The True Value of Medical PR

August 12, 2011 Leave a comment

As a physician, launching a PR and media relations campaign, you can have a number of objectives.  Your aim may be to bring in more patients, to establish your practice, to establish yourself as one of the primary experts in your field, or to separate yourself from the competition.  All those objectives are sound and can be accomplished through an effective public relations outreach.  Every physician has his or her own needs and goals and it’s important to tailor each media campaign to achieve those specific aims.

In the past we’ve placed physicians and health care professionals in a wide range of media outlets from local and regional media to such national outlets as Oprah, the Today Show, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and hundreds of other media outlets.  But, apart from reaching a physician’s target market, establishing their brand and establishing them as experts in their fields, perhaps the most rewarding aspect of health and medical PR is that by presenting informative and educational stories to the media, we’ve been able to impact people’s lives.

We’ve worked with a wide range of physicians including oncologists, cardiologists, pain management specialists, ob-gyns, and pulmonary specialists.  Each one has had unique patient stories to tell and each one has addressed issues that affect hundreds, thousands and sometimes millions of people.

By taking these stories to the media we in turn have been able to offer options and solutions for patients who were often unaware that new approaches, treatments or modalities existed.

These stories have offered hope and guidance.  After stories on a  physician or treatment have been published in a magazine or newspaper or have aired on TV, not only have new local patients decided to seek help, there have been several instances where patients have flown cross country or from foreign countries to seek help, guidance and treatment.

I’ve found this type of media outreach to be the most gratifying.  Whereas the campaigns are designed to reach a physicians target market, grow a medical practice, establish him or her as an expert and gain the credibility and validation which comes from being featured in the news, they are also designed to educate and inform

As a physician, one of the most important aspects to keep in mind when launching a health or medical-oriented public relations campaign is how important the information you’re offering can be.  Through the media you are able to directly communicate with hundreds, thousands or millions of people.  Some may be directly dealing with the problem, symptoms or disease you’re addressing, others may know a friend or a family member who could use the information.  There will be treatments, approaches, and options you offer that may not be new within the medical community, but could be new to many patients.  The information you offer can often it can be a life changer.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Filed under doctor pr, Medical PR, medicine, Public Relations, public relations services Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why Physicians Need PR

November 8, 2010 Leave a comment

Physicians, more than most professionals, need to be aware of how they are perceived by the public.  A person’s health is his or her most valuable asset, and to most there is nothing more important than picking the right healthcare practitioner.  No one wants to put their health in the hands of someone they don’t trust.   This is one reason why (in the health and medical world) although advertising and direct mail promotions can be successful, they can also backfire.  A prospective patient does not chose a physician,  healthcare provider, or a hospital, the same way he or she chooses a new Smartphone or a new set of tires.

Marketing a medical practice via a print ad or TV commercial has inherent risks.  A physician does not want to be viewed as though he or she is actively selling; no prospective patient wants to be sold.  Patients want to see someone they trust, someone they feel is the best in the field, and that’s why a well planned public relations campaign is so very important to building a medical practice.

The healthcare field is learning how to utilize public relations and social media as ways to connect with and communicate to the public.  In over two decades working in the healthcare PR field, I’ve seen first hand how important media coverage is to physicians and hospitals.  We’ve placed physicians and healthcare practitioners in a wide range of media outlets including Time, Newsweek, Oprah, the Today Show, the Wall Street journal, the New Your Times, the BBC and hundreds of other local and national media outlets.  Those placements have helped build practices and establish medical experts.

On its own, the media has a tendency to run with the “if it bleeds it leads” stories.  That’s not only true in medicine but in all fields.  It is up to physicians, hospitals and medical professionals to offer the media instructional, educational and (yes) entertaining stories; compelling anecdotal stories that offer options new approaches and also appeal to the emotions.

People turn to experts in time of need.  They look for those they can trust, and being featured in Time, USA Today, the Today Show, CNN or the Wall Street Journal, helps give the public that sense of trust.  In the medical field, it’s not the physician or medical center who can buy the biggest ad or run the most commercials who get patients; it’s those that can tell the most compelling and educational human-interest stories.  Stories on the newest medical breakthroughs and the newest trends and studies attract media attention.  Stories on restoring someone’s health or saving the life of a loved one touch a basic human chord.

To succeed in the media world, it’s important for physicians to learn know how to speak the media’s language.  They need to learn how to establish themselves as the “go-to” doctor in their specialty, and to let the media know how to contact them when they need a quote about a medical issue.  They also need to learn how to reach out to media outlets, establish themselves as an expert and pitch compelling medical stories.  None of this was likely taught in medical school, but as more physicians are learning, as a marketing and educational tool, nothing compares with a well thought out PR campaign.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Filed under healthcare, physicians, PR, public relations services Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Six Greatest PR Myths Busted

July 14, 2010 Leave a comment

Hey Everyone,

There is a lot here.  So today we’ll start with the first 2 greatest PR Myths:

1) I CAN’T USE NATIONAL MEDIA

2) I DON’T WANT TO BE IN THE MEDIA, I JUST WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL

...check out the next few days posts to get the next 4:

3) I’M A NATURAL STAR.  THEY WILL BE BEATTING DOWN MY DOOR.

4) I’M NOT INTERESTING ENOUGH TO DO PR

5) I TRIED PR; IT DIDIN’T WORK

6) THE GRAND SLAM

Thanks!

Anthony

When it comes to public relations, often what appears to be the obvious decision is the wrong decision. What makes it especially difficult is that, (as you’ll learn once you decide to launch a campaign) everyone thinks that they know all there is to know about publicity. You will be given advice from your neighbors, co-workers, pastors, janitors, clients, patients, relatives – you name it.

I once worked as the editor for a magazine publisher who had a tendency to listen to, and take advice from, any and everyone he met. When he went to lunch, I used to pray that the elevator would be empty and that he’d go for drive-through fast food where no one would talk to him. If he spoke to a waitress, a salesperson, or a stranger in an elevator, he would invariably call me into his office and propose that we implement some revolutionary suggestions that he had been given. Never mind that nine times out of ten these changes were totally inappropriate, as far as he was concerned they were dynamic, new – revolutionary!

People love to give advice, whether they know what they’re talking about or not. Remember, these people who tell you exactly how you should run your business have nothing at stake, which is why they can afford to make such definitive and authoritative pronouncements.  So, when these know-it-alls give you advice, smile, listen, maybe even nod, but stay on course.

The following are a few of the PR myths that you don’t want to fall prey to.  There are more than I’m listing here, but the following is a list of the most common mistakes I watch people make, day, after day, after day, after…

1) I CAN’T USE NATIONAL MEDIA

We live in the information age. If you’re resourceful and inventive enough, you can come up with an interesting story, hook, or idea that will interest the national media. I know, you think that you could never garner national media – your story’s simply not exciting enough. But you’re wrong; you can interest the national media. No, you’re probably thinking, even if you could land some national stories, you have no possible use for national media, so what difference does it make? It would just be a waste of time and money for you. You’re based in a little town called Nowhereville, USA, so what good would a story that hits all fifty states do you?  It’s obvious I just don’t understand your needs.

Well, let’s see. As to your first point, that you don’t have a story that could interest the national media: Why not? Why couldn’t you generate national interest in your story? Remember everyone who is quoted in Time magazine, or interviewed on the Today show lives and works in some local town or city. Take a look at all of the possible angles available. What makes your story different, unique? Is there some trend or new breakthrough in your field that affects not only your particular business, but your profession as a whole? Are there other similar types of businesses or professionals that you can help weave into your story to give it a broader appeal? Study all of the possibilities. Give your story a wider, more national scope.

Regardless of the field you are in, you want to pitch your story in a way where you remove the local or regional barrier. You are pitching a story that will interest the nation as a whole. Brainstorm, come up with different ideas. You’ll find some, just give it time. Don’t ignore your local angles. Use them for your local media, but remember, you can and should transcend your city boundary lines. From my experience, I’ve found that it’s as easy or as hard (depending on how you want to look at it), to place national media, as it is to land local and regional press.

Now let’s look at why you’d want to garner national publicity, if you only have a local business. People aren’t going to fly in from around the country to use your plumbing service or buy insurance from you, or try the newest item on your menu, are they? Maybe, but probably not. So then, is national publicity a waste? Most people will probably tell you so. Most people will tell you to stay local, because that’s where your bread and butter is.

Granted, most people are going to want local media; that’s where they live, that’s where their business is based, that’s where they’re going to sell their products, get their clients to sell their service. So, why am I telling you to pitch the national press? Because, a national story will establish you as an expert in your field. You will be able to put your media credits in your releases and bios and, most importantly, national media can help drive your local media through the roof.

Let’s say that you land a thirty-second quote on CNN. Now what? You move as quickly as possible and let your local media outlets know that you were recently featured on CNN. You, small-town business person from Nowhereville, USA, were featured on the national news. Heck, that in itself is news. Believe me, nothing impresses the media more than media. Now you’re national news and you’re in a position to garner local news. National media feeds the local media. It takes some thought, work and persistence, but the rewards can be incredible.

If you initially don’t land any national interest, don’t let that deter or depress you. Keep at it, and remember, the process also works in reverse. Once you receive local publicity, you can use that as ammunition to approach the national media again. If local press is your main priority, that’s where your emphasis should be. But don’t overlook the national media. It can help establish you as an expert in your field and help you land major local stories.
2) I DON’T WANT TO BE IN THE MEDIA, I JUST WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL

A lot of people have resistance to doing media. They don’t want to do interviews, they don’t want to be an “expert,” they just want their business to be successful. If you feel that way, ask yourself what you’re willing to do to be successful. Are you willing to utilize the most powerful marketing tool available? Are you willing to utilize the magic of the media, and give your business a real chance for success?

An incredible marketing tool is being offered to those who are willing to utilize it. Effective media placement isn’t about wanting to be a star or wanting to appear in the media – it’s about success. It’s about establishing yourself as an expert in your field and zooming beyond your competition. Publicity is a creative, effective, relatively inexpensive, and dynamic way to achieve success. You are not positioning yourself as a “star” or an entertainer, but as an expert in your field. You are establishing yourself as an invaluable resource for the media. You probably don’t like to pay the bills, or do the books, or shop for your best suppliers, but you do it because it’s part of doing business. It is a part of your bottom line. Media placement should also be an integral part of that equation. You do it because you want to be successful. Period.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Filed under business, PR, PR Campaign, Public Relations, public relations expert, public relations services Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Creating PR Success Beyond Oprah

March 11, 2010 1 Comment

I recently received a call from a prospective client who had recently appeared on Oprah and was looking for ways to continue and grow his media placements and build his public relations campaign.  That was one smart, savvy business owner.  Most people view Oprah as the summit, as the end of the line media-wise.  Granted, at least through the end of this year, Oprah will remain one of the prime jewels, when it comes to media coverage.  For the last decade it seems as though every client and prospect has lead with one question – “when can you get me on Oprah?”

She created a media juggernaut, the likes of which we’ve rarely seen.  Still, even for those clients we did book on Oprah, the show was only one step in their overall media campaign.  The purpose of PR is not to gain one media hit, but to create a sustained ongoing media presence.  It could be a TV segment, or a magazine or newspaper article; still other times it could be coverage in a blog or a social media site.

It is the combination of media coverage that creates an effective public relations campaign.  It is not about one placement, even if that placement is on Oprah or the Today Show.  Those types of media hits only truly fulfill their purpose if they end up generating more media coverage.  Often a media hit in a huge outlet such as Oprah will result in an avalanche of call and enquiries for a couple of weeks, but the response will then start to rapidly fade.  We once placed a client on a national TV segment that generated in the neighborhood of half a million calls in a couple of weeks.  The response was astounding.  But as with anything else, if the campaign had stopped there, eventually so would the calls.

So, keep in mind that one media placement does not equate to an effective public relations campaign.  PR is a cumulative process.  It is about the long haul, about creating a sustained ongoing media presence.  Now, add an Oprah appearance to that approach and you have one amazing PR success story on your hands.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Filed under Media, Press Release Writing, Public Relations, public relations services Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A MEDIA INTERVIEW

October 27, 2009 Leave a comment

When launching a media relations campaign, it’s easy to get so lost in pitching the media, that you forget you also need to prepare, to be ready when the media does call.  And you need to be prepared for different types of interviews, from print, to radio, to TV.  Keep in mind that interview calls often come when the media is on a deadline and needs an interview – now!  In those situations, you need to be ready to move in a flash, you have to be prepared and ready to go.

 

Although media relations usually takes some time, there are those instances that a press release immediately hits the jackpot. For example you could email a press release at 9 a.m. and be doing a live TV interview at noon that same day. You have to be ready. Remember; don’t unleash the power of the media until you’re prepared to control it. Public Relations can be tricky because you have to be both patient and prepared. If you’re not prepared to do an interview, it could turn out to be a dismal experience. You can end up feeling depressed and embarrassed, the media will feel cheated, and you will have wasted an incredible opportunity.
So how do you prepare for a media interview? Review the image you want to convey – small town and friendly, authoritative, professional, humorous, artistic, formal and business-like, etc.  Know the image you want to convey. Make sure that your image matches your personality. If you are basically shy and retiring, don’t try to come off like a rock star. That’s not going to work. You may have to learn to project more and become a bit more forceful with your responses, but those are simply tools you learn to utilize when needed. Keep your voice modulated. Be dynamic, but not frenzied. Your mission here is not to alter your personality, but to enhance it. Do practice interviews.  If you can hire a media trainer, great.  If not practice with a friend, or in front of a mirror.  Have both your information and your delivery ready to go. That way, when the media does respond, you’ll be ready.

 

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2009

Filed under Media, Media Coverage, Media Exposure, Media Relations, PR Campaign, Public Relations, public relations services Tagged with , , , , ,

The Secrets to Successfully Landing Media Coverage

October 20, 2009 Leave a comment

One of the biggest mistakes companies make when launching a PR campaign is that they approach the media as one huge unified organization.  When it comes to approaching the media, keep in mind that there is no one media outlet.  You are not pitching one story, nor are you pitching one media source.  To be successful you need to be developing a number of different stories to pitch to a variety of different media outlets.  Each media source has needs and interests that are specific to it.  For example, what is going to interest the Wall Street Journal will be different than what will interest People, just as a pitch that could grab Oprah’s attention won’t be the same one you’d use to land a story in Playboy.  The primary secret to a successful PR campaign is to focus on what the various media outlets need and pitch each outlet accordingly.


Develop your primary story:  Your basic story may well stay somewhat the same, but you need to modify the pitch to meet the needs of each magazine, newspaper, radio show and TV outlet.  Develop a number of secondary pitch ideas:  if you’re really going to be successful, you’re going to want to develop a number of story ideas.  Don’t always stick with the obvious story.  If you’re launching a new beauty product, or a new technology product chances are you’re going to want to focus  100% on the new product.  Of course that is your primary pitch, but if you stop there, you’re narrowing the media bulls-eye.


Is there a trend story connected to your product?  Is there a client who’s life you’ve changed who is willing to tell his or her story to the media?  Is there a business-oriented story you could develop?  Is there a human interest story that has to do with how the product was developed?  Is there a seasonal or holiday story?  The list continues.  Take some time, brainstorm, be creative.


After you’ve developed your stories your next step is to create an appropriate, targeted media list.  Now combine the two, match the various pitches to the appropriate media outlets.   Don’t pitch a sportswriter a beauty story and don’t pitch a business magazine a warm and fuzzy human interest story.  Study the various media outlets out there.  Learn what they need.  Read, watch and listen to the stories they run.  Educate yourself. Create compelling stories, a targeted media list and a strong pitch.  Now you’re set; launch an effective, successful media campaign and watch your business grow.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2009

Filed under business, Entrepreneur PR, how do i get in the media, how do i promote myself, Land More Clients, Land More Customers, Marketing, Media, Media Coverage, Media Exposure, Media Relations, PR, PR Campaign, Press Release Writing, Public Relations, public relations services, public relations specialist Tagged with , , , ,

Regardless of the Medium, The Story is the Message

March 28, 2009 Leave a comment

 

“The medium is the message” is a phrase by Marshall McLuhan.  In his book, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, published in 1964, he explained that the medium influences how the message is perceived.  So, what does that mean for the present?  Today, when all of the established mediums are basically crumbling around us and the overwhelming medium of choice is the Internet, what does that say about the message itself?  How can we now successfully convey a message through this relatively new medium? 

 

Although more people are able to deliver their message than ever before, the number of mediums is being reduced to one.  Whereas in the past people would choose to read a newspaper, watch TV, or listen to the radio, all of those mediums are funneling themselves into the Internet.  So how does the medium translate as the message?  The way we perceive the medium is as important as how we perceive the message. So, where is this new road taking us?  

 

Is it one comprised primarily of opinion-based information? 

 

Is peer review going to take the place of editorial review? 

 

Is vetted and fact-checked news now less important than on-the-scene, personalized, immediate coverage?

 

And, apart from information and news, how is this medium affecting the ways companies promote and market themselves?  How is advertising and public relations affected?  According to studies, at present, advertising is waning on the Internet.  The one-to-one correlations to print ad and TV commercials do not seem to be there.  How to monetize the Internet is still a question in search of an answer.   But, amid all of this change and flux, there does remain one constant, what people relate to are stories.  From the beginning of recorded history to the present time, our species is one that learns and communicates through storytelling.  So, amid all of the changes, the story remains supreme and those individuals and companies that understand this and focus on how to successfully articulate their stories, regardless of the medium, those will be the ones who will not only survive, but thrive. 

 

Copyright © Anthony Mora

 

 

Filed under Public Relations, Media Relations, Media, Entrepreneur PR, small business Public Relations, advertising vs. public relations, business, public relations expert, public relations specialist, public relations services, Your Message, Your Target Market

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