Put Your Marketing on Autopilot
Put your Health Department on Autopilot!
In recent years we have seen a tidal wave of change in the way we all do business. The tech term “disrupt” comes to mind here. That means something tried and true being replaced by something new, better, faster and cheaper “disrupting” the old model.
Your health department is most likely experiencing the same uncomfortable sensation. Think about how you are losing immunization customers to pharmacies, big box and grocery stores, but it doesn’t stop there.
What does this have to do with you and your health department?
Business is moving to a more automated approach to marketing and in most cases, has already arrived. Just look at Sears, Kmart and thousands of small businesses who have been attacked by Amazon. I recently received an offer for house cleaning services from Amazon! Next, they will displace the kid who rakes your yard or does odd jobs for extra money.
Last week I had dinner with an executive from one of the largest home shopping TV networks. He shared that their business model has been dramatically affected by online businesses. When asked how they are coping he said, “We are adapting and changing to stay with the trend.”
Most health departments have a basic website and Facebook page to attempt to reach their communities. However, very few know how to create relevant content that “draws” in their audience. In fact, I see hundreds each year that have outdated information about a flu clinic or some other info. You see, most websites are nothing but a static brochure with a few images, some text and maybe a mission statement…they do nothing to grow the audience of the health department. Many Facebook pages are just as bad!
It doesn’t have to be this way.
In order to reverse the trend towards irrelevance, you will need to adapt to this tidal wave. One powerful way is to “automate” your marketing using your website and Facebook pages. If you are not capturing the email addresses of each visitor, you are leaving opportunity on the table! Instead of buying-in to white flags like Public Health 3.0 or decreasing your footprint in the community, begin taking advantage of the simple technology available to you right now. You can create a powerful sales funnel that will make your marketing automatic, 24/7 without wasting another penny on worthless advertising. The good news is that this is easy to do and will grow your audience and customers almost immediately. The bad news is you better get started soon. According to a recent news, Facebook had 42% of their members delete their accounts because of the way they have made user privacy the last thing they care about.
The clock is ticking, don’t allow your agency to become the next Sears!