It’s a new year. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
Right now, many marketers are writing retrospectives about 2020. They are going over everything that happened and the impact. I am taking a different approach. I want to know what are you going to do to make 2021 a better year? How are you going to grow as a business?
Build a new marketing vision for 2021
An excellent place to start as you move forward is to take a look back. There is no doubt 2020 was a year full of changes and challenges, but it’s essential to understand what
worked and what didn’t. Ask yourself some questions:
- How much of your marketing budget went to strategies that worked?
- How can you utilize those same strategies in 2021?
- Should you try to continue these 2020 strategies? Were the ideas built around COVID, for example? If so, how might they change as more and more people become vaccinated?
- What about the efforts that didn’t pay off? Are they worth reworking or replacing?
- What issues inside the business need addressing in the new year? Is it time to rethink the business vision or mission statement?
We can all agree that 2020 was a year like no other, so not all the marketing ideas you applied to it will work in 2021. When developing your strategy for 2021, keep in mind that things in radiology marketing are very much still in flux. You will need to be nimble and willing to make changes throughout the year to take advantage of all the opportunities.
Find opportunity in change
We have all experienced change and more changes are likely on the horizon. It’s important to look for opportunities that come with them so you don’t miss out.
The importance of retention marketing
Radiology marketers understand the need for a loyal client base. Retention marketing allows you to increase your communication with customers and build their trust. Some practical ideas for retention marketing include:
- Educational content and onboarding information
- Advance customer support that includes reaching out to clients to see what they need.
- Customer appreciation
- Surveys
Make content marketing a priority
You can tie all this up nicely when you do effective content marketing. Make 2021 the year that you maintain an active blog. Provide information that helps radiologists, physicians, and healthcare consumers.
Build brand trust
The Edelman Trust Barometer 2020 found that 70 percent of B2B customers list brand trust as more important today than ever. One way to do build brand trust is
by improving your website design and writing fresh content. Social media provides you a way to have two-way conversations with customers
and create positive messaging using graphics and video media. All this will increase your internet presence and produce positive organic search results, impacting brand trust.
Create something unique in 2021
Standing out in a sea of competition is the key to success in any industry. What can you do differently in 2021 that will bubble your brand to the surface? Radiology marketers need to find the next big thing for their businesses. Take the next step and figure out what more you can do for your referring clinicians and patients. For example:
- Create an app that gives clients and patients one more touchpoint.
- Start a newsletter that goes out to physicians.
- Help radiology services find ways to make a more positive first impression.
Given the limitations on in-person visits, try setting up virtual meetings with referring offices. Arrange for lunch to be delivered to the office and take the staff on a virtual tour of your imaging facility. Introduce them to staff, and do a virtual educational presentation to talk about services and benefits. It could be a new way, an interesting way, to communicate with potential leads even after the pandemic. Maybe you already do some of these things; the point is to find what works for you. Change is in the air. Can you feel it? I plan to look 2021 straight in the eye and say, “I got this!”
Want to read on the go? Download the PDF from RBMA by clicking HERE.
