Avoid the 7 Mistakes Doctors Make When Getting Their Healthcare Brochures Created
1. Unclear (or wrong) objectives.
While most doctor brochures are simply a "consumable expense," professional
practice or organizational
brochures should be designed to attract patients, enhance your practice's reputation and bring more revenue into the practice.
Remember, a
healthcare practice
brochure is not the same thing as patient education. Patient education informs and educates -
healthcare practice
brochures motivate people to become patients.
2. Trusting your brochure (and reputation) to the marketing "amateur hour."
Run-of-the-mill healthcare brochures are typically generic "templates," designed by entry-level designers at a printer. Worse, generally doctors and staff are usually saddled with the task of writing the brochure copy (words). The trouble is, while lots of people can write a letter, very few people (even in marketing) can write compelling words which motivate prospects to action.
Getting a prospective patient to pick up the phone and call you is a daunting task. To get the job done right, you will need at least three people working for you, the marketing strategist, a writer and a designer. Together, they will get the job done correctly.
3. Wrong size.
Brochures need to be large enough to deliver the message properly. In most instances, 8.5 x 11 bi-fold brochures are far too small to communicate all that should be communicated.
On that note, it is a dangerous fallacy that "everything should fit on one page." Consumers want to skim and read what is important to them. Sometimes the message can be short, more often you need more room to sell. The rule isn't to be short, it is to be exactly as long as necessary - no shorter or longer.
4. No heart.
People buy emotionally, and justify rationally. Put another way, your brochure must sell from the heart, not the head. This is something very few people can create, yet it is critical that both the visuals and words sell with emotion.
5. Look-a-like.
Healthcare practice brochures should be the cornerstone of your practice brand, tastefully differentiate your practice from the competition and answer "why you."
By definition, low-end brochures are generic - and done the same way for "everyone else."
6. Wrong words.
Copy (words) must be active voice and directive. It should have a call to action and a sense of urgency. It needs to be conversational and flow. Organizational "rules and regulations" must be avoided.
7. Beautiful failures.
Pretty is nice, but not near enough. Good eye-flow and readability are essential. Photos and illustrations must be perfect. Colors must motivate and append your message. Oftentimes, graphic artists focus solely on making something "pretty" - while your larger objective is to get patients.
Get the job done right - affordably.
We've been doing this for a combined 30 years, and we know how to get the job done right. You won't avoid just the 7 mistakes above, but countless others we see all the time which are too numerous to list here.
We'll create a brand-consistent brochure for you that attracts patients, differentiates you and enhances your reputation. You'll get your investment back with a couple of good cases.
Call us for a free quote - (800) 656-0907.
|
