Have you ever completed a new marketing campaign (whether it be direct mail, newspaper ad, or Facebook ad) and you’re waiting for the phone to ring, but it just doesn’t? Or maybe the phone does ring, you set a few appointments and sell a couple of units, but it’s not nearly what you expected for the money you spent.
During the time you spend reflecting on this result, a big question you need to ask yourself is: how many touchpoints did I have with my potential patients?
According to SalesForce, it takes six to eight touchpoints to create a real sales lead. When a patient receives a direct mail piece from a practice or sees a newspaper ad – that’s one! The goal of a multi-faceted approach, as part of your omnichannel marketing strategy, is to maximize the number of times a potential customer sees your practice, keeping a consistent brand image, and improving the overall customer experience. Utilizing a tool like the Consult Database Program can ensure that your practice name and brand becomes top of mind – and you always want to stay top of mind with your existing or potential patients.
When looking at your overall marketing approach, there are a few things you want to think about before you get into the fine details of the plan:
- How many times do potential customers see your practice in advertisements?
- How many different avenues do you utilize in your marketing?
- How many competitors are located in your target zone?
- Are you tracking all the sources of all your referrals and leads?
- Do you know your most productive marketing tool?
- How do most new patients say they found out about your practice?
Thinking about these key questions will help you judge where your current marketing strategy may be lacking and what other creative ways you may be able to reach your audience! The third question is especially important when considering the overall strategy. If there’s a higher level of competition in your area, you want to keep your marketing program constant and consistent to make sure your practice stands out and stays ahead of the competition. Brand awareness is key to driving patients through the door.
Now let’s discuss what exactly a multi-touch marketing campaign is and how it works. Imagine you’re flipping through your favorite magazine and see an ad with a coupon for a fall festival at a local amusement park. This might be something you’re interested in, but the magazine will likely end up in the recycling bin, and the ad will be forgotten. This is the same type of single touchpoint that a one-off direct mail piece or newspaper ad creates. Now imagine you read that ad in the morning, and on your way to the store in the evening, while you’re stopped at a red light, a commercial for that amusement park comes on the radio! A few minutes later, driving down the highway, you look up, and there’s another ad for that same amusement park!
Now according to the six to eight touch point rule, you are between 37 percent and 50 percent more likely to go home and look for the coupon in the ad.
While this is a grand example, the key principles remain the same: multiple channels of communication, close succession, and consistency! Each ad acts as a follow up to the previous one, keeping your brand top of mind with potential customers. For your practice, this is like a phone call follow up on a database mailer, an email matching a direct mail piece, or a Facebook ad that mirrors a print ad. This multi-faceted approach is achieved through a full and consistent marketing plan that utilizes multiple sources of communication.
If you feel like this is something you could improve upon or you’re looking for a comprehensive marketing plan – you can always reach out to CQ’s marketing team for assistance! We can help you create a 12-month marketing plan that’s guaranteed to raise brand awareness, increase opportunities, and drive sales.
