The Escaype Route: 5 Things I'll Never Miss About Corporate America

It's been almost one year since I bid farewell to the Sisyphus-like routine of a 9 to 5 office job and I must admit: I don't seem to have any regrets about jilting Corporate America.

As a team member of Escaype Enterprises LLC I thought I'd take a jog down Memory Lane (this counts as my cardio for the day, right?) to share the top 5 things I will truly never miss about that way of life. So here goes:

1) Waking up at the crack of dawn.
Sure, the early bird may catch the worm... but let's face it. Some of us are NOT morning people. I just happen to be in that category, so the idea of being jolted out of my last REM stage by the blaring sounds of my cell phone alarm 5 (and sometimes 6) days a week is and always will be AWFUL.

2) That dreadful morning commute.
I always found it odd that millions of Americans shared the misfortune of rolling out of bed in a frenzy and scrambling frantically to get out the door, only to find ourselves sitting idle among a sea of cars occupied by other impatient business professionals who, by the looks on their faces, were running just as late as I was. I always chalked it up to "That's just Atlanta traffic for ya..." which brings me to Number 3--

3) The Walk of Shame.
Anyone who knows me will agree that while punctuality is definitely NOT my strong suit, my inadvertent tardiness has ZERO impact on my work ethic and my productivity. I think about the nasty glares I used to receive from my coworkers each time I entered the office half an hour past "9am-on-the-dot" and strolled into my cubicle. Come on, we were salaried. We weren't required to clock in, we just got paid to get the job done within our employer's parameters of a 40-hour work week. 

Did I show up for work later than others? Yes. Did I complete all my responsibilities within my given time frames? Yes. Did I ever give anyone the If-Looks-Could-Kill stare as they bolted for the parking lot at 4:59:59 pm while I stayed at the office almost 3 hours later than everyone else (including the janitors)? No. I rest my case.

4) Water Cooler Talk.
It's hard to believe that those of us with extroverted personalities wouldn't want to engage in small talk at any given opportunity, right? Especially since we're confined to 5' x 5' work spaces made of carpeted walls which typically don't have windows or any type of attractive view. For me personally though, I was never a fan of discussing the weather or disclosing elaborate details about my weekend with someone who just happened to be in the break room at the same time I was pouring my 6th cup of Maxwell House before lunchtime. A simple "Hi" would actually suffice, and I promise I wouldn't think you were being rude. After all it's just business... NOT a social networking mixer.

5) Doing the same thing over and over again.
It's true-- Many of us are creatures of habit... which means you have absolutely no problem with a predictable daily routine, a structured lunch break and a monotonous regimen like pushing papers or crunching numbers. As someone who is easily bored by consistency, I had an extremely difficult time performing the same tasks. Over and over again. To produce the same result. Hey, isn't that the unofficial definition of INSANITY?

These last 11 months as a freelancing professional for Escaype Enterprises have been the exact opposite of a typical Corporate America position: There are NO standard hours of operation. We don't implement the same projects each month, much less from day-to-day. You're not required to be in "business casual" attire to perform your duties. There are no office politics. You don't have to put in 52 straight weeks of employment so you can be granted permission to be sick or enjoy the afternoon off when it's a sunny Wednesday before the clock officially strikes "Close-of-Business o'clock."

As if that's not enough to gloat about... Here's the BEST thing: I can honestly say I love what I do for a living. How many of us can say that? My guess is not many.

Bottom line is this: Don't allow several years or even decades to pass before you realize your occupation/livelihood "really wasn't all that great." Whatever it is you do for a living in order to pay your bills, feed your family or support that impulsive shoe habit... Make certain it's something you're passionate enough about that you truly have no regrets. 

So what are you waiting for?! Create your own Escaype Route starting NOW.

To Market, To Market: 6 Social Media Tips for Powerful Healthcare Marketing

More than ever, it is become essential for hospitals and healthcare providers to restructure their healthcare marketing strategies to include social media. 

Globally both healthcare organizations and medical professionals are using social media today as an important tool to:

- increase brand awareness both online and offline
- connect with current and/or prospective patients
- encourage engagement among current social followers
- disseminate relevant/helpful information relevant to the healthcare industry
- boost organic web presence for maximum results on page 1 of a Google search inquiry
- drive more traffic to each company's official web site

When it comes to successful healthcare marketing ...a well-planned social media strategy can be used to accomplish your goals (such as those mentioned above) effectively. It's also:

- more affordable than traditional methods of marketing (billboards, TV ads, radio commercials, etc.)
- easier to track your ROI, thanks to today's web analytics tools
- longer lasting than a newspaper ad published one time only, or a radio spot that airs only a few times per week/month

Here are 6 useful social media tips companies in the medical industry can implement to maximize your healthcare marketing efforts:

1. Don’t take a “wait-and-see" approach.

Many businesses may believe that social media is nothing but a passing fad, but based on statistics over just the past five years... we know now it's here to stay. 


The sooner your organization can develop an active presence and social media strategy, the less distance you will have to make it up later.

2. Establish a social media policy.

As a rule, your employees and customers will have a protection against security, privacy or ethics breaches when it happens. Staff education and training plus an outreach are necessary to ensure your team will fully comprehend your company's social media purpose and have the ability to therefore carry out your policy with compliance.

3. Follow your patients.

It's important to listen to what others are saying about your practice/facility, your medical products/services and your reputation as a healthcare provider. Whether it's a Tweet from someone inquiring about a particular medical condition or a Facebook comment regarding their recent experience as a patient, be sure you use your social media platforms to 'listen' to what others are saying about you (and even your competition).

4. Consider starting by going 'back to basics.'

Social media can be used to enhance marketing, branding, recruitment, reputation, management, customer relations and customer service. You must, however, educate yourself first on what is allowable
- under HIPAA privacy rules
- legalities surrounding the disclosure of your patients' personal information
- publication of any details regarding a patient's medical history or photographs

5. Begin small and monitor your outcomes.

We understand company marketing budgets can be tight at times. The good news is, you don’t have to develop a full-blown social media strategy right from the start (although eventually you should probably have one). Start small, with regular social media posting and publication of at least one blog a week. After monitoring which of your posts receive the most traction or engagement, you'll have a better idea of how to expand your marketing efforts (such as generating more blogs per week, implementing small-scale videos or even creating new micro sites).

6. Recruit social media managers & content writers who know your industry.

You may know your organization and products/services like the back of your hand, but beware: simply hiring a green, just-out-of-college social media manager who claims to be internet savvy or proficient with Facebook posting does NOT. As a company in the medical arena it's imperative that all your social media content/blogs are strongly written, strategically posted during high-traffic hours during the week and most importantly... accurate. 

For information about healthcare marketing or medical content writing services for your business contact Escaype Enterprises at: (770) 676-1802 or click here to visit our web site TODAY.

Here's to powerful healthcare marketing for your practice!
--The Escaype Enterprises Marketing Team

Easier Than the MCAT: 5 Simple Strategies for Effective Healthcare Marketing

Healthcare reform has given traction to the idea of consumer-driven healthcare. 
As high deductible health insurance plans gain in popularity, the idea is that consumers, who are spending more of their own money up front on routine and preventive care, will make wise choices to stay healthy.  

As consumers take more control as to which physicians they see, practices have to consider how to market themselves directly to consumers. And with everything else you have to worry about, getting a handle on your marketing efforts can feel really overwhelming. 

The good news? It's totally manageable. Below are some tips to make you stand out as a healthcare marketing warrior: 

1. Do some recon. 
It's easy to get locked into your daily routines and not think much about your competition. But to develop a strong marketing plan, you need to know what makes you different and how you stand out from your competitors. If you don't know why you're better, it's going to be a hard sell to convince others.

2. Be strategic.
Now that you know your competitive advantages, think about where you want your practice to be in three to five years? What are tools you have available to make that happen? What makes the most sense for your practice and the patients you want to reach? Answering these questions will give you a sense of what you need to do.

3. Get with the plan. 
After you've answered the hard questions, you need to formulate a plan for how to make the strategy a reality. Determine a realistic budget and draft a schedule of when it makes sense to reach out to potential and current patients through direct mail, advertising, social media and your blog. 

4. Rally the troops. 
Good, old-fashioned word of mouth is still one of your strongest weapons. Engage staff members, loyal patients, family and friends to spread the word--digitally. Consider asking patients with great success stories to share a testimonial for your website. You could also film the testimonial and share via social media. 

5. Call for reinforcements.
If you're wondering where to start or how your staff can handle marketing on top of their additional duties, Escaype Enterprises has years of experience in healthcare marketing and can help with customized solutions for your practice and budget. Click here to learn more about us TODAY!

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