Sleep Center Medical Marketing and Advertising That Works

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Planning for Success in Sleep Medicine and Sleep Center Practice Marketing and Advertising

Marketing Audit: The first 7 questions for moving your sleep disorder lab to the next level

The principal challenge factors in sleep center marketing and advertising are tough and increasingly complex.

Sleep medicine, sleep disorders treatment and the operation of a diagnostic sleep lab or clinic is a multifaceted business-and one that is relatively new. For added difficulty, the competition among sleep disorder laboratories in many areas is also increasing. But despite an underserved public and an acknowledged role for sleep study clinics, some labs find it difficult to advertise and market sleep labs effectively.

A passion to get it right; to do it right

If you've navigated your way to this page, it's likely that you:

• Recognize increasing competitive pressures in sleep diagnosis center marketing;
  
• Need help in sleep practice marketing to effectively manage the complex process;
  
• Are serious about maximizing the impact of your sleep lab marketing message and budget; and/or
  
• Are ready and committed to protect market share and grow to the next level.

If there was any doubt, it's clear that sleep and sleep-related problems are a public health crisis-officially so since at least 1993, depending on your choice of authoritative sources. Today 50 to 70 million Americans (or even more by other estimates) have sleep disorders. And many are unaware, undiagnosed or unconcerned about the serious health consequences.

In this respect, the educational component of sleep advertising, sleep disorders center marketing, sleep practice marketing and sleep laboratory promotion has begun to increase public awareness and with it, public demand is growing. Demand drives competition.

A few sleep clinics have been around for decades, but the number of American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) accredited facilities has skyrocketed only in the last few years. Once limited mainly to medical and sleep research centers, today sleep disorder study centers or sleep related breathing laboratories are operated by or in association with hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, specialty hospitals, universities or as privately owned, freestanding businesses.

Broader professional reach

Sleep disorders are now a growing part of many professional practices. No longer a small sub-set exclusive to sleep disorder specialists-individual and group practices now have a sleep disorders advertising message for prospective patients. Sleep related healthcare issues have become more mainstream in the medical community, with marketing messages from primary care physicians, internists, otolaryngologists, pulmonary physicians, psychiatrists and behavioral sciences, cardiologists, neurologists and other disciplines all having a promotional voice.

Sleep disorder marketing today is far more than communicating the value and availability of diagnostic polysomnography (PSG) or CPAP titration. Sleep marketing communication has to work on many fronts and with many target audiences-conveying a positive and differentiating message, protecting the existing base as well as growing the business profitably. Fortunately, we know how to handle complex and competitive marketing and solve some of the toughest advertising issues.

A wealth of marketing opportunities

The "good news" about advertising and marketing in the business of sleep center and sleep disorder marketing is that this complex landscape provides an amazing and rich spectrum of audiences and opportunities. In fact, sleep disorder practices and diagnostic laboratories-and related private practices-have a wealth of promotional gateways, more than many medical and healthcare specialties.

Consider the wide range of prospective patients that ranges from pediatric to geriatric: infants, children, teenagers, single adults, parents and senior citizens are all part of the mix. Medical marketing-for either the sleep facility or the private practice-crosses many professional lines and prospective diagnoses. Each sector is a prospective sleep marketing segment. In addition to the most common sleep disorders (insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, snoring, sleepwalking), other prospective segments include:

• Preoperative prospective bariatric surgery patients
• Pediatric sleep and bedtime problems, night wakings and special needs of younger patients
• Diabetic patient screenings, education and treatment programs
• Medically supervised weight loss programs
• Psychology or psychiatry evaluations

Once upon a time everything was simple. Well...maybe just a bit less complicated

There have been dynamic changes in public awareness, medical science, medical delivery systems and even the professions themselves (generalists, specialists and sub-specialists) in recent years. Marketing and advertising for diagnostic sleep evaluation centers and related private practices has shifted from elementary and straightforward to being increasingly varied and difficult.

Today, the marketing message (actually, multiple messages) of a sleep laboratory reaches out to diverse and sometimes overlapping audiences including physicians, patients, prospective self-refer patients, insurance plans and others.

In nearly two decades of helping healthcare practices grow, we have been well aware of the basic fact that sleep clinic practice marketing programs achieve the greatest success because they planned it that way. Their goals are clear, supporting strategies are in place, and implementation tactics are well-considered and carefully coordinated.

Nationwide, it's the same story. The winners all have, and faithfully use, a comprehensive sleep center marketing and advertising plan which guides them strategically on a daily basis. Reaching, convincing and attracting diverse market segments requires cost-effective and solid programs to increase revenue and profitability, through many marketing "gateways" into the practice.

Regardless of how well you think you're doing, a marketing reality check is a useful test. If everything is really just swell, you can take comfort in continuing your sleep center or practice marketing effort just as it is today. But if you don't know, if you're a student of continuous improvement, or if you're serious about breakthrough growth-here's how to start a penetrating conversation with your marketing plan.

The first 7 marketing audit questions...

There are several hundred probing questions to ask yourself and others for an honest self-audit, but to begin here are the first 7:

1. Are you using an evidence-based marketing approach?
Does your marketing system include Proven Strategies, a well-designed Marketing Plan, Effective Implementation and a means to Evaluate Results? All four of these components drive the process. If you're missing one or more you are not operating at maximum strength or capturing full potential.

2. What's the date on your marketing plan?
Even well-considered plans become dated if they are not challenged routinely-at least quarterly. If it's been six months or more since you took a fresh look at your sleep center marketing plan, carve out some quiet time to seriously evaluate. Do you need "refreshment" or a completely new course of action?

3. Do you have clear and specific goals?
Not everyone is clear about the marching order -- goals are quantified and at the top; strategies support goals; and tactics implement the strategies. How have your goals changed? What are the new goals and how did you set the goals? What strategies and tactics are needed to achieve the goals, new or otherwise? Did you realign your budget for what's changed?

4. Is your marketing budget right for the job?
There are no less than six different methods for setting a marketing budget. How did you set your budget and does it achieve the goals? Do you have enough resources-time, dollars, people-in the right places to make this a winning plan? Above all, marketing is a revenue center-not a cost center. You should expect performance to be 3- to 4:1 overall. (See item #7 below.)

5. Does your branding message clearly differentiate your practice?
If you are the "only game in town," branding and positioning for a sleep center might go unchallenged. But increased competition means there's no sliding-by-physicians, patients and the community need to clearly hear and understand how you are different and better.

6. Are your internal, external and referral programs working together or independently?
Some components of a well-tuned plan run all the time, while others may be seasonal, and still others are keyed to a target audience segment or needs. Does your plan carefully coordinate all these elements, providing desired overlap or avoiding conflict?

7. How do you measure response and Return-on-Investment?
Sadly, many centers don't have a reliable tracking system to identify the source of new patients and to measure the effectiveness of their marketing, advertising, promotion or referral efforts. Regardless of the size of the facility, the program or any of the strategic or tactical parts-if you don't track you just don't know what's working. Do you have a tracking system? Is it working? Is it reliable and accurate? It's impossible to manage the plan or calculate your ROI without this part of the equation.

...and a timely tip...

Don't let the Treatment Plan get ahead of the Diagnosis. In our consulting work with healthcare entities around the nation, someone often calls to say they "need a flyer" or "have to have a newspaper ad" or whatever else they think is right for them at that moment. Imagine if a patient presented himself with a request for a specific prescription medication in advance of any history, exam or tests.

The same principle applies in successful marketing programs, especially with sleep disorder centers. Don't jump ahead. Invest the time to ask these questions of yourself, and get a clear and unbiased perspective on where you are and what you need to do to achieve your growth goals.

Call us if you need help finding these answers

Healthcare Success Strategies can guide your sleep disorder diagnostic center marketing or the sleep disorder aspects of your practice, as we have done for others around the nation, providing ethical, creative and evidence-based marketing strategies. Few professional situations are as competitive or as diverse as sleep disorders and we can help with answers you need.

Success in marketing requires the ability to recognize, identify, plan and capitalize proactively on opportunities as they present themselves. This process requires a common group vision and common goals, effective planning, skillful execution, consistency and frequency in communication strategies, as well as a process of measuring, quantifying and evaluating marketing performance so that real-time adjustments can be made to increase the performance and profitability of the marketing efforts.

We understand what works and what doesn't work in sleep disorder marketing and advertising. We know how to effectively communicate your value to your various "customers" in ways that help them appreciate and utilize all that you have to offer. In sleep center marketing these audience groups include patients, prospective patients, referring physicians, self-referral patients, health insurance plans, hospitals and others.

Call us today at (888) 679-0050 ext 4 and we'll help get all your questions answered.