PR in Healthcare

A public relations toolkit is best known to help businesses in times of crisis. However, let this be your reminder that public relations (PR) isn't just for a crisis. In fact, it is best taken advantage of when used to make a good thing even better, especially for those in the private health industry. Let’s talk about how private health professionals can take advantage of PR just by opening their doors. 

In the realm of private health, PR holds the gates open. Upholding PR for your private health practice might sound intimidating, but the solutions can actually be found right here in your very own neighborhood. 

First, there’s a few negative public opinions about private health that can be overcome to help increase the overall standing of your business in your community, such as:

• Private health is more expensive, therefore less accessible to and disconnected from some populations of people.

• Private health facilities are not often located within walking distances from neighborhoods.

• The barriers to private health lead to overflow in public emergency rooms.

• You must have a referral and cannot self refer.

Now, how can private health leaders overcome these (and other) negative opinions stunting the growth of their business? 

The answer: get involved in your community. Getting involved with the very people you ultimately want to walk through your doors is the best PR opportunity for private health facilities.

In today’s PR & marketing landscape, you probably have it nailed into your head that your online presence is the key to getting better business. While this is true (and we can help with that), sometimes leaders focus so much energy into the internet and their digital presence that they forget the impact that getting out and engaging with your community has. The beautiful reality is: in-person and online PR and marketing efforts work together hand-in-hand. 

For example, let’s say your facility sets up a branded table at a summertime farmer’s market. You give away sunscreen, sunglasses, and host a raffle for a gift card to a locally owned restaurant. Taking pictures and videos of this happening in real-time would make for a great Facebook or LinkedIn post and, you could even promote the raffle on social media prior to the event. In this situation, you have just married both online and in-person PR tactics.

Some more examples of PR-oriented community involvement include:

• Sponsoring an event, which gets your name seen publicly and positively associated with another local organization.

• Giving away hygiene/health products for free, welcoming all community members in the door.

• Sharing referrals to community resources, even to people who don’t qualify as patients but show interest.

• Attending events as a regular community members. Sometimes, you don’t even need to go out with the intention of selling your business. Word of mouth that you're out in the community helps and attending events gets you more familiar with your audience (and them with you). 

The positive experiences of high-quality private health outweighs the challenges. Afterall, 53% of people prefer private health facilities over those that are public. Let’s increase this statistic by getting involved and serving local communities in every way possible, for mutually beneficial reasons. You’ll see the payoff. 

Understandably, PR takes time that can conflict with the day-to-day operations of your facility. This is why LŪM Studio serves the private health sector throughout the Rocky Mountain region and beyond so you can focus on doing what you do best. As fellow local community members, our team is beyond grateful for the work you do, so we want to partner with you to illuminate your services and keep your doors open for the long-run. 

Let’s talk!