PR TIPS: Working Your Media

May 14, 2013 Leave a comment

Screen shot 2013-05-13 at 5.42.20 PMOnce you’ve landed some media coverage, whether it be print, TV or radio, make sure that you work it.

For example, let’s say you were featured in a newspaper story and – nothing happened.  No one called.  No offers came in.  No interest was generated, at least as far as you could tell.  To start, you don’t know what will eventually come from that one placement.  I’ve seen cases where months down the line some amazing opportunity arose because of one story.  But, for argument’s sake, let’s say nothing happened.   It’s still remarkably valuable.  You just need to work it.

Become the story’s distributor – and I mean distributor in the most basic sense –

  • Circulate your story
  • Feature it in all of your social media platforms.
  • Spread the word.
  • Mention the story in your biography and fact sheet, use it when pitching other stories.
  • Let other media outlets know that you were featured in the article.
  • Duplicate it and use it as a press sample.
  • Use quotes from the story in your mailers, newsletters, ads, and marketing.

I understand being temporarily depressed if you don’t get a decent response to a story, which is why it is so important to understand exactly how media placement works.  One story does not make for a PR campaign.  By understanding the process, you turn what appears to be a lost opportunity into a tremendous advantage.

Make a list of the various ways you can utilize your media, on social media, in ads and newsletters, emails, etc.

Don’t let your failed expectations cloud your business sense.

Don’t waste opportunities due to short sightedness.

Be imaginative, inventive.

Think.

Be creative…

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

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Who Benefits Most From PR and Media Relations?

April 11, 2012 Leave a comment

One huge mistake when it comes to PR and media relations is thinking that it only helps those that are already established. For example, in the entertainment industry only George Clooney of Jennifer Aniston need PR, or in the business world only Apple and Google can really benefit from a public relations outreach, or in medical arena, only the Mayo Clinic or Johns Hopkins School of Medicine can take advantage of PR and media coverage.  Whereas it’s true that all those listed can and do take full advantage of concerted PR campaigns, it is perhaps even truer that those actors, companies or physicians who are up-and-coming can benefit even more.

Those that I listed above need PR to keep their image strong, but those that have yet to become known in the media are the ones who truly need the poser of PR.  They’re the ones who need to establish themselves in the market, as experts in their fields, and need to reach their clients and customers.  Apple, or Clooney or the Mayo Clinic don’t need to actively pitch their stories as they did before.  The media know to come to them.  Their job is mainly to screen requests and when they have a new story to tell, to alert the appropriate media contacts and set up stories.  It’s the newer companies, or those who have never utilized PR in the past that need to court the media and actively pitch their stories.

Ever wonder how the Clooney’s, Google’s and others got to where they are?  Hard work, talent, expertise, great products-  and plenty of media exposure.  None of these would be at the top of their fields without hundreds of stories in the media including TV, newspapers, magazines and radio.

PR can be like money; those that need it the least get it the most.  That’s why public relations is so vitally important for companies that want to grow, reach their target market, and land more clients or customers.  PR offers the validation and credibility of being featured in the news.  It presents entrepreneurs and companies as premiere in the field.  It opens doors, builds businesses and establishes brands.

So, don’t make the mistake of thinking that your company or business or career isn’t big or important enough for PR.  In fact it’s the opposite that’s true.  Instead of waiting to become big or successful enough to warrant PR, use a creative public relations campaign to transform your business into that successful company you’ve been dreaming of building.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Getty Images. “George Clooney.” Photo. IndiWo. 25 Feb 2008. 11 Apr 2012. <http://indiwo.in.com/india/features/entertainment-life/in-pics-oscars-2008-hot-men-on-the-red-carpet/30631/0&gt;

“Apple logo.” Photo. Forbes. 13 May 2011. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2011/05/13/apple-analyst-says-no-lte-in-iphone-5-to-add-sprint-t-mobile/&gt;

“Google Building.” Photo. The Inquisitr. 11 Nov 2012. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://www.inquisitr.com/89991/google-fires-raise-tipster/&gt;

“Mayo Clinic: Defend Your Corporate Identity.” Photo. Bloomberg Businessweek. 11 Apr 2012. <http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/10/1006_twitterville/17.htm&gt;

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Hospitals, PR & Media Training

March 3, 2012 Leave a comment

When it comes to deciding on what physician, medical center or hospital to choose, finding the right one can be a daunting task for most patients.  The same is true for deciding on what medical procedures and modalities to choose.  Most patients and laypeople find the majority of the health and medical information from the news.  Whether this is for the good or the bad, would be a whole different article, but this is how the information world works.  On the media’s side health and medical stories are a part of their bread and butter.  Just about every magazine, newspaper and TV news show covers medical stories.  The newest breakthroughs, treatments, studies are all featured in the news.

The marketing job of every hospital and medical center is to have its physicians, departments and stories featured in the media.  Being featured as a news story offers the credibility, validation and trust factor that only media relations can offer.  What hospitals have in their favor is the amount of different stories they can offer.  When working with a hospital we generally begin by deciding if there are particular departments, procedures or physicians that they initially want to focus on.  If so those become are starting points.

The luxury that a hospital has is the ability to switch from one story and specialty to the next.  For example, an initial public relations campaign can be launched to feature new procedures in cardiology; after a month or so the focus can then shift to oncology, next stories on internal medicine can be presented to the media.  Each department can be highlighted and each different approach offers the media new angles and media stories to cover.  In this way the media bulls-eye becomes much bigger and a hospital’s chances of landing coverage in radio, TV, or print are vastly improved.

If you are launching a PR campaign for your hospital, the one thing that you want to ensure is that once you land media coverage, whoever is going to be doing the interview is prepared.  There is nothing more depressing than not taking full advantage of a media story.  Remember, particularly when it comes to TV, producers are looking for a physician who can not only deliver information, but can also keep the viewers interested.  This does not mean that physicians need to be entertainers, but it does mean that they have to be fully versed in their topic, as well as conversational, upbeat and personable.  Nothing turns a producer (and the viewing audience) off more than a medical expert who stares at his or her feet and drones on about studies and statistics in a monotone voice.  That is a sure fire way to assure that the media won’t be calling you up for a follow up story.  That is why media training for hospitals and physicians is imperative.

A powerful media story can not only bring in new patients, and build the hospital’s brand and credibility in the marketplace; it can also bring in funding.   You want to present the hospital in the best possible light.  You owe it to the media and the public, but you also owe it to the physicians and the institution.  To do so you not only need an impactful message, but a prepared, articulate messenger.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Filed under Medical PR Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why Hospitals Need Media Relations

February 27, 2012 Leave a comment

Health and medical stories are major topics in the news on a daily basis.  Whether a news story has to do with the distribution of health care or with a new medical breakthrough, medicine and health care command the media’s attention.  Health care is a business and for it to be effective it needs to be treated as one.  This has always been true, but never more so than in today’s insurance and reimbursement environment.  Because of that physician, health care and hospital marketing is more critical than ever.  Effective media relations and PR is a necessity to help ensure continuing viability of hospitals, medical centers and medical practices in the local level and to provide the high quality of individual health care Americans expect.

The world of health care and medicine is changing and to remain effective and successful hospitals and medical institutions need to change with the times.  As major changes take affect in the healthcare environment, medical providers need to understand that they are subject to the same media and market pressures and changes as any other business.  Those who will succeed will understand that the landscape has changed, and they will effectively react to those changes.   Marketing is a necessity if a hospital or medical center is going to succeed.  There is a definite need for scrutiny, strategic planning and communication programs in order to most effectively utilize the limited resources while providing top of the line medical care. This is where hospital media relations and PR come in.

Media relations and community relations, both fall under the umbrella of public relations.  Although they are often confused, they are very different processes.  Each has its own objectives and focus.  Media relations includes but is not limited to, developing targeted media lists, the writing and distribution of  news releases, the distribution of information and releases  to the media, and arranging press, radio and television interviews

Media relations is particularly important in the medical field.  Patients choose a hospital or medical provider based on trust.  Even in the case where the medical provider is chosen for the patient it is important that a sense of trust is created.  It is precisely because the trust factor is so important that PR is the most effective form of marketing available for hospitals and health care providers.  Unlike advertising or direct marketing, public relations is the only form of marketing that offers the credibility and validation of being featured in the news.  The public learns of most new medical breakthroughs, studies, or procedures from the media.  The physicians interviewed, or hospitals that are featured benefit from that coverage.  PR needs to be an integral part of any hospital’s business plan.  A successful media relations campaign not only educates and informs. Used effectively, PR can not only build a hospital’s brand and patient base, it can usher in new concepts and perspectives and shape the ideas of a community.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Filed under Medical PR Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Reason Why: Facts Tell, Stories Sell

January 9, 2012 Leave a comment

People love stories.  Stories are how we communicate.  Storytellers are revered in many cultures, and in the western world the writers and directors of films and TV are generally quite well paid both financially and status-wise.  Stories are our currency of communication, yet when it comes to marketing, most businesses forget about the story and focus on the facts.  By doing that they lose the impact that a compelling story brings.

PR and media relations is all about effective storytelling.  For example, when launching a public relations campaign for a physician, I realize that what’s going to benefit him or her the most is not to primarily focus on their credentials and medical savvy, but to emphasize impactful and compelling patient stories   A tale of how a patient went from pain and suffering to living a healthy fulfilling life is one that we can connect with.  It’s much more compelling to tell a vivid and compelling patient’s story, than to explain exactly how a particular procedure or medication technically worked.

People identify with the patient, not the physician; they commiserate and root for him or her.  They’re emotionally involved in the story from beginning to end, particularly if the story somehow personally affects them or someone they know.  If the time comes when they need to seek out the services of a physician who works in that field, guess who they’ll most likely turn to?  You got it; they’re going to want the doctor who helped turn that patient’s life around in the story they heard.

Facts and figures are great.  They give us information and they help give credibility.  But facts and figures alone will seldom result in a sale.  A laundry list of facts offers very little call to action.  And even if a fact list does inherently have a call to action, chances are there is no emotional resonance to it.  The information may be factual, but, unlike a story it is not always emotionally believable.   Stories are evocative; they bypass thought and go directly to feeling.  They shoot past the cynical adult and go right towards the child in each of us.

It’s the story that awakens interest.  For example, when we launch a PR campaign for beauty products spas or beauty salons, our focus is not on the ingredients that the products contain, or precisely how a procedure is performed, or the exact technique that a particular stylist uses; our emphasis is on how the client looks, feels and changes when using that product, going to that spa, or visiting that hairstylist.   Our focus is on how the client’s life is transformed.

The personal journey in the story told might be major or less dramatic, but it is the transformation that will affect the reader or viewer, or listener.  Just as in real estate the saying goes that it’s location, location, location, in promotion, marketing and PR, it’s the story, the story, the story.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

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Patient Stories and Medical Media Relations

December 14, 2011 Leave a comment

When it comes to PR and medical-oriented media relations, remember, your best stories are patient success stories.  Yes, as the physician you’re the expert and the educator, but it’s your patient stories that in turn will tell your story.  The media is looking to interest their audience, whether that audience is readers, viewers or listeners and what’s going to grab their attention is going to be stories that affect them.  Although the audience is going to be interested in your expertise and information, what is going to impact them on a visceral, emotional level is going to be patient stories that they can identify with.

Make a list of patients who have interesting, impactful stories they can tell.  You want these stories to illustrate how lives were changed or transformed.  Contact the appropriate patients, explain how their stories can help educate and inform others who are dealing with similar problems or issues. Explain what would be involved and how this would be an important outreach to the media.  This is not just a way to sell a patient on appearing in the media.  Patient stories educate and inform the public.  That is generally how the public learns about new procedures, treatments, and options.  We’ve worked with physicians where the patients were more than willing to tell their stories because they wanted others in their situation to be able to benefit from their story.  There are patients who will have no interest in speaking to the media, preferring to keep their story private.  That is something to be respected.  But let patients know that you are collecting anecdotal stories and that you’ll be presenting some of these stories to the media to explain and educate the public on your work.  You may be surprised at how many will be willing and even eager to tell their story.

Once you have patients who are willing to tell their stories, match the various patient stories to the appropriate media outlets.  For example a story about the latest breakthroughs in back surgery, would be pitched differently than a story about hormone replacement therapy.  A story on a ten year old dealing with food allergies, would need a different approach altogether.  If your stories include before and after photos, make sure to get images that are as professional as possible.  Be sure to have your patients sign a release form.

Once you have patients who are willing to tell their story to the media, meet with them to review the questions that the media could ask them.  Make your patients as comfortable as possible with the process.  Remember, these patients are not only telling their stories, they’re representing you and your practice.  You want them to be articulate and the presentation to be accurate and appropriate. Utilizing medical-oriented public relations can serve several purposes, it can build your practice and educate and inform the public.   By getting this information to the public through the media you can improve and, in some cases, save lives.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

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Building A Medical Practice Through Media Relations

December 7, 2011 Leave a comment

There are several reasons why physicians, more than those in other professions, can benefit from an effective media relations campaign. The traditional media is how most consumers and patients learn about the latest medical breakthroughs, news, or studies.  Those physicians that are featured in the media are seen as trusted experts.  They are the ones that the consumers and potential patients are going to seek out.  Public relations is not simply a form of marketing, it is an effective way to inform and educate the public.  Education and information are the keys to a truly successful media campaign; press coverage reaches a physician’s target market, drives patients their way and gives them validation and credibility

PR is the only form of medical marketing that effectively builds trust and credibility.  Marketing a medical practice via traditional advertising has its place, but that approach has inherent risks.  No patient wants to feel that he or she is being “sold”. Patients want to see someone they trust, someone they feel is the best in their field.  It is that validation and trust factor that comes with being featured in the media.

Media relations is particularly important for physicians on the cutting edge, or those who are introducing new procedures or treatments,  The message of safety, trust, expertise and  success needs to be conveyed through the media.  The validation and credibility factor needs to be established.  Making decisions about health care and medical treatments can be frightening for most patients and consumers.  Because of that they are reluctant to be among the first to try a new medical technique than are most consumers.  Through targeted public relations a sense of trust can be established; the newer and/or more sensitive the procedure, the greater the trust that needs to be established, which is why PR is particularly important in those arenas.

As stated earlier a truly effective medical PR campaign is not just about marketing; it is also about educating and communicating with the public.  A successful media relations campaign educates and informs.  Used effectively, PR can not only build a medical practice, it can usher in new concepts and perspectives and shape the ideas of a community.  Because of that, fact it’s important that physicians see and present themselves as educators.  By utilizing the media to present their stories and show case their expertise; physicians can establish themselves as experts in their field, reach their target market and build a successful practice.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

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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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Media & Medicine: Developing a Medical Practice Utilizing PR

June 13, 2011 Leave a comment

If you’re a physician looking to market your practice or reach out to new patients, keep in mind that physicians, more than those in other professions, can benefit from an effective media campaign. Press coverage reaches their target market, drives patients their way and gives them validation and credibility. The public generally learns about the latest medical breakthroughs, news, or studies via the media.  It is an avenue they trust and trust is the bottom line when it comes to health care.

Physicians that are featured in the media are seen as the experts, whether they are featured in their local newspaper or on the Today show.  Doctors and health care specialists can present themselves as media go-to experts by offering the media relevant and timely stories.

Although marketing a medical practice via print ads or commercials can have some effect, that approach has inherent risks.  No patient wants to feel that he or she is being “sold”. Patients want to see someone they trust, someone they feel is the best in their field.  It is that validation and trust factor that comes with being featured in the media. For example, if a prospective patient reads an article that features a physician in the New York Times or USA Today, or sees a doctor interviewed on CNN or on a network nightly news segment, chances are that physician will be viewed as an expert, as a leader in his or her field who can be trusted.

Public relations is also important because a PR campaign is not just about marketing; it is also about educating the public.  An effective media campaign educates and informs.  Used effectively, media relations can not only build a practice, it can educate and introduce new concepts and perspectives and shape the ideas of a community.  Because of that, it’s important that physicians see and present themselves as educators.

Physicians need to keep in mind that their best media stories are not about themselves, but about their patients.  A transformational patient success story with a strong narrative is what the media is searching for.  If you’re looking to reach more patients, bring a story to the public, or position yourself as an expert in your field, you’re best approach is to make a list of patient’s who have interesting impactful stories they can tell.  You want these stories to illustrate how lives were changed or transformed.

There are a number of different media outlets available including Dr. Oz, CNN, the Today Show, Men’s Health, Shape, the Wall Street Journal and hundreds of other media outlets.  Before presenting a story match the various patient stories to the appropriate media outlets.  For example a story about a ten year old struggling with Autism, would be pitched differently than a story about the latest in bio-identical hormone replacement therapy.  Meet with the patients and review the questions that the media could ask them.  Make your patients as comfortable as possible with the process.  Remember, these patients are not only telling their stories, they’re representing you and your practice.  You want them to be articulate and the presentation to be accurate and appropriate.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Filed under doctor pr, Medical PR, physicians, PR, TV, tv interview Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

PR for Complementary Health Care Practitioners

February 28, 2011 1 Comment

It’s taken the media and the traditional healthcare world quite a while to learn what the public has now known for quite a while.  Complementary and alternative healthcare is a huge force in the U.S. For example, a 1998 phone survey of 1539 adults found that 42.1% in the United States had used at least one form of complementary health care within a twelve month period.  That usage had increased since 1990 and continues to increase; the most used treatments were herbal medicine, massage, megavitamins, self-help groups, folk remedies, energy healing and homeopathy.

When I began working in the arena of health-oriented PR, trying to get the media to do a segment on herbs, acupuncture or bodywork was a challenge.  Those modalities were considered too alternative, too out there; not mainstream enough.  And if the media did do a story on acupuncture, it had to feature an acupuncturist who was also an M.D.  Times have changed.  Now CNN, the Today Show, Time and other mainstream media outlets all cover alternative and complementary healthcare.  If you work in the world of wellness or complementary healthcare, you need to know how to work with the media and how to launch an effective PR campaign, the media floodgates have opened, but you need to learn to control the message.

Years ago, we worked with the Rolf Institute and the Heller Institute and, even though both modalities had been around for quite a while, they were still considered quite exotic by the mainstream media.  We were able to launch effective campaigns, but it was a hard go.  The media was weary.  They were not used to covering stories that did not involve an M.D., unless it was to uncover some type of fraudulent practice.   Well times have certainly changed since then. From body work and acupuncture to nutritional supplements and yoga, more modalities are making the leap from the alternative to the mainstream.  Traditional hospitals now have wellness centers that cover a host of alternative modalities.  More physicians are melding traditional and complementary health care in their practices.

More than anything, the public’s thirst for knowledge about their healthcare has skyrocketed.  It can be confusing for an individual to understand which supplements and what modalities are best suited for them.  The press understands their readers, viewers and listeners are craving information on how they can best utilize complementary health care.  This time offers some amazing public relations opportunities.  If you can explain your field, discuss how it works, offer anecdotal stories and present yourself to the media as an expert in your field, you’ll be well positioned to ride this healthcare information wave.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Filed under doctor pr, healthcare, Medical PR, medicine, PR Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

PR: Healthcare’s #1 Educational Marketing Tool

October 28, 2010 1 Comment


Although most physicians and health care practitioners understand that a strong public relations outreach is the backbone of any effective medical marketing campaign, there are still those that misunderstand the process.   The thought of actively marketing still terrifies some in the medical field.  It is difficult for those to understand that an effective public relations or media relations campaign is not only an integral part of a successful practice it is the most effective educational tool available.

A PR campaign is not just about marketing, it’s also about informing and educating.  The media is how most of the public learns about medical breakthroughs and health-oriented stories.  Whether it be CNN, the New York Times, Time magazine, the Wall Street Journal or the Today Show, it is via the media that people learn about the latest in cardiovascular or diabetes treatments, the newest medical tests, or the most recent health-oriented breakthroughs.

Today, savvy hospitals and physicians view public relations as an integral component of their business strategy.  But many still have to come to terms with the process. It’s not enough to simply hire a public relations firm; it’s important to work with them, a change in attitude and outlook is required.  For example, when it comes to communicating, doctors are used to presenting scientific data to their peers. They are trained to think in terms of studies and statistics, whereas the public and media both understand and respond more favorably to anecdotal stories.

When speaking to the media, physicians have to effectively communicate.  They can’t talk solely using the jargon of their particular field, since this makes for a very insular form of communication. This not only applies to physicians and health professionals.  All business professionals can benefit from learning to speak the public’s language and honing their ability to communicate, but those in the medical field can perhaps benefit the most.

An intelligent, effective media campaign educates and informs the media and the public. Used effectively, P.R. can usher in new concepts and perspectives, and shape the ideas of a community and a nation.  To reach that end, physicians need to view themselves as educators. After all, we live in the information age and no profession, field or practice can avoid its effects. Professionals who understand the process and actively utilize the media to not only promote their practices but also to inform and educate are the ones who will succeed.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

 

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