EXTENDED-CARE MARKETING EDITION
From what we can tell, many extended-care organizations don’t blog or, if they have a “news” or “events” page, they aren’t developing that to include the elements of a blog.
This is a missed opportunity. Why? At its very basic function, a blog is an essential foundation to build loyalty with your audience and distinguish yourself from your competitors. Blogging can also be a platform from which to launch effective e-marketing.
Let’s play the scenario out. You decide to build a blog that targets the families of your residents. This is a highly motivated reader with a consequential interest in your organization. She is not just dropping by for an appointment and then moving on. She is, in fact, intent on feeling connected to her mother who is, let’s say, in your extended-care facility for rehabilitation after a broken leg from a fall. The grown daughter feels engaged with your facility through your blog and enjoys the frequent entries that speak directly to her concerns. She is likely to spread the word to others in the community about what fine care Mom received and how she, the daughter, felt welcomed and engaged.
Mom is discharged, but the daughter continues to follow the blog, because you are continuing to provide her with relevant content on the care of older adults with entries on say, how to take the car keys away from an increasingly forgetful father. Eventually Dad needs long-term care for his progressive dementia. You know where this daughter will turn because she now enjoys a relationship with your facility that endured beyond her mother’s stay. In a year or two, the daughter herself needs a short-term rehab stay after a joint replacement. Guess who comes first to mind?
Starting a blog is not technically difficult, but it does take thought and commitment. We’ll walk you through the first 3 critical steps here, here and here.
> If you need help building a blog, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
> Coming soon: Ways you can “bump up” the effectiveness of your blog: writing and design tips, how to use photos and infographics, as well as setting yourself up for an e-marketing campaign.
Lazzaro Designs was retained to significantly revise, redesign and consolidate a 100+-page annual report for the Department of Surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System. The department encompasses all the surgical divisions of the System’s seven hospitals: The Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai West, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s, Mount Sinai Queens, Mount Sinai Brooklyn, and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.
The project began in-house, but a change of on-staff marketing personnel required an outside team to swiftly bring it to completion. Lazzaro Designs agreed with the client that significant changes were needed, as well. The client’s core message of a vibrant present and a promising future built on a foundation of an impressive history dating back to the 1800s was a powerful one and we did not seek to change that direction. In fact, we were able to strengthen the department’s messaging and carry it more consistently throughout the book. Here’s specifically what we did:
Voice: The writer immediately recognized that various authors wrote the many stories and entries and the voice differed throughout the book. She thoroughly edited the entire report to make the copy consistent in style and tone as well as comply with the Health System’s branding editorial guidelines. She also brainstormed with Maryellen a major reorganization of all the sections to better present the information in a cohesive manner. By identifying fascinating stories to pull out of the larger narrative into featured sidebars and boxes, she was able to add both editorial and visual interest to the book.
Vision: Maryellen completely reorganized, redesigned and trimmed pages from the entire report. She also created a new cover to strengthen the report’s themes. Much of her redesign was also necessary to make sure the report complied with the Health System’s branding guidelines. Additionally, Maryellen worked with department and Marketing staff to locate images appropriate for print use, and culled additional photos from the System’s archives and other sources.
Getting it Done: Lazzaro Designs project-managed the effort, turning around a complete redesign and rewrite from start to delivery in under three months. The department’s and System’s top administrators are incredibly pleased and did, in fact, increase print quantities in response.
> If you need help creating a dynamic, must-read annual report, or a team to get a languishing project across the finish line, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
Lazzaro Designs is pleased to announce that they have been retained to significantly revise and redesign a 100+-page annual report for the combined departments of surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System. The departments encompass all the surgical divisions of the System’s seven hospitals: The Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai West, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s, Mount Sinai Queens, Mount Sinai Brooklyn, and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.
Every Marketing office has it–piles of older pieces (be it brochures or photos) that exist only in print. During this quiet holiday week, consider spending time scanning such printed pieces to build up your digital archive and free up some shelf space (because, really, once it’s scanned and archived, you only need one or two actual hard copies). Pieces that are still relevant can be uplodaded to your web site.
Tip: Scan brochures as pdfs. Scan photos as jpgs and, if the photo is small, scan it at a minimum of 800 dpi so that if you one day want to use it in a printed piece you’ll be able to use the photo at a larger size without losing quality.
