Even in tough financial times, marketing your practice is still a worthwhile investment. This job is so important, in fact, that some experts recommend practices add a full-time marketer, at a salary of $40,000-$50,000 plus benefits, to their payrolls, according to a post from Physicians Practice.
"A good marketer can double or triple your current business and help ancillary services take off," says blogger Audrey "Christie" McLaughlin, R.N. In general, this hire would be in charge of market intelligence, referral source development, advertising coordination, social media, client retention, troubleshooting issues, public relations and community events. But to make sure you get your money's worth in a marketer, keep the following dos and don'ts in mind:
DO
- Offer marketers a flexible or nontraditional work schedule, taking into account that they will frequently represent your practice at offsite events during evenings and weekends. "Don't expect them to sit in an office all day," McLaughlin wrote.
- Consider offering the marketer role, on at least a temporary basis, to your existing office manager or member of your nursing staff. But be sure to offer this person plenty of training for the job, as well as a bonus for patient referrals and new referring doctors.
DON'T
- There's no need to insist that your marketer have a healthcare degree. However, don't hire a marketer with zero experience in working with medical practices either.
- While hiring a marketing company may be a reasonable alternative to hiring a new employee, avoid one that has too many clients to devote adequate attention to your practice's needs.
To learn more:
- read the post from Physicians Practice