Shoestring Marketing

Chris Houchenswww.ShotgunConcepts.com

Low Budget / High Impact Marketing

Cheap vs. Effective

ROI is more important than cost

Marketing?

• To communicate a consistent intended message to a specific intended audience.

• Marketing is NOT just advertising.• Marketing is NOT just PR.• Marketing is NOT just sales.• Marketing helps CREATE the sales

opportunity.• Successful marketing develops long

term relationships

Healthcare Marketing Trends

• One word :: Choices– Consumers in charge of healthcare decisions– Self-Diagnosis is on the rise

• Google tried to outdo the CDC last flu season– “Doctor says” no longer the force it was– Consumers have more disposable income– Insurance / HMO / Flex Account / etc

• The idea of Customers vs. Patients• Everything is about to change

Do you have a marketing plan?

Do you ever look at it?

A Marketing Plan...

• Defines Marketing Costs• Shows Marketing Value• Defines Mission / Provides Focus• Written Game Plan• Evolving Document

A Marketing Plan isOn Paper…On Purpose

Where do we want the money to go?

as opposed to

Where did the money go?

Most prevalent marketing mistakes

• “Me Too” Competitive and following fads• Campaigns designed around cutesy or non-

relevant centers• Marketers trying to reach themselves• Money Issues

– Focus on costs rather than effectiveness– Thinking that $$$ = Success– Accepting proposed prices

• Forgetting multiple media maximizes the message

• No marketing plan

Save Money with Media Buys

• You should always BUY advertising• Never be SOLD advertising

– (There’s a difference)• Salespeople are NOT “Marketing

Consultants”• Ask for a rate card, but never use it

The key to cheap marketing

Think SmallNarrowcasting vs. Broadcasting

Working with a Small (no) Budget

• There’s never enough people, time, or money• Solutions

– Media Relations and PR– Brand Strategy– Guerilla Marketing– Online

• The true key is to have a (marketing) plan and spend smart through– Strategy– Segmentation– Leverage– Measurement

Budgeting #1: Strategy

• Is this marketing initiative a priority?• What is the LONG TERM goal?

– More members?– More exposure?– More credit?

• How much of the pot should this get?• What’s the needed ROI?

Budgeting #2: Segmentation

• Who are we really trying to talk to?• Stop wasting money / time / resources:

– playing to the board– trying to retail a wholesale product– firing canons instead of rifles

• Figure out who is making the decision and find the best / cheapest / quickest way to reach them at the right time

Budgeting #3: Leverage

• Use current customers to gain new• Word of mouth• Cross - promotions• CRM: always collect e-mail addresses and

other contact info (and follow up)• Use the web• Let viral and other networks grow the

investment exponentially

Budgeting #4: Measurement

• Measure actual ROI as well as responses• Measure satisfaction and “stickiness” as

well as the actual numbers• Use the info to make adjustments

You can’t manage whatyou can’t measure

Every marketing budget should be developed using a

Zero-Based Strategy

Does this belong in MY marketing budget???!!!

• Employee programs– The Christmas party?

• Waiting Room magazines• Chamber of Commerce / Association dues• Classified employment “ads”• Travel• Etc. Etc. Etc.

Your table of brochures ain’t workin’

(and is expensive)

Low Cost “Guerilla” Marketing• #1 Method - Word-of-Mouth / “Buzz”

– Referrals from customers, friends, vendors, etc• Brochures / Posters / Printed Literature• Build marketing into current paper trail

– Business cards, fax sheet, letterhead, e-signatures• On-Hold Message• Community Events / Trade Shows• Articles / Publishing• Ad Specialties / Gifts• Cross Promotions / Alliances• Networking• Seminars / Workshops• Public Relations - Press Releases - Media Show

Strokes Happen

• Baptist Health System in San Antonio

• 80 Mannequins– # of San Antonio

stroke deaths annually• Actors at restaurants

had “strokes”• Web e-cards

3 weird guerilla ideas that would take bravery,

but just might work

Do an Informercial

Heart Attack Coupons

Develop a Loyalty Program

Database marketing has high ROI

• Direct Mail• Email• Telemarketing

• Watch out for HIPAA!– Most “marketing” activities are excepted– Just buy a list

Public Relations

• What is PR?– Coverage in the media– NOT public perception (that’s your brand)

• A PR program is PART of your marketing strategy....... not the other way around

• Extremely effective & credible• OVERALL GOALS of a PR Program:

– Establish credibility and become a “source”– Media Coverage

Media Relations

• 3 key roles on your media relations and PR team– Media Coordinator

• Makes contacts and develops relationships– Spokesperson

• Face / Voice of the Organization– Writer / Producer

• Provides consistent content

Successful branding makes other aspects of marketing easier

and cheaper.

Brand Consistency• Touchpoints

– All interactions with the target• Messaging

– Slogans / Taglines– Advertising

• Design– Logo / Identity– Packaging– Colors / Fonts

• Pricing

Branding Success Microwave vs. Slow Cooker

You’re spending too much money

in the wrong place with your online strategy

Online budget here?

Or there?

Fundamental E-Marketing

• Online Spending– Budget for Website– Banner Ads– Contextual Search Advertising– SEO – Search Engine Optimization

• E-mail Marketing– Phishing / Spam– Permission-Based

• Blogs / Social Media

The Website

• Cannot just be an online brochure• Must be dynamic• Content is King• Simple is best

– Just because you can – doesn’t mean you should

• When was the last time you visited your own website?

Search Engine Optimization

• Text not graphics• Write text with SEO in mind• Inbound links• Metadata

– Keywords– Descriptions– <title>Title Tags</title>– Graphic alt tags

Email Marketing• Anticipated, personal and relevant messages

delivered to people who actually want to get them

• PERMISSION– Sign-ups– Opt-outs

• Keys to success– The List– Subject and “from”– Permission

What do you mean by Social Media?

• Blogs• Microblogs

– Twitter

• Video– Google & YouTube– Revver

• Social Networks– MySpace– Facebook

• Wikis• Photo

– Flickr– Photobucket

• Virtual reality– Second Life

• Social / News Bookmarks– Digg– Reddit– Del.icio.us

Community / user generated content

BrandStrategy

PREfforts

Advertising

CorporateMessages

Media&

Press

Gatekeepers

Consumers&

Public

WordOf

Mouth

Traditional Marketing

Social Media Marketing

BrandStrategy

PREfforts

Advertising

CorporateMessages

Consumers&

Public

WordOf

Mouth

“Blogs, short for weblogs”

“Juicy”

Social Media are

mass media.

Warhol Revisited

“In the future,everyone will be famous for

15 minutes.”

With social media,everyone is famous to

15 people.

Blogs work when they are based on:

• Candor• Urgency• Timeliness• Pithiness• Controversy

If you can't be at least four of the five things listed above, please don't bother. --Seth Godin

Do NOT use Social Media as a press release machine

• Kaimana• Shanti• Aurora• Humphrey • Mikaela• Kaimana

Mr. Splashy Pants

Tracking / Effectiveness

"I know that half my advertising works.I just don't know which half."

John Wanamaker (1838- 1922)

If you say the same thing...

STOP ADVERTISING.

Shoestring MarketingLow Budget / High Impact Marketing

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Blog: ShotgunConcepts.comWeb: ChrisHouchens.comTwitter: @shotgunconcepts

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