For healthcare businesses – from medical manufacturers and medical organizations to providers and hospitals – it has always been a challenge getting public relations right. In this blog, we’ll look at what we believe to be some of the fundamentals of successful healthcare PR.
- Know the outlet and its audience: Too many public relations professionals are still guilty of firing off press releases or media pitches without researching their target publications. Whether you’re talking about a traditional print newspaper, a trade journal or a blog site, take the time to understand the outlet and get a feel for its tone and its audience. When reaching out, ensure that your communication explains why their readers will benefit from the information or announcement.
- Target an individual: Wherever possible, send your healthcare press releases or media pitches to an individual, whether that’s a reporter/journalist, editor or other gatekeeper. As with the outlet, it can help to do a bit of research to understand their specialties or preferences and personalize your communications accordingly. Referencing one of their recent articles might even be the extra push that gets you the placement.
- Know your audience: This is sound advice across the entirety of marketing and public relations. Whether you’re selling a product or a service, you need to know the audience you’re trying to sell to and what messages will resonate with them. Audience research is a critical stage in planning public relations activities, whether based on internal customer or client data, surveys or other market research.
- Make sure your message is timely: If it’s not new, it’s not news. When it comes to issuing a press release about your healthcare business, you have to strike while the iron is hot. If your PR pitches aren’t an announcement about something recent or forthcoming, then at least make sure you tie your message to a topical or timely event.
Applying these four fundamentals will ensure that your healthcare business will have the highest possible likelihood of getting your message in front of the potential customer or clients you want to reach.