Much Has Been Said About Social Networking - Read This!

Primoro, Inc., is actively engaged in promoting the use of social networking tools, a.k.a. Web 2.0 technologies, in medical practices. As you might suspect, many physicians are reticent about betting involved for fear that patients may use such a tool as a vehicle to disparage their doctor.

While that possibility exists physicians must recognize that there are many internet sites designed to provide patients the ability to "rate" their doctor. I've looked at these sites and there are patients out there who proverbially "throw their doctor under the bus." So what is a physician to do?

Oddly enough, I came across this blog through social networking. Follow this link and take a look at it. I believe you will find the information compelling enough to get involved in social networking.

For answers to your questions and an easy as writing an email social networking tool, call Primoro, Inc. @ 404-394-0014.

Social Networking Enables Patient Referrals

Recently a physician told me that the best advertising was "word of mouth" referrals. I cannot argue with that. Now, imagine if you could harness and accelerate the power of word of mouth. Web 2.0 technologies allow just that.

Your patients are using social network site like Twitter and Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family. They comment on nearly every aspect of their lives, including their health. If you are part of that conversation, you harness the most targeted marketing and messaging opportunity today.

Should you continue to have doubts, Google "social networking" some time. The internet is filled with information and companies that help businesses, like yours, establish and create a social network presence on the internet. It is really not a matter of should be participate, but when will you participate. Patients are using social networks every day. Every day you are not involved is an opportunity wasted.

Patient Communication via Web 2.0

Many of us are using the internet to present to the community information about ourselves and our businesses. In recent years the term Web 2.0 has come on the scene. Though the term suggests a new version of internet programming, it really suggests the changes by which software programmers and users of the internet interact with "the web." In short, Web 2.0 is associated with programs that enable interaction, e.g. information sharing. Some examples of Web 2.0 include social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook and others) pod casts, blogs, video sharing, etc. In contrast to static websites, which most of us use, Web 2.0 enabled websites allow for users to interact with the website, or in our case, our businesses via the internet.

Internet marketing seems to change and modify every day. As such, it is important for business owners to stay on top of these updates and to take advantage of internet marketing. Using social networks is just good business today. In this blog, is a form of Web 2.0 as it can be reached through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, social network sites. And it is done with a single press of the "Publish" button. The programming feeds do the rest.

Using social networks in a 1 by 1 fashion is time consuming. Instead, using existing Web 2.0 programming makes it a breeze. I have long been an advocate for blog production instead of newsletter (paper or email) production. In a blog, you are writing only 250-300 words per blog, and composing separate blogs 1-2 times per week. This method of customer communication creates the constant contact that most businesses are looking for. As a side benefit, utilizing blogs, and other Web 2.0 capabilities, increases your overall web presence. And that what most of us are looking for.

For more information about Web 2.0 capabilities and CONNECT (a Web 2.0 blogging system), simply contact Primoro, Inc. to set up an appointment.

What Consultants can Help You With

My last blog asked a simple question, "Do you use a business consultant?" Since then, I compiled a list of items I routinely work on with practices. I am sure other consultants can add or take away from the list, but you can see there are many things consultants can help you with.

• Business Planning
• Strategic Planning
• Overall financial performance
• Understanding revenues sources
• Physician collections
• Hourly collection rates, and their influences
• Mid-level provider collection rates
• Ancillary resources collection rates
• Key metrics to your practice's financial health
• Budgeting
• Account receivables management
• Check-in processes
• Back office processes
• Check out processes
• Patient flow and efficiency
• Telephone skills
• Patient Scheduling
• Staff management
• Patient/physician interaction
• Patient/staff interaction\
• Super bill management
• Cash management
• Insurance co-pays
• Job descriptions
• Employee work performance reviews
• Handling discipline issues
• Staff surveys
• Quality improvement
• Internal marketing
• External marketing
• Physician referral processes

Advertising and Marketing Budget

Financial benchmark data suggests your advertising and marketing expenditure should be 1-5% of your collected revenue. There are circumstances where you might spend more or less. Examples might include a well established practice not interested in attracting new patients, or, the brand new doctor looking to build a practice. In any case, you should spend your money wisely and be able to track your return on investment (ROI).

Over the years, physicians have dedicated resources to attracting new patients to their practices. This is considered "external" marketing. But your best ROI for you marketing dollar comes from "internal" marketing. That is, advertising and marketing to your existing patients about new services, technologies, or products you offer.

If you have followed these blogs, you'll quickly recognize my bias towards internal marketing and, my interest in social networking. During a visit last week, a client asked me to review a print ad she was considering. This was an 1/8 page ad in one of those community advertising magazines. The ad looked good. When I asked about the cost, the doctor said, "About $299/month, and I'm not really sure if we get much from it." Well, you can probably guess my response. As we know, very few of these advertising magazines, or, advertising mailers ever get read, and more importantly, ever get acted upon. Most of these types of advertising vehicles end up in the landfill.

Blogs and social networking are just the opposite. Your message is enduring, distribution is free, and is always available to your audience. And, unlike the advertising magazines, your social networking efforts can be tracked and your return on investment measured. The internet provides some really interesting analytical tools to help you see which message is most popular with your audience, and, the key words your audience used to find you. How powerful is that?

At the end of the day, you have many choices to advertise and market your practice. You should approach your advertising and marketing efforts with a variety of channels. Please do consider social networking as an extension of your website marketing.