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
• 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
Thank You
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