5

In Hollywood, you often hear that “there’s no such thing as bad publicity.” That theory certainly does not apply to the field of medicine, but there most definitely is an upside to gaining attention from the media.

Simply put, there is no easier way to get the name of your practice in front of a large audience than to tap into the powers of the mass media. Advertising in newspapers, on radio and television, even banner ads on web sites, can expose your message to as large an audience as you desire. Of course, advertising costs money—sometimes a lot of money. But there is a way to gain the same attention without paying the price.

Become the News

The first thing you have to realize is that when a doctor, lawyer or other professional is quoted in a news story as an expert on a particular topic, in most cases that does not happen by accident. Chances are, the physician and/or practice staff has taken steps to position the physician as an expert. While it is possible, in some cases, that word of a doctor’s accomplishments in a particular area will reach a reporter assigned to a story on that particular area, how often do you think that happens? Those who leave such matters to chance are at the mercy of fate. Those who reach out and contact the media, informing reporters and editors of their expertise, are much more likely to be contacted, interviewed and quoted.

This may not be as difficult as some doctors think, but it does require some work. The easiest way is to start small, on the most local of levels, and work your way up. A small community newspaper, for example, is often staffed by young, entry-level reporters with few contacts in the community. Reach out to them with a letter offering your availability and there’s a good chance you will be the first expert that reporter contacts.

The next step is to be proactive. Rather than wait until the reporter gets around to covering your area of expertise, if ever, offer some story suggestions. Is there a new procedure or service you can offer that readers may be interested in? Do you, or a member of your staff, have an unusual story to tell that may make for an interesting human interest feature? Is your practice involved in or support a newsworthy community activity? On a slow week, you may be surprised how quickly a community newspaper responds.

Once you have achieved some attention on the local level, you can start a portfolio of news clips, which can then be forwarded to the local or regional daily newspaper. Ideally, they will file this information for future reference, but a follow-up call offering your availability can help ensure the contact will save the clips and remember your name. You can also direct your mailings to television stations or web sites that cover your specialty or healthcare issues on a regular basis.

Current Events

The next step may require some patience, but can be crucial to getting your name out there when it matters most. Medical and healthcare experts are most valuable to the media when a medical or health topic becomes front-page news. For example, when the threat of anthrax began to dominate the news last year, many media outlets had to scramble to find experts on infectious disease. Earlier in the year, when football players tragically died during training camps on both the professional and college levels, experts on heat stroke and sports medicine were suddenly in demand. Other advances in the areas of infertility treatment, cosmetic surgery, heart disease, erectile dysfunction and depression, to name a few, have all been hot news topics in recent years, and in each case, experts in the respective fields reaped the rewards of mass media exposure.

Of course, just because you are a recognized expert in a particular field does not guarantee a call when the time is right. Reporters and editors are often very busy, and the busier they are, the more reactive they become. If they do not remember they have an expert on file, they may ask someone else for their “expert” or reach for the yellow pages. They may even decide there is no time for an expert opinion and merely settle for a quick Internet search to fill their needs.

When the media becomes reactive, you must again be proactive, and place a timely call reminding them of your availability and expertise. When you do, make sure to be prepared with factual information at the ready, because you may not get another chance. It may even pay to have notes or other materials prepared in advance that you can fax or e-mail. Remember, the easier you make the reporter’s job, the more likely he or she is to use your information and make sure to give you the credit.

Structured Campaign

For some doctors, this kind of exposure is looked upon as a windfall, but as Branch Rickey once said, “luck is the residue of design.” The more resources and effort you put into gaining media exposure, the more likely you are to receive it. The aforementioned ideas will help, but many physicians have profited by investing in staff, or consultants, who are hired for the express purpose of promoting their practice.

Increasing the profile of EyeCare20/20, a successful refractive surgery practice in New Jersey, certainly was no accident. According to Keri L. McAuliffe, LASIK marketing director, there was a multi-stage strategy employed to exploit the rising public awareness, and interest, in the LASIK procedure. The first step was to identify their objectives.

“First, we planned to raise the local public’s awareness of our practice and our services,” said McAuliffe. “If we could get our practice into the news as a leading practice in laser vision correction, we could generate interest in the procedure from both new and current patients. Also, this was a way to rekindle relationships with former patients.”

The second objective was to establish a credibility base for future advertising.

In addition to the media, McAuliffe also contacted other key audiences, including local opinion leaders, businesses, organizations and universities, with information designed to establish EyeCare 20/20’s expertise in all forms of eye care, especially LASIK. The information included an emphasis on the personal care they offered, but also established a key point to single them out among competing practices: they were the first practice in the state to offer LASIK in-house.

Eventually, a local newspaper picked up on this point and ran a front-page article, including an interview with Dr. Cary Silverman, founder and director of EyeCare 20/20, and photographs of him performing the procedure.

With LASIK in the news nationwide, the practice kept a close eye on larger media opportunities, and when USA Today ran a story on LASIK, the doctor wrote a letter to the newspaper to clarify some key points and debate some of the issues presented in the article. The letter was printed, helping to position Dr. Silverman as a credible voice in the field and increase the profile of the practice.

At this point, the practice decided to hire a local public relations firm in an effort to establish further media contacts. This effort paid dividends when a quote from Dr. Silverman was included in a New York Times article. The practice then reprinted the article and used it in a patient mailing, which was greeted with a huge response.

Continuing to monitor the latest news about LASIK, the campaign sprang into action once again when the FDA approved the use of the excimer laser for farsightedness, greatly expanding the potential number of patients who could benefit from LASIK. Already established as a leader in the field through the previous efforts of the practice, the Associated Press used a quote from Dr. Silverman on the approval. The article was picked up by more than a dozen newspapers around the country as well as several news-oriented web sites. This exposure led to an invitation by ABC News for Dr. Silverman to take part in an internet chat about laser eye surgery and an appearance on the TV show “Ask the Family Doctor” on America’s Health Network. At this point, the practice was starting to book surgeries from outside the local area. The doctor later conducted LASIK surgery on NFL football player Keith Elias during a live Internet broadcast on America’s Health Network, and Elias subsequently appeared in a series of print advertisement for the practice. Several media outlets, including local newspapers, radio stations and ESPN, all picked up on the story.

The success of Elias’ surgery, and his willingness to talk about it, is also an example of word-of-mouth advertising, but as previously mentioned, you can’t sit around and wait for word-of-mouth to get the job done.

“Word-of-mouth” is our leading referral source, and public relations has been essential in establishing it,” said McAuliffe. “It’s transformed our local family practice into a high-profile surgical practice that draws patients from a wide geographic region.”