say they hired a staff member because they have a certain skill. Obviously, their ability to do the necessary tasks is important. However, finding a team, particularly your front-line staff, that are truly passionate about providing excellent customer support is critical. I like the quote that says, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Your customers will notice immediately when the person helping them truly cares. Especially in the healthcare industry, people are looking for someone who really does care about them. When they find that, it stands out to them and they return.

    YOU WANT CUSTOMER ADVOCATES…

    I can’t stress that enough to my clients how important it is for their team to answer the phone with a smile. Hearing a pleasant and friendly voice answer the phone is the foundation for building relationships with your customers. You want a team that gives your customers a warm, genuine welcome and makes them feel valued.  Customers want to feel like your office has enough time to help them. Making sure you have enough staff to do that well is important too. You want a team that is motivated to solve problems. Customers don’t expect your team to have all the answers, but they do want to know they will work hard to get the answers.

    Everyone is busy and customers want to be able to relax and know that you’re taking care of their needs so constant communication is really important. You want a team that will follow through, letting the customer know the progress of their concern or just reminding them you’re there for them. Customers want to know you are paying attention and understand them. You want a team that is relatable and easy to talk to.  A team that can make everyone feel they are honestly happy to help them. It makes all the difference to a customer.

    IMPORTANT CONNECTION: CUSTOMER ACQUISITION TO CUSTOMER RETENTION

    Hiring the right team is essential from a branding perspective too. The customer experience should always match the overall message of your brand. For example, if your website says “caring staff” or “latest technology” you must make sure that’s exactly what they are getting when they walk in the door. People are used to being “sold” stuff and not getting what they thought they were getting.

    That’s why we spend so much time getting to know our clients.  It’s the only way we can make sure we help brand their business on key points that reflect the experience the customer will have when they visit. We like to say, “the customer’s inside experience should always match the outside message.”

    INSIGHTFUL CUSTOMER RETENTION STRATEGIES

    patient retention strategy

    As a business owner, it’s hard to know how your team is consistently handling your customers. For example, are calls to your office being handled with the exceptional service you want them to receive? The call monitoring service we provide helps answer that question for you. We can help identify areas where your team could benefit from additional training and coaching. We can help them learn different techniques to better engage with the customer and master the skill of converting an inquiry into a customer.

    It boils down to what the customer thinks and feels about their experience with your business. They say the customer’s perspective is your reality. Getting feedback from them is essential. We have the Review Generation program that makes it easy for your customers to share what they thought of your service. Asking your customers what they think communicates to them that their opinion matters to you; they know you care.

    For your team, getting positive feedback from your customers is encouraging. Those reviews are posted online which also builds a stronger brand for you and helps new customers get a sense of your service. And if for some reason a customer isn’t happy, finding out how to correct the situation improves your service in the long run.

    OUTDO YOUR COMPETITION

    At the end of the day, you must be intentional about your customer loyalty strategies. Write down your overall customer service and retention program.  Set loyalty benchmarks, pay attention to the details and always be evaluating what’s working for your specific customer base. Pick a team of customer advocates, make sure they have a passion for service. Providing exceptional customer service is what can and will set you apart from your competition.

    Already part of the Ai Healthcare Marketing family but not signed up for our review generation services? Need help developing your Customer Loyalty Program? CALL NOW! We’ll help you get started before you can say “I love my customers!!” 

    Not a client yet? Interested in learning more about working with us? Have questions for one of our marketing experts? Call 800.405.1434 today! We have the marketing expertise you need to grow your business.

  • Is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) worth the ongoing investment?

    Is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) worth the ongoing investment?

    Search Engine Optimization is a critical component to the success of any digital marketing campaign. If you aren’t evolving and optimizing with Google’s changes, then you will be a small needle, in a constantly growing and changing haystack.

    Search Engine Optimization is a highly competitive, ever-changing landscape. In order to quickly adapt to the latest Google changes, you must have a high level of technical proficiency to ensure that your website is not negatively impacted from Google’s updated algorithms.

    Can you help me understand SEO better?

    Personally, I love to educate clients and help them understand the highly confusing, and constantly volatile entity that is Search Engine Optimization. However, it is important to understand that SEO is an extremely technical profession. You could spend your time learning what terms like canonicalization, Meta Descriptions, and SCHEMA stand for, or you could devote that time to growing your business. When you allow experienced marketing professionals with decades of experience to optimize your website and digital presence, you are capitalizing on your marketing investment, and producing the best ROI of your time and money.

    Google’s main mission is to provide their users with the highest quality information, that will answer their questions as quickly and accurately as possible. There are millions and millions of websites on the internet, that Google can serve to their users.  Your opportunity to climb the ranks comes by utilizing SEO, high-quality content, and a highly optimized, fine-tuned website designed to turn your visitors into customers. Performing SEO shows not only Google, but your visitors as well that you are an expert in your field, and that you have the accurate, high-quality solutions to their problem.

    Aggressive SEO Campaigns tailored around building high-quality content through blog posts and press releases will increase your presence in Google significantly, as well as give your website the boost it needs to climb to the top.  The more SEO strategies that you employ, the more Google can understand the intent behind your business and your website. The better that Google understands your mission, and the purpose behind your business, the higher your chances are of Google turning to your website for the best answers.

    How do I increase my chances of being found?

    Google search screen

    A website that delivers a great experience to your customer and offers high-quality solutions to a consumer’s questions is going to be your ticket to success. Creating high-quality content that engages your visitors and is friendly to both search engines and consumers is the #1 ranking factor. You may be producing content, however, if your competitor is producing more content each month such as doubling the number of blogs you post each month and doing press releases, you will fall behind because they are employing more SEO strategies and producing more content for Google to index and rank.

    You significantly increase your chances of ranking by employing SEO strategies such as Backlink Acquisition campaigns, Press Release campaigns, and Hyperlocal SEO Blog campaigns. Engaging in an SEO campaign while utilizing some or all of these strategies will stack the odds in your favor as time goes on to significantly increase your presence in Google. The result of this is that it will further increase the number of visitors on your website that will convert into customers.

    Why does the cost of SEO vary?

    In the world of SEO, and business in general, there is a golden rule: The quality of the service that you pay for directly correlates with the amount that you invest in it. Enlisting the assistance of a marketing agency with more aggressive and comprehensive SEO campaigns will cost you more, however, as time goes on, you will see an increase in website traffic as well as higher rankings for your website, and in turn more conversions from visitors to customers. You could decide to go with a cheaper SEO agency, however, often these agencies employ Black Hat Tactics (spammy tactics that Google will penalize your website for) in order to obtain temporary rankings for a few months. This will end up hurting your website in the long run and costing you more money.

    Remember, the quality of your services will depend on the amount you are willing to invest in the future of your business. Isn’t it better to invest in your future now, and build a solid foundation for success for all your future marketing endeavors?

    Already part of the Ai Healthcare Marketing family but not enrolled in our SEO program? CALL NOW! We’ll help you get started before you can say “Search Engine Optimization!!” 

    Not a client yet? Interested in learning more about working with us? Have questions for one of our marketing experts? Call 800.405.1434 today! We have the marketing expertise you need to grow your business.

  • Photo Release Consent Form? That’s so formal! It’s just a silly picture of my neighbor doing yoga. Is that really necessary for a simple little post?

    Photo Release Consent Form? That’s so formal! It’s just a silly picture of my neighbor doing yoga. Is that really necessary for a simple little post?

    The short answer, yes.

    The image you are using may seem insignificant. In fact, you may even be related to the person in the photos. But bottom line, it’s absolutely not worth risking your business for a simple signature.

    PATIENTS AND CLIENTS

    I hear this often from our clients, “We just snapped a quick picture for fun!” or “It’s our favorite patient. They don’t mind.” I completely understand. It can feel awkward and formal to ask someone to sign a Photo Release for a quick social media post, especially someone you know really well. But it’s like a rubber band or a match, they seem small until you need one.

    With the growth of social media use in the healthcare arena, it’s important to remember that HIPAA law prohibits the sharing of health-related “individually identifiable” information. So the “Happy Birthday to our favorite patient Betty!” would definitely fall into the “individually identifiable” category and would constitute a HIPAA violation. One that could cost your business anywhere from $50,000 to $1.5 million!

    HIPAA aside, there is something legally known as “the right of publicity” which prohibits the use of a person’s image to be used for endorsement of a product or service without their written consent.

    TEAM MEMBERS

    I understand that Sally has worked for you forever and her photo has been on your website for all of those wonderful years. Unfortunately though, you never know when it will be time for Sally to say goodbye. It is important that every team member give written consent to use their images across all forms of digital and non-digital marketing platforms to protect you from any legal ramifications upon termination; even if it was friendly.

    “Do you have one we can use?”

    Yes, we do. We have a standard Photo/Model Release template that we are happy to provide to our clients. But we are marketers, not attorneys. We recommend that you have your personal legal counsel review the document to ensure that your particular situation is addressed and you are protected.

    And we recommend you have everyone sign it. It doesn’t matter how you know them, if they are the main subject of your photo or in the background, or how many times you will use their image, get the signature! It’s not awkward when you ask everyone and tell them they’re a model!

    Already part of the Ai Healthcare Marketing family and need your $1,500,000 savings form (a.k.a. Model Release)? CALL NOW and we’ll get that to you before you can say “1 – 2 -3 Smile!” 

    Not a client yet? Interested in learning more about working with us? Have questions for one of our marketing experts? Call 800.405.1434 today and we will get you the marketing expertise you need to grow your business.