Marketing in 2020 is Different
Companies across the globe are scrambling to embrace and adapt to use digital marketing. Prior to March of 2020 many LTC pharmacies have had marketers making on-site visits. The age of the “pharmacy pen pushers” is diminishing greatly.
COVID-19 will be around until there is a vaccine and companies need to adapt.
25 years ago as a youth, I worked with a man who thought he was the hardest working person because he had zero down time. What did he do when there was nothing to do? He straightened out rusty nails so that someday he could reuse them (ironically his name was Rusty). I asked him one day “why are you straightening out these nails?”. His reply was “I am working hard and these other guys are standing around!”
In pharmacy marketing organizations, I think that many are staying busy like my friend Rusty but, they don’t know how to be successful in this digital age. They need training, guidance and tools. Your staff may not be pounding out rusty nails but, are they sending emails one by one, trying to visit home after home in person when COVID-19 makes it difficult.
In 2000, I worked for one of the largest brokerage firms in the country as a broker. We ran campaign and received incentives for getting email addresses from customers and prospects alike. Think about how smart that was on the companies part. This company by building an email database and was able to save tens of millions of dollars by not sending brochures through the mail what would eventually end up in a landfill. By having a solid list, the company now had the opportunity to reach out to their customers and prospects very quickly and easily and within a matter of minutes. Does your pharmacy have a database of contacts for your customers and prospective customers with their email addresses?
Assume you have a list of 200 current prospects and customers that you want to share a message with. If you had your staff drive to see each customer and prospect, how long would it take. 10 a day? 20 business days? How many people are going to be talk with your representative? Think of the cost of printed paper, gas, auto allowance, and most importantly time? This method is time consuming and will cost thousands of dollars not including the cost of the employees wages. Train your staff or have Impact train them for a monthly fee.
So, what is the answer. Start digitally marketing your company. Start by purchasing a customer/prospect communication tool like constant contact or mail chimp. Go to https://impactltc.com and sign up with constant contact. Add to your database and build your list of emails so your can communicate effectively with digital communication. Then separate your contacts into lists such as current customer list and AL prospect list, SNF prospect list and start thinking about a plan of consise communications that will make a diffference.
Let me give you four tips to help you in your overall marketing efforts: 1) Listen to your customers and prospective customers and find out what is important to them, 2) Research opportunities and service offerings that can be beneficial to your customers, 3) Have a great pitch of how you can benefit your customer and prospect, 4) Have a plan to help your current customer or implement your services for a new prospect. Impact also has sales strategies that have been effective for years in real world situations.
Next, look for solutions that can generate leads for your business like https://aplaceformeds.com which is a sister company of Impact LTC. This website makes mass digital marketing affordable to pharmacies across the country with a twist in that we directly market LTC pharmacies to facility prospects providing a resources to find a quality pharmacy with action steps for the pharmacy. This eliminates the need to spend thousands of dollars monthly to afford digital marketing but, allows the ability to market at a reasonable cost. The site aplaceformeds.com also provides education for facilities so that they can sign up too and receive value by understanding how to best use their pharmacy. Coming soon to Texas and Florida in July!
Update your website with actionable steps and SEO so you will be noticed. Use social media outlets like facebook, linkedin and others to promote what value you offer to your customers and prospects.
How do you still have face to face interaction. Meetings can be done digitally as well until more are open to face to face communication again. Use Zoom, Go To Meeting or Google Meet to have face to face communication with customers and prospects. Save money, save gas, BE EFFECTIVE with digital tools.
Sign up with Constant Contact at our home page the bottom of our page under partners. Submit for a free consultation to learn how we can best help your pharmacy. Visit aplaceformeds.com and signup to market your pharmacy to the masses.
