Understand what your primary competitor cannot offer, and turn that into a weakness. To reach second place and have a strong foothold, it’s key to study the provider ahead of you. It takes time and effort to displace the #1 provider in your category so first shooting for #2 isn’t a bad idea. “If you’re shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the leader.” QR codes were a fad, patient acquisition via SEO and paid search are long-lasting trends. On the other hand, trends are rarely hyped but lead to long term success and profitability.
Take time to consider the marketing strategies your practice is employing do your strategies attempt to capitalize on fads or trends? Fads make a big splash and can be profitable, but they typically don’t last long enough to do much good for a business.
“Successful programs are not built on fads, they’re built on trends.” Letting a bad marketing promotion or strategy linger can be costly. You’re never going to be right 100% of the time so be ready and willing to accept failure, cut your losses and move on.
“Failure is to be expected and accepted.” What word can your practice own? If you’re a cosmetic surgeon performing ‘mommy makeovers’ maybe it’s modern mothers. If you can own a word in your prospective patient’s mind, you can win big. “The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect’s mind.” What competing practices do is much less important than how they are perceived. In reality, all that matters is the perception of your practice in the minds of prospective patients perception is what gives you the opportunity to help a patient. Run a quick Google search for ‘plastic surgery gone wrong’ and you’ll be reminded of how many bad surgeons still get business. When it comes to getting people in the door, there is no such thing as a ‘best service’. “Marketing isn’t a battle of products, it’s a battle of perceptions.” Altair may have been first in personal computers but, to this day, Apple is first in the mind. Others may be first to serve your particular market but you can work hard to be first in a prospective patient’s mind. This Law makes the case for providers who may want to start their own practice but are afraid due to competition. “It’s better to be first in the mind than to be first to market” Stay focused, stay motivated, and stay in your lane – understand but don’t worry about what others are (appearing to be) doing. In reality, most of what you see on social media is promotion and hype. Social media would have you believe that nowadays, every business generates millions while its founders live lavish lifestyles, globetrotting the world. “The situation is often the opposite of the way it appears.” Similarly, if you’re producing assets for your practice (website content, blogs, Instagram posts, brochures, etc.) you should set aside budget to promote them. In Hollywood, the rule of thumb is to spend 50% of a film’s budget on promoting it. “Without adequate funding an idea won’t get off the ground.”Įven the best ideas for marketing your practice won’t go far without proper investment.
22 immutable laws of marketing limetorrent full#
For the full list of 22 Immutable Laws, pick up a copy of the book on Amazon it’ll be $10 well-spent. Below you’ll find my top 8 selections and examples of how you can apply each Law to your practice to improve marketing and patient acquisition efforts. Written by Al Reis and Jack Trout over 20 years ago, the book takes all of 132 pages to introduce and explain 22 marketing concepts that are both time tested and ever-present in successful marketing, today.Īs I made my way through the book I kept track of the Laws that I felt could make the biggest impact on medical practices. The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing is widely considered a must-read for any of marketer.
The 22 Immutable Laws of (Medical) Marketing