Lessons from the Field: Mid-Year Eval of the Hospital Marketing Plan - 9 Questions

 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

It seems like the year just started. Now you're at the mid-point of executing the hospital marketing plan, so it's time to look at how it has gone. I know you do the monthly reporting, but this isn't about individual months' performance but a more analytic and subjective holistic evaluation of how well the plan performed to expectations, what unexpected changes you had to make, where the next six months are headed.

It's a tall order but a necessary evil. We all like to think about our prowess as marketing planners and the ability to execute. However, we can all be lulled into the "it's the plan, so we have to do it mentality" or are on autopilot with social media tweets and other posts driven by prescheduling with marketing automation.

Besides, we are coming out of the pandemic with vaccination challenges and the Delta variant of COVID-19. The last 19 months saw a transformation of how care was delivered, from patient and consumer acceptance of telemedicine to choosing alternative sites for care other than hospital-based services. We have also learned that patients are not so quick to come back to accessing care the way it was.

During the summer months, what is now required is a revaluation, making changes for the next few months, and thinking about 2022.

Image by Dean Moriarty from Pixabay

Nine questions for the midyear marketing plan evaluation. 

1.       Start the conversation with these questions. What has changed- effort, patient, channels, or tactics? What worked and what didn't" Are we staying on budget? Have we met patient acquisition or revenue target goals? 

2.       Do a content refresh and revise your inventory. Update your content inventory with fresh material or timely revisions. What kind of analytics/traction is each content piece getting? Are those CTA's as compelling as they could be? 

3.       Update your website.Add new visual content, influencer reviews, and patient testimonials. 

4.       Deep dive on the data.  The C-suite loves metrics! Focus on four areas: website page views, content downloads, social shares, new physician appointments, conversion rates, and patient service reviews posted in Goggle and other sites. 

5.       Spot the missed opportunities.Were there events, sponsorships, or print/digital communication opportunities that fell off your radar? 

6.       Check out the competition. What content are competitors distributing? What's on their website? What's the social media buzz from communities and patients?  

7.       Check-in with your influencer strategy.Decision-makers depend on influencers. Are you reaching them through appropriate channels with spot-on content? Do you need to expand your influencer base? 

8.       Check-in with senior management, finance, and strategic planning You need to know any changes in the next six months in operational, financial, and strategic plan changes and adjust accordingly. 

9.       Grade your marketing plan.What grade would you give yourself at this point? Do your 3rd and 4th quarter activities make sense in light of your check-up or is a change in order?

Doing a mid-year hospital marketing plan evaluation and check-up is the surest way to ensure that you meet the targets and goals and stay in front of senior management as they begin thinking about 2022.

Thank you for reading and please consider sharing on social media.

Michael is a healthcare business, marketing, communications strategist, and thought leader. As an internationally followed healthcare strategy blogger, his blog, Healthcare Marketing Matters, is read in 52 countries and is listed on the 100 Top Healthcare Marketing Blogs & Websites ranked at No. 3 on Feedspot.com. Michael is a Life Fellow American College of Healthcare Executives. An influencer in healthcare marketing strategy, communications, digital marketing, and social media, Michael is in the top 10 percent of social media experts nationwide. For inquiries regarding strategic consulting engagements, you can email me at michael@themichaeljgroup.com. 

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The opinions expressed are my own.