It is a Gift to be a Relevant Marketer
Time 20:52
This year a marketing firm that will go nameless gave me a gift. They showed me the importance of being relevant. It was an interesting lesson that I turned into an entertaining podcast, but it’s better if you be the judge of that.
The story begins with the presentation I gave about social media in health care to the Minnesota Medical Group Management Association this summer. The group is a professional association for those in clinical practices for the most part. They attended the presentation to discuss how social media is being used by health care delivery practices. Here is the summary of that presentation.
The conference had around 300 or so attendees, and exhibitors. I ended up on the list of attendees I suspect because two weeks after the conference I received a prospecting letter from the account manager of a marketing firm that either attended or exhibited at the show. This is where the fun and the lesson begins.
The firm sent about 6 letters, 2 emails, and a cute, well designed die-cut, four-color direct mail piece. The assumption of all these communications was that Provident Partners, yes, the PR/marketing firm that produces this podcast and has been providing consulting services in using social media in healthcare, was instead a medical clinic.
Imagine my dismay when I was told that this marketing firm could help me with my social media marketing to seniors looking for healthcare. Am I missing something here? No, they just skipped the part of marketing that says know your prospect.
I just didn’t have the heart to call this local Twin Cities based firm to tell them they should check their prospect list first. No, instead I thought I could learn a thing or two from their work. I am as much a student of how business and people communicate as I am a practictioner. By remaining on their list, it reinforced for me the importance of being relevant to any prospect. If that means you need to spend 80% of your time researching prospects before you contact them, then that’s what you have to do. When a company takes the time to learn about each of the prospects on their lists, then, and only then, can they begin to establish a relationship of value.
In this case, it’s one marketing firm not checking the records on a conference list and sending prospecting materials to another marketing firm. No harm no foul. What if however, it’s that same methodology for a clinic. Would a cancer patient get a marketing piece for Lamaze class, or a “thanks for being our patient” direct mail piece to a patient who has passed on? Exactly, it does make a difference.
It’s a lesson we can all learn from and apply all year long. Focus on being relevant and the prospect will react favorably. What amount of time do you spend on researching prospects? Are mass lists useful in lead generation for health care?
If you are interested in more about social media in health care we have created a separate blog called Social Media for Health Care
Tags: lead generation for health care, prospecting, social media for healthcare
This entry was posted on Friday, December 25th, 2009 at 12:57 am and is filed under Healthcare, marketing.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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December 25th, 2009 at 9:11 am
Thank you Albert!!! I am thrilled you launched the blog on SM in Healthcare! You bet this is on my facebook and I’m sending it out to my relevant contacts. I can’t wait to get on the blog and play. A most excellent Christmas present. You’re the best.- Ali
December 25th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Ali, you are very kind and a long long time Marketing Edge listener. Your thoughtfulness and intellect make social media a great place to expand one’s mind.
All the best in the New Year.
December 25th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Twitter Comment
RT @AlbertMaruggi: the very first step toward being a relevant marketer is to know the recipient of your message. [link to post]
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December 26th, 2009 at 3:45 am
Twitter Comment
It is a Gift to be a Relevant Marketer [link to post]
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December 28th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Minnesota Monday – Communications Bloggers Posts From Last Week…
Interesting posts from Minnesota communications bloggers for the week ending 12/27/09.
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January 3rd, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Great post and is what I have professed as a CRM database analyst for 10 years. It is all about the data, whether that is your contacts, opportunities, leads, campaigns and now how those can all be integrated with social media as well, it always comes back to the information; the quality and integrity of that information. The power of accurate data, and using that data and research can be used throughout every channel of business; having a 360 degree view of customer is the best way to operate. That is why I have been a CRM database evangelist for more than a decade now and why I am excited to see the evolution of Social CRM today.
January 4th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Thanks for the reference to proclaimyouself.com. I find it useful to hear about the tools you use so I can see if they would be helpful in my world. I am way behind you in terms of online marketing savvy. Following in your wake might be the right visual. The problem is I am so far behind the wake is hard to see when I look down at the water.
-John Corey
January 13th, 2010 at 9:52 am
Great episode! I love your podcast. How often do we see this, where the group receiving the (insert media type here) isn’t considered in the least? It makes me laugh at times, and cry at others.
January 26th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
[...] Recently I heard a Marketing Edge podcast by Albert Maruggi called "It is a Gift to be a Relevant Marketer". [...]
February 24th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
I think you were put through a standard process, and when it came time to give you a call, the guy finally realized that you’re not a potential client, so he didn’t call. I just had to add my two cents and another can to the pile! Thanks Albert!
April 9th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Twitter Comment
RT @AlbertMaruggi: @zanehagy great blog article ? Oh did you mean this littl’ ol’ thing [link to post] why thanks. (traffic tip #17 :
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April 9th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Twitter Comment
@AlbertMaruggi great blog article – thanks for sharing
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