By - Bipin Srivastava, Student of PGDM-Healthcare Management at Goa Institute of Management
With the ever-increasing corporatization of healthcare
services, it has now become imperative on the part of hospitals to
strategically market themselves, in order to survive the competition and emerge
profitable. True, hospitals cannot and should not market themselves as any
other business would do, but that most certainly does not mean that hospitals
should not market themselves at all. Indeed, in this day and age, no hospital
can afford not to advertise its services, unless of course, it is a government
hospital.
Develop a brand or identity for your hospital
Perhaps the best favour you can do to your hospital
business is to create and nurture a brand of it. Brand helps customers retain the
distinctiveness of the hospital in their minds. It spells out what your
organization represents and what it stands for. Brand creates some sort of
mental picture of your organization. In a way, it can be called reputation by
style that sets your organization apart from your competitors. Things starting
from the design of your hospital building, quality of care to the personal
warmth that your staff exhibits in patient care all play a vital role in
creating a distinct impression in the minds of your customers.
Brand makes the organization transparent, helps customers
in setting expectations and establish trust that the expectations will be met. Customers
are relieved from the uncertainty of what kind of services will be offered and
thus are more confident in seeking your hospital services. Stronger the brand
image, more loyal your customers base will be.
So convey a clear
message, be trustworthy and consistent, connect with your patients and never
ever compromise on the quality.
Always be there with your clients
Reach out to your past, present as well as future customers
and not just wait for them to come to you. Be a part of their happy moments and
make a difference to their lives. It can be done by getting in touch with them
through different mediums. In addition, devising suitable health plans for your
loyal customers can go a long way in creating long-term value for your
organization. This would help create customer loyalty – something that most
hospitals in the West have been practicing since long. In India, this trend is
fast catching pace though.
Build a strong referral network
This becomes even more important for a country like India.
Develop trust with other hospitals and doctors in your city and associate with
them for long-term business opportunities. They can be of immense help, but
doing so may not be as easy a task as it might appear on the face of it. It is
important to constantly engage them and make them feel as if your hospital were
an extension of their services and create a sense of belongingness. Work out a
method wherein it is a win-win situation for both of you.
Involve doctors in your marketing strategy
Doctors understand their customers in a way no one else
can. They may not be trained marketing professionals but they can put in their
years of experience dealing with patients to good use. In most cases, they have
contacts of their own built over the years that can come in handy for the
hospital. So, use their contacts and experience to the fullest.
Make use of social media marketing tools
In present times, the use of social media tools to market
product and services cannot be overemphasized. Businesses organizations have
realized their importance what with people spending disproportionately large
amount of their time on social media sites. So therefore, there is enough space
and scope to catch the eyes of your prospective customers and that too at a
very cheaper price than what traditional platforms like newspapers and radio
cost.
Those days are gone where hospitals were just flooded by
patients. Now, the patients has a variety of options to choose from. Hence, it
is a necessity that hospitals of today realize the changing scenario and create
a winning strategy to survive in this competitive world.
You may also like to read 'Making of a loyal customer'
You may also like to read 'Making of a loyal customer'
