You are the Sponsor

First, while I am the marketing champion, you are the sponsor. As president, the signals you send to others, particularly to the senior staff, will have a significant impact on how marketing is perceived. If our marketing efforts receive only lip service from you, our efforts will only receive lip service from others.

Your Vision

Second, I need to understand your vision for marketing. As you know, the term “marketing” is subject to multiple interpretations. For some, it is only promotion. For others, it also involves product, price, and place. Before I can begin to develop our marketing strategy, I need to know what you have in mind when you say “marketing.”

Compelling

Third, marketing is not about being different, but compelling, from your competitors in ways that your target audiences value. In other words, it is not about doing things better. It is definitely not about doing more. It is about doing things in ways that our most important audiences find compelling.

Adequate Budget

Fourth, we need an adequate marketing budget. I know we talked dollars when I took this position, but we never came to a conclusion on the dollars that were available to fund our marketing efforts. In most cases, my budget will come from two sources. First, new dollars and second, reallocated (and/or centralized) existing dollars. Because these reallocated dollars are, well, reallocated, this conversation will likely involve the CFO and the senior team. Again, I will need your political support to make this happen, because tough decisions will need to be made.

Freedom to Function

Fifth, please don’t saddle me with an overly large, politically fraught marketing committee sprinkled with people who don’t like marketing, don’t think we need marketing, and have as their goal the derailing of the marketing process. Our efforts will fail if I am forced to work with a committee that second-guesses or even undermines our marketing strategy.

Instead of a marketing committee, I need the authority to assemble my marketing team. Team members, by definition, understand their roles, support one another, and are willing to work toward a common goal.

I realize you may already have a large marketing committee in place. If so, we can transition that body to a marketing advisory group that offers input but does not have a decision-making or oversight role.

Gathering Data

Sixth, let me gather the data I need to do the job. Data will help provide a solid, defendable foundation for decision-making. And remember, more important than a single, comprehensive study is a set of small studies repeated more often. This kind of research cycle will help us keep a finger on the pulse of the marketplace, and help us determine whether or not we are making progress.

Integration at all Levels

Next, we need to strive for integration at all levels. At the very least, there needs to be integration between the strategic plan and our marketing efforts. There also needs to be shared marketing goals and accountability among the members of the senior team, especially those team members who oversee the five As:

• Admissions
• Academics
• Athletics
• Alumni
• Advancement

The senior team member and the middle managers in each of these areas need to be absolutely committed to our marketing goals. If they do not understand the marketing goals and have not identified their role in achieving those goals, then integration and, ultimately, effectiveness will be compromised.

Next, we need a written integrated marketing plan. A written plan not only helps legitimize the activity to the campus community but also provides structure and accountability. It stands to reason that if we are not willing to take the time to write a plan, then we are likely not that serious about marketing.

Authority

Finally, give me the authority to do my job. Let me say “no” when someone wants to do something that is contrary to our overall strategy. Let me make decisions on tactics after the strategy has been approved. Furthermore, let me prioritize activities when dollars get tight. Let me use research to evaluate our progress and refine tactics. And perhaps most importantly, let me discontinue activities that simply have no value. In other words, let me do the job you hired me for.

Want to talk through your pressing concerns as CMO? Email us to schedule a free consultation.

Over the years, I have identified four essential ingredients that truly great marketing departments consistently share. And while many marketing departments might have one, two, or even three of these characteristics, the truly great ones have all four. Let’s take a look.

Clear Direction

First, clear direction. Clear direction is essential. It provides focus. It helps everyone understand what is included, and not included, in the marketing mandate. Additionally, it provides tremendous insight into the marketing talent that will be needed. Clear direction also helps you say no to those ideas and goals, and even personnel, that clearly fall outside your mandate

Finally, clear direction creates significant organizational momentum. When everyone knows where you are going there will be fewer internal meetings and fewer public miscues.

Clear direction depends on the chief marketing officer (CMO) and the president not only being on the same page, but on the same sentence.

Political Support

Second, political support. Without political support, most marketing departments will fail, or at best, be hopelessly sidelined and marginalized. Political support means that the CMO has a seat at the big table and is involved in key conversations and decisions. It also means that the CMO has the authority to hire, fire, and shape the marketing team, organization, and strategy. Recognizing the inherent cross-functionality of great marketing, political support is necessary when marketing butts head with turf issues.

While clear direction outlines the marketing mandate, political support gives the CMO the authority necessary to carry out that mandate.

Talent

Third, talent. Highly talented people want to work in marketing departments that have direction and resources (see below) and give them the opportunity to do their best work. Highly talented people want to be part of something great. Truly great marketing departments are talent magnets.

There is every likelihood that some of the talent you need is located somewhere else at the institution. Your job is to find them and bring them on board. Remember, at this stage you are much more interested in doers than thinkers.

Finally, when you think about talent make sure you think well beyond titles. Some people have deep talents that have nothing to do with their present titles.

Nothing happens without talent.

Resources

Fourth, resources. In most cases, resources means dollars. And while there is never enough money, clear direction and political support will help focus and multiply your resources. In addition, the political support you have will help you execute some of your marketing mandate through other departments and budgets (remember the idea of “integrated?”). Finally, a commitment to mROI (measuring marketing return on investment) will help the leadership team understand that marketing budgets are more of an investment than a cost.

A note about organizational structure. While organizational structure is critical to marketing success, the discussion about organization should only occur once the four key ingredients are in place. Too often, we rush to reorganize when, quite simply, we don’t know what else to do. Of course, the CMO must be empowered to change the organizational structure as needed.

Want to talk strategy? Email us today.

Community college is no longer considered the “Plan B” to a four-year degree. Along with less expensive gen eds, these institutions provide education options and affordable programs for non-traditional students and people seeking a more direct route to the workforce.

With this significant change—and steep competition—many community colleges in the last few years have realized their website does not clearly communicate their intrinsic value and advantages.

While students may better understand the value, parents also need a clear and strong sell on the value of a community college education. They need to know the benefits over a four-year college or as a starting point for a four-year degree.

In the past few years, Stamats has seen a surge in community college RFPs for website strategy. With our passion for higher ed and deep expertise in digital strategy, we launched several new, successful sites on an accelerated timeline to meet COVID-19 deadlines for fall 2020. Through our comprehensive discovery process, we quickly identified that community colleges deserve a modified plan tailored to them.

As a company, we recognize and appreciate the value of higher education and the role community colleges play in their community. Here are six of the most important reasons why community colleges deserve special digital strategy considerations.

1. Unique Continuing Education Programs

Continuing education and special certificates in areas like Nurse Aide Training, Class A CDL Professional Drivers, or Electrical Specialists are almost always managed in a separate website and program search.

While that follows the internal structure, separating them from the certificates and two-year programs does the students and institution a disservice. Most students don’t understand the internal workings of continuing education versus certificates, creating a confusing user experience.

RECOMMENDATION: Create an integrated program search.

If you cannot integrate with an application programming interface (API)—software that lets two apps “talk” to each other—consider adding a high-level overview of the programs to your main program search. Also, make sure you have a strong cross-linking strategy.

2. More Diverse Audiences Than Four-Year Schools

Community colleges have a much larger audience than traditional four-year schools. And each of these audiences has very different needs.

Students are seeking a mix of affordability, flexibility, and close-to-home vibes. Community colleges attract first-time college students, those planning a four-year degree who want to reduce their overall cost, and individuals who are eager to enter the workforce or up their career skills.

This student mosaic is diverse and complex. Our audience workshop is specifically tailored for the community college’s needs. We spend more time detailing out the complexity of each audience served.

RECOMMENDATION: Create a persona matrix to identify all audiences the website needs to serve. Include your key message to this audience, their needs, and their next steps in the conversion journey.

3. Program Definition

Determining what is a program vs. a certification or class is not as simple as it may sound, especially in a community college. Because certificates live next door to two-year programs, it may take lengthy conversations to determine what exactly defines a program.

We will help you evaluate your programs to bring clarity before making the big decisions involved with any website redesign.

Part of program definition includes considering defining outcomes in the form of career choices and interests. Creating a program search that complements natural conversations with a prospective student increases engagement and success in finding the right match.

RECOMMENDATION: Create a program spreadsheet detailing what is defined as a program or certificate. Include information your team and audiences need to know: modality, level, type of program or certificate, time to complete, outcomes, related programs and any other helpful information. Contact us to get a free copy of our program worksheet.

4. Students are also Prospects

One of the complexities is that a community college’s current students can also be their prospective students. For example, a student involved in a continuing education program for business development is a prime candidate for an associate degree in Business Administration or Administrative Management.

A well-designed content marketing strategy assists a college’s reach to those students who are seeking next steps while they are already enrolled. A tailored call-to-action strategy can actively engage and inform your current students before they become your former students.

RECOMMENDATION: Cross-promote programs using dynamic content from one program to another.

5. Faculty Definition Challenges

Just as with programs, the definition of faculty can be a complex question. At what level do you add adjunct or continuing education faculty members? Also, what label do students use? They typically do not distinguish ”professor” from ”instructor,” as those terms are interchangeable with ”teacher.”

Our discovery process works through these decisions because alignment is an integral part of a successful launch.

RECOMMENDATION: Develop a plan and ongoing governance for faculty classification. Make sure your website allows easy to filter options for the user. If possible, connect the website to an automated feed to keep information current.

BONUS: Dynamically link faculty members to their programs. Then integrate them into the program pages so they are easy to find within the program.

6. Small Internal Teams Require Streamlined Processes

It is common for community colleges to have smaller teams managing a plethora of projects and roles. Redesigning the website might be their first large digital project, or they might have a dozen large projects they are managing. This means the team has limited time and everything from directives to processes must be clear, organized, and optimized.

We work hard to respect their time, always coming prepared with recommendations and the tools necessary to make it easy for our clients. From training in the CMS to content migration and site launch, we are committed to supporting the college’s teams involved in these projects. We have a proven process that will give the guidance needed for a community college to reach prospective students through an enhanced digital presence.

Our Community College process includes:

• Best practices toolkit
• Customized training for community college governance
• Discovery options outlining topics, invitee list, sample invite email, and working examples
• QuickStart guide detailing out the project start
• Research-based audience workshop
• Live examples and documented results

RECOMMENDATION: Following a clear stakeholder engagement plan. This will reduce change requests, build adherence to a user-centered site, and raise the visibility of the digital team.

At Stamats, we have created a specific process for community college projects that give them the special attention and change management they need. Our team is the right size to be your team-for-hire. Big enough that we have experts in every area to lean on (even if they aren’t on your project!), yet small enough that you don’t get lost among our other work.

Ready to strategize? Contact us today for a free consultation.

The Voice of the Customer is powerful; however, graduates of the institution are in a unique position. Alumni can share not only their experiences of when they were students, but also how those experiences have impacted their personal and professional lives after graduation. I would like to shine a light on how alumni voices can be leveraged to benefit the institution across departments—advancement, admissions, and marketing—all at the same time.

The process starts with an alumni survey. This survey might ask questions that inform alumni engagement strategy specifically. Additionally, other areas of inquiry pertain to collecting feedback for future students. Their observations are important to prospective students as they navigate the college selection process. As part of this process, alumni can provide testimonials.

Now, the institution possesses user-generated content from those who can best market it—happy, successful graduates. But, how can you make the most of having this authentic, unique content?

Essentially, using the alumni feedback from the survey. There is a way to leverage the collected stories and feedback to get more prospective students to institutional websites. We can showcase the tangible outcomes data which they’re seeking to justify their decisions to invest in degrees, and engage with them more effectively.

In light of these possibilities, are you ready to learn how to effectively use alumni voices to engage prospective students? If so, email us today for a free consultation.

It may help to think of LinkedIn Conversation Ads as a more elaborate and personalized chatbot but with two fundamental differences:

1. Flexibility: The tool isn’t restricted to a website or landing page; it can be used to target LI users as nimbly as other formats. Ads are delivered via LinkedIn’s Messaging inbox, and to ensure users are contacted during moments of authentic engagement, messages are initiated only when users are active on the site.
2. Dialogue: Rather than simply answer a question, the chatflow nurtures a dialogue. Questions and answers shape the journey, the content delivered, and the outcome. In the process, users take in information and develop deeper brand awareness.

Using Conversation Ads to Achieve Your School’s Goals

Firstly, the team at LinkedIn designed multiple templates to make ad creation easier. Drive Enrollment for Programs is a preset chatflow of special interest to marketing and recruitment teams.

Completely customizable, the template presents LinkedIn users with a short introductory message followed by multiple program options based on their LinkedIn profile. Following various journeys (again, all customizable) allow users to:

• Learn more about each program
• Explore related programs or other topics of interest
• Contact the school
• Share additional professional interests
• Read testimonials
• Download eBooks and other content
• Enroll

Go Even Further

Additionally, here are some additional templates available through LinkedIn Conversation Ads and ideas on how they might be used to drive your goals forward:

• Increase Event and Webinar Registrations: Use this template to promote open houses, group campus tours, information sessions, and related events.
• Drive More Website Visits: Increase your college or university’s website traffic, share content, and improve overall brand awareness.
• Boost Asset Downloads: Integrate this template into your broader demand generation strategy, or use it to promote brochures, eBooks, and other important materials already on your site.
• Promote Your Podcast: Reach new audiences and keep prospects engaged by creating and promoting new podcasts.
• Survey or Poll Your Audience: Information is power. Use this template to refine your school’s marketing personas or solicit feedback to develop a more adult-supportive campus.
• Get Donations and Volunteers: Use this template to grow your school’s volunteer base and engage alumni. Integrate with a capital campaign to connect with audiences across channels.
• Share Free Trials and Demos: Covid-19 has permanently reshaped how we work and learn. Use this template to showcase remote learning technology.

Embrace Conversation Ads

Although it may not be right for every school, LinkedIn Conversation Ads is a compelling option for colleges and universities seeking to connect with an adult, professionally-engaged audience.

All in all, in an age of increased competition and tighter budgets, every channel matters. Business schools, graduate and adult learning programs, and colleges focused on military recruitment take note. Indeed, consider how LinkedIn Conversation Ads could help you target prospects and establish the sort of dynamic, ongoing dialogue that makes conversion much easier.

Finally, new tools demand new methods. From audience growth to content creation, Stamats can help you use full power of social media to increase enrollment. Email us today to get started.

Part 11 of 12: What I Wish I Knew as a New Marketer

This is the companion to last week’s blog on great marketing. Today’s focus is great messaging.

When working with clients on creative, I often turn to a short list of “musts” that experience has taught me are at the heart of great creative.

1. Creative Brief

First, use a creative brief. A creative brief is a powerful yet simple tool that will immediately improve the quality of your messaging.

Most creative briefs contain four core questions:

• Who is your singular audience? This the specific audience at which the message is directed. Be clear and precise. Note the word “singular.” Focus. Focus. Focus.
• Based on research, what does this audience think/know about you? Not what you hope they know, but what you know they know.
• What are their media habits and channel preferences? Where do they turn to for information?
• As a result of the campaign efforts, what do you want this singular audience to think? Or do?

2. Instant Engagement

Next, for a message to be great, your audience must find your message to be:

• Believable. Is what you say true? Will your audience see you as a trustworthy source?
• Important. Is the message worth their time?
• Distinctive. Will they notice your message against the clutter of the hundreds of other messages they see/hear in a day?
• Engaging. Does the message capture not only their mind, but their heart? Does it cause them to change an idea or want to know more?

These four bullets can be stated another way that might be helpful: Does your message link to something your audience already cares about? If you can build on previous interests, understanding, or empathy, then you can ride a wave of credibility. You will have instant engagement. This is what makes a message truly memorable.

3. Pre-Test

Third, pre-test your messages with a representative subset of the intended audience. It is much better to have a message fail with 12 people than with 10,000. Pre-testing is a hallmark of great marketers and great marketing.

If you have done your research (see the previous blog) and have spent time inside the heads of your audiences, then you should have a good sense of what they value and what they don’t. Use that insight. Repeatedly ask yourself, “Why should they care about this message?”

4. Fewer, More Compelling

Fourth, remember that fewer, more compelling messages across multiple channels is always more effective than multiple messages across fewer channels. Resist the temptation to go a mile wide and an inch deep. Smaller budgets will be more impactful when you swarm fewer channels.

5. Be a Cheapskate

Fifth, be a cheapskate. It is much smarter and far less expensive to spend the time to develop a campaign that can go the distance rather than a campaign that will need to be significantly and frequently retooled.

With this in mind, make sure your proposed creative is:

• Simple
• Durable
• Translatable across admissions, advancement, and other outward-facing entities
• Translatable across different channels and media

In the same vein, can your message be easily and well told by others? Also, is it self-contained? In other words, does it require no further explanation, no asterisks, no footnotes, and no follow-up?

6. Clear Next Step

Finally, does your creative have a clear next step for the audience? If inclined, do they know what to do next? Is there a link, a phone number, or an email address? A strong call to action (CTA) is specific, feasible, and easy to envision. There is also a sense that the action must be undertaken sooner rather than later—the urgency factor.

If the audience isn’t clear about what to do next, especially if they want to do something, then your message has failed.

Until recently, districts could safely assume that they would serve most school-age children living within their boundaries. But social and political forces at work over the past couple of decades have upended that assumption.

Today, districts across the nation are retooling — investing in branding, marketing, and communication campaigns designed to engage parents and attract students. Since Stamats knows how crucial brands are in higher education, we understand the transformative power of branding and marketing for K-12 schools, too.

With that in mind, let’s explore five reasons behind the dramatic rise in school district marketing.

1. Families have more choices

Presently, with expanding voucher programs, private school options, and homeschooling, parents have more choices about how and where they educate their children. Even within the public school system, open enrollment means that the nearest school district isn’t necessarily the defacto choice.

To compete, districts need to focus on clear branding and compelling communication that emphasizes student/teacher engagement, academic excellence, outcomes, and community value.

2. A powerful way to tell your story

Moreover, there are amazing things happening in every school and every classroom in your district. A well organized marketing effort can capture those important stories, share them with the public, and weave them into the fabric of your brand.

Student achievement, faculty awards, and innovative new programs communicate the value your district brings to the community. But authentic, well-told stories go even further. By counteracting much of the negative press public schools receive lately, stories help balance the larger conversation.

3. And improve engagement

Success attracts success. When districts begin marketing themselves in a clear, unified way, people take notice. Broad community awareness and engagement turns citizens into district advocates. Over time, this can fuel new opportunities, improve attendance and graduation rates, and lead to higher student achievement.

Also, a compelling and consistently articulated school district brand can generate immense pride among students, families, district employees and the community they represent. For many cities and small towns, the result is a much-needed culture-building lift.

Finally, a strong district brand and marketing presence is an effective recruitment tool. This presence attracts top-notch teachers and administrators who may be choosing between several offers.

4. Inspire new audiences

An effective branding and marketing program helps districts motivate audiences that don’t have a direct link to their schools.

While parents, students, faculty and staff are your primary target audiences, consider the value of everyone else. Alumni and their parents, non-parents, retirees, and business and community leaders — together, these constituents are a powerful untapped resource that could serve your district in countless creative ways.

5. Forge valuable partnerships

Also, major employers in the towns and cities you serve likely recruit employees from across the nation. Is your district’s marketing material front and center in the relocation package those employees receive?

A holistic marketing effort should include a robust and highly collaborative business outreach component. By connecting with new-hires first, you can begin to build relationships early. This positions your district as the natural choice for parents new to the area.

Launching a district marketing program

Understandably, many district leaders aren’t comfortable with the thought of stretching budgets even further by making new investments in marketing. But there are ways to start slowly using existing resources.

Begin by clarifying the top three ideas you want your brand to communicate. These brand “pillars” are the authentic qualities that set your district apart from the competition (e.g., innovation, strong student-teacher relationships, or unique hands-on learning opportunities).

Then, translate those brand pillars into a set of consistent brand messages. These can be reinforced on your website, through social media channels, in teacher blogs, and more. And remember, the most powerful messages are rooted in stories — real-life examples of how your district is fulfilling its promise every day.

In any event, from competitor research to branding and website design, Stamats can help your school district stand out from the competition, connect with a new generation of families, and build for tomorrow. Email us today for more information.

It makes intuitive sense that a prospective customer would trust the recommendations of those who have enthusiastically engaged with your organization/institution more than the marketing messages conveyed from those entities, themselves.

On an analytical level, there are myriad statistics to support upticks in reputation and revenue when the voices of satisfied customers are being leveraged effectively on websites, social media, and other marketing channels.

Identify Customers

Identifying who customers are might seem simple in some industries. For example, the customer in healthcare is the patient, right? Actually, as Jeff Cornwall writes, “I spent almost a decade as an entrepreneur in the healthcare industry. I heard the same debate in that industry. Is the customer our patients? The employer who pays for the patient’s healthcare? The insurance and managed care companies that decide who gets what care and how much of it they get? It can get to be very confusing for even the most experienced entrepreneur.” Thus, identifying who customers are is actually a lot more complex than might be initially thought.

Higher Education Customers

So, who are the customers in higher education?

Current students are clearly customers as they are paying to receive academic degrees. As this Forbes article recommends, “…higher education institutions must rethink the way they communicate, and provide the same level of top-notch customer service that parents and students expect from a host of other industries. Here, parents are also included as a customer type.

What about graduates of the institution?  Two professors from Oregon State University definitely believe so when they write, “Relationship marketing has found favor with university administrators owing to the opportunity presented by proponents and adherents: loyal customers can provide significant revenue and profit for the firm over the long-term. These revenues and profits come from the adage that it is less costly to market to existing customers than to capture new customers.”

Adding to students, parents, and alumni, Yan Dominic Searcy, Associate Dean of the School of Health and Human Services at Southern Connecticut State University, argues, “Because state universities — and some private universities — were established by state constitutions and are supported by tax dollars, the actual customers of higher education are the citizens of respective states.” If we accept this proposition, then higher education’s customers are…well, just about everyone!

Students, parents, alumni, and community members are all customers of higher education. How can all of these customers’ voices help institutions (let alone even be heard)? Stamats can help you define a strategy to connect with and highlight your customers’ voices. Email us today to get started.

There are many reasons for this tactical change. Most notably, all consumers and professionals have had to reimage our approaches to digital, from both a consumer and a delivery perspective. And patient audiences are receptive to new ways of engaging with your brand.

Right now, the healthcare industry has a unique opportunity to ride the waves of public good faith. According to The Harris Poll, 54% of Americans view the healthcare industry more positively after COVID-19, and 71% believe healthcare had a good response to the pandemic. That’s good news, and with good news comes great responsibility. 

What once was labeled the “new normal” is now the expectation. Providers and marketers are charged to deliver results – and delight patients – at this raised benchmark. 2020 required fast-acting change to telemedicine. Excuses of adaptation or uncertainty on how to handle billing will no longer be accepted by patients. Healthcare marketers and organizations are striding with greater confidence into once off-limits territories.

In that spirit, here are three trends we anticipate in healthcare based on 2020 through January 2021 insights from our clients and other industry experts.

Return to “Following the Science”

It was a remarkable feat to bring a new, safe vax to market in 10 months. Many people got their first chance to witness the scientific process in 2020, opening their eyes to a world of expertise and thought leadership they might not have known existed in hospitals and research labs.

In 2021, there is a renewed national interest in following the science, which in marketing terms translates to “following the data.” Not necessarily historical numbers, but current trends. Agencies and healthcare marketers must be prepared to pivot based on real-time data from A/B testing, heatmaps, and user feedback.

And we must be comfortable seeking proactive insights, too, using approaches such as social listening and continual monitoring to glean everyday insights into what users are experiencing, needing, and wanting from us.

As such, our clients have expressed increasing interest in digital campaigns focused on current topics with an evergreen long-tail presence. Some of the hottest topics for February through April are expected to include:

• Diversity, equity, inclusion: Health and social inequities are finally receiving the tip of the attention these issues deserve. Organizations are peeling back layers of outdated protocols and working toward improved processes and education – and consumer messaging that effectively conveys their resolve.
• Preventive care: Particularly related to vaccination, ongoing prevention protocols, and programs to combat comorbidities such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
• Thought leadership: The Harris Poll results show that Americans view their own healthcare provider as their second most important source of healthcare advice, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Patients are listening, and they are hungry for your words of wisdom.

These substantial shifts will lead to less mechanical and more subjective, personalized shifts in marketing budget allocations – with much more going toward digital advertising.

Increased Ad Spend

According to eMarketer, ad expenditure has increased steadily from $5.94B in 2017 to $9.53B in 2020. And in 2021, ad spend is expected to increase almost another $2B.  

Why? In 2020, marketers were forced to pivot away from traditional tactics. We were forced to meet users where they are – not on the channels we’ve always used. We had to lead with strategy.

Rather than generic, scheduled emails to a large group, which a lot of organizations unfortunately did, savvy marketers invested in relevant, personalized, interactive digital ads and emails that could be laser-focused on specific groups with expressed needs based on self-reported online information and geographical user behavior trends.

Over the past year, we helped our clients launch strategies like these to build on as their data amasses in 2021:

• Non-native English speakers could be funneled to translated condition or action pages in their language.
• Targeted content could be delivered through native ads to expecting parents, patients in certain age or industry sectors, and other demographics.
• Highly optimized service line landing pages with brand retargeting.
• :15 and :30 second ads to target audiences on Connected TV.
• Promotion of health information classes and virtual events on healthy living to website visitors through retargeting.

With much to learn about user behavior expectations this spring through summer, we wouldn’t be surprised if 2021 spending redirected in the fall to more wellness and proactive procedures. However, we fully expect that tightening of the coin purse to be due to increased efficiency and improved strategy, freeing up those dollars for additional marketing or branding endeavors.

And that same philosophy – tied with delivering better user experiences – brings us to our third trend.

Hybrid Everything

Capitalizing on the more efficient/more effective wave will continue in 2021 in the form of telehealth and hybrid conferences. This shift, from digital care being a future ideal to becoming the only feasible way to keep seeing patients is one of the most impressive healthcare feats we’ve seen in our collective careers.

Previous concerns about telehealth such as insurance, technology, access, and aging patient adaption were forced to be quickly resolved during COVID-19. Patients young and old, pre- and post-op, prenatal and postpartum, embraced telehealth and are adamant that they would be grateful for its continued implementation.

Providers generally agree – they love being able to see more patients with less scheduling woes, and they, too, probably enjoy saving an hour or more in daily commuting. Plus, telehealth offers the opportunity for geographically dispersed families and specialists from around the world to come together and collaborate in patient care.

Similarly, once only in-person events have shifted to hybrid conferences, saving time and money in travel expenses and overhead that could be otherwise allocated. While we expect and look forward to the return of in-person events later this year or next, we anticipate that hybrid will be here to say.

This transformation gave birth to opportunities to look at other change management ideas that are blocked by internal resistance. There is a strong sense of urgency to build on this momentum and embrace this culture of change. We can’t allow ourselves to revert back – for the future of innovation and most importantly for our patients’ best interests.

Our clients are exploring strategies to improve user experiences across hybrid and telehealth channels: higher platform security; video plus non-video options; database management tools; HIPAA compliant nurture streams; and chatbot utility and strategies, just to name a few.

As we progress together into 2021, we can look back from a marketing perspective with admiration for the grit, integrity, and passion embodied by our fellow healthcare marketers and the providers we all represent. Let’s carry that torch into 2021 and beyond by continually listening to our audiences and constantly innovating to deliver the right information to the right person at the right time.

If your online content needs a revamp to better support your digital strategies, we’d love to share success stories, such as the 555% increase in new users for a children’s hospital after crafting new audience-focused content.

Contact Stamats at [email protected].

Read Next: How to Find Good Stories in Healthcare

Sure, it was ok for the “come on down” antics of for-profit providers or to market the occasional open house, but somehow out-of-home advertising media seemed just a little “unseemly.” 

Fast forward to 2020 and out-of-home advertising (OOH) is making a roaring resurgence as a medium of choice for savvy brand advertisers, including colleges and universities. In fact, it has quietly been growing at an annual rate of over 11% (unlike other media platforms). Why? Most experts believe it’s because audiences are simply getting weary of the incessant intrusion of commercial messages on their mobile devices. 

Perhaps OOH-pioneering agency, JCDecaux, says it best. “With the growing number of communication channels, from online to Video on Demand, to social media, audiences are becoming increasingly fragmented. The growing number of devices vying for our attention reduces individual reach and effectiveness of brand messaging. OOH remains a key medium that surrounds audiences in their everyday environment.” 

Why out-of-home advertising remains a key medium: 

Digital opportunities are increasing at an astonishing rate. 

From large jumbotrons to tiny personal screens. (For example, tableside), digital boards provide the opportunity to tell your story with multiple visuals and with unprecedented resolution. Or to run multiple ads at a single location, with the ability to change messaging in real-time. 

Serialization

Modern branding is about storytelling. Brand advertisers are desperate to find new ways to tell their stories in no-miss ways. Out-of-home provides the opportunity to engage audiences as the stories evolve from board to board. 

Targetability

Evolving targeting technologies “allow brands to communicate relevant messaging to relevant audiences in a more engaging and contextual way. Whether increasing overall awareness or targeting defined audiences, OOH allows brands to communicate directly to consumers more effectively with reliable accountability and to achieve higher ROI.” With new buying platforms (that replace gravely-voiced media mavens), advertisers can now create media RFPs with very specific targets in mind vs. the time-honored tradition of “driving the boards.” 

Localization

Online education, except for a few super-players, is local. Most online students tend to enroll at an institution that has bricks and mortar within 50 miles. Well placed OOH can give an institution a local presence, allowing it to expand its marketing footprint. Conversely, well done out-of-home can revitalize the presence of the local provider by building a newly relevant opportunity for engagement. 

Does this mean that we expect that OOH will supplant search, social or digital display advertising? Absolutely not. By combining out of home and mobile media, we can drive relevance, reinforce our messages, extend our reach cost-effectively, and provide targeted frequency.  There’s a reason that Amazon, Facebook, Twitter and You Tube all dedicate huge portions of their advertising budgets to OOH. They know that OOH drives more search traffic per dollar spent than any other medium. 

Let’s talk about how OOH can become an important part of building your brand, driving traffic to your site, making your marketing dollars work harder to achieve your enrollment goals. Email us today.

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