When Beyoncé unveiled her fifth solo album in the dark of night on December 16th in 2013, she took her fans bt storm. The next morning, frenzy ensued, leaving her fans in a state of delirium, her competition stunned and the media scrambling to keep up. Her influence was heard ‘round the world, despite her decision to forego the madness of traditional marketing. This stroke of genius left us wondering how we could apply some Beyoncé wisdom to health care marketing.
1. Be Irreplaceable
In her song Irreplaceable, Beyoncé says not to think you can’t be replaced, which rings true in health care. By providing your patients with the highest quality care, you can become irreplaceable to them though. This means taking extra steps to make them feel valued. This could mean simply listening to patient concerns, staying open later to get more appointments scheduled or cutting wait times.
2. Have a partner that’s Crazy In Love with you
Despite the turbulent waters of celebrity, Beyoncé has achieved greatness on her own accord. However, her relationship with media mogul Jay-Z, hasn’t hurt her stardom. The health care industry can be equally as chaotic. By partnering with other providers in your community, you can reach more patients and form relationships with referring offices through networking.
3. It’s all about the Video Phone
Her new album catapulted through the charts, making it #1 on iTunes. What makes this album different is that she released not only 14 new songs, but also 16 full-length videos calling it a “visual album.” Video content is the best way to reach fans and even patients. Care providers can use simple virtual tours, testimonials and how-to videos to capture new patient leads online.
Read More: Understanding Viral Content Marketing
4. What Runs the World? Social media
Before lunchtime, the news of Beyoncé’s gift had gone viral, as her fans and took to social media to show their appreciation. Using social media can also amplify your reach to patients and those in your community. When patients are happy with your service, you can encourage them to share their experiences on social media or review sites. This is especially valuable in light of the SEO changes Google has made to the weight of social reviews.
5. Me, Myself & I: Sometimes independence is best
People might have thought she was crazy to leave Destiny’s Child, but Beyoncé needed freedom and independence. With a rise in hospital acquisition and consolidation, practices can lose a lot of their flexibility and components of care. Don’t be afraid to stand alone as an independent practice and preserve what is important to patients.
6. You are… Sasha Fierce, don’t be afraid to show it
Don’t just rely on traditional marketing to attract new patients. Learn a lesson from Queen B and take a unique approach; your high quality care will market itself. So, instead of paying for a billboard, think about planning a campaign that encourages referring office staff to interact with your brand.
* This post was also shared via Ragan’s Health Care Communication News.