Have you ever wondered how providers generate buzz and drive growth in healthcare? A few decades ago, the vast majority of medical institutions relied on word of mouth and physician recommendations and referrals. Today, things are a bit different. While word of mouth and referrals are still important, strategic PR has emerged as the more effective growth tool. Strategic PR elevates trust and establishes expertise in healthcare.
Through enhanced credibility, talent acquisitions, increased public awareness and online reputation management, strategic PR helps institutions build reputations that position them as experts in their respective fields. Let’s take a closer look at how effective public relations can help healthcare providers.
Enhanced credibility
There are a few ways that strategic PR leads to enhanced credibility in healthcare. First and foremost, transparency about the big issues creates trust for the small ones. If an organization responds to a serious incident, whether that be a data breach or a mistake from a provider, patients trust that they’re also telling the truth about less serious offenses. Establishing yourself as a credible source goes a huge way toward building expertise and respect in the industry.
Strategic PR also makes it easy to more openly communicate your values and mission with the people who need to hear about them. Any effective PR campaign begins with a clear articulation of the healthcare institution’s core values, vision and mission, in fact, including showcasing its dedication to community service, research and patient care. Patients, potential patients, and people who love and support them want to know why they should trust one institution over another. Strategic PR and open communication offer providers an advantage.
Finally, effective PR helps highlight success stories, enhancing provider credibility by demonstrating proven results. These campaigns include sharing patient testimonials and research breakthroughs that impact both local, national and international communities. By showing the positive impact that provider expertise has made in the lives of their patients, the overall credibility of the organization grows exponentially.
Talent acquisitions
Patients aren’t the only people paying attention to PR. Potential hires also keep an eye on industry developments, especially when they’re considering changing jobs. They want to know what challenges specific institutions have faced and how they were addressed. Skilled candidates are searching for long-term options, and that means signing on with successful organizations with goodwill and good reputations.
This matters because talent is one of the biggest ways that healthcare institutions establish themselves as expert providers. The more talented your staff, the better your long-term outlook. The addition of Dr. Bo Okubadejo to the Institute for Comprehensive Spinal Care from 5WPR, one of the largest independent agencies in the country, is a great example of how PR professionals help craft trust in specific providers. Strategic PR can help not only maintain an organization’s reputation, but also actively grow its reach.
Increased public awareness
Patients can’t make use of institutions and programs they don’t know exist. Strategic PR can help to craft public awareness campaigns designed to drive patients to a specific provider. This includes promoting initiatives such as preventative care, healthy lifestyle choices and the early detection of diseases. PR professionals working on this kind of campaign often collaborate with community organizations and public health agencies to more effectively communicate about the health problems and solutions in a given area.
In addition to promoting specific health initiatives, strategic PR can also help healthcare organizations highlight the expertise in their ranks. This involves showcasing the achievements and qualifications of certain providers and communicating the institution’s investment in research initiatives, specialized programs and cutting-edge technology. This kind of PR helps attract patients looking for high-quality or highly specialized care by demonstrating an institution’s expertise in the area.
Online reputation management
Online perception and discussion can greatly impact public perception of a given institution or provider. Strategic PR professionals monitor online platforms to identify potential issues and respond to negative feedback as quickly and professionally as possible. By staying on top of patient satisfaction and encouraging happy patients to share their experiences, PR fosters a sense of credibility and trust. This, in turn, makes patients more likely to seek care from the institutions in question. Without it, even traditionally trusted institutions can falter and experience setbacks in terms of goodwill and public trust.
Strategic PR is one of the most important tools available to healthcare professionals and providers. From building an online presence to attracting top talent, the right PR campaign can have a huge impact on institutional growth.