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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Twist & Shout: 5 Cool Things You Can Do When You Work Smarter, Not Harder

Implementing new practices or technology at work (like investing in one of those snazzy one-cup coffee brewing machines or signing up for a new eBilling software system) is one of the best ways you can work smarter instead of harder. 

Not only will you make more productive use of your day at the office, you'll have all this free time on your hands to do some of those things that have been on your bucket list. For years. Or even decades.

So now that you've gotten your quick & easy fix of java for the day and/or your daunting task of mass invoicing on autopilot, what is it you will do first with all this extra time left in the day (not to mention your work week)? The answer is: Have some FUN, of course! 

Here are 5 cool things you can do with your newly discovered free time (or at least these are some things Social Media Director/Guest Blogger Candy Hogue would do anyway):

1. Go on a picnic.
Ah, to have a leisurely picnic in the park... even if it just involves a bagged lunch overlooking a pond or lake. This sounds like the best plan ever for a sunny day, especially after being trapped in a cubicle for the entire morning.

2. Ride a tandem bicycle.
Hitting the hills on a normal, single rider bike can be fun, but a tandem bicycle adds a whole new level of excitement to just "cycling." It's kinda like skydiving as a novice with someone practically strapped to your back (okay, not really. Bikes aren't that dangerous). So if you're feeling adventurous but aren't quite ready to jump outta planes, you have got to ride a tandem bicycle at least once in your lifetime... just ignore the people laughing and pointing as you pedal past them. They're just envious, that's all.

3. Have a wine tasting party.. at your own home.
Here's how it works: Every couple brings 2 bottles of wine-- one they love and one they haven't tried yet. Don't forget to serve some light h'ordeuvres (like brie & apples or crackers) to accompany your variety of wines. After all, the host of a wine tasting party should never be ashamed to cut the cheese.

4. Watch a movie under the stars.
With summer quickly approaching you may find yourself yearning to spend more time outside rather than staying cooped up indoors (might as well stay at your desk in that stuffy office). Why not grab a blanket, some snacks and head to a nearby park or venue that's hosting some sort of "movie night under the stars" event? Not only can this be romantic, it'll be a great chance for you to catch that new flick everyone's been raving about on Facebook.

5. Play the old school game Twister (why not?). 
So you haven't played the game since you were in grade school... but don't you recall how entertaining it used to be?! Twister is just as much amusement for adults as it is for children, which is why this is a perfect activity to do with your spouse & kids. Remember, the family that plays together-- stays together! 

Candy Hogue recently signed up for her new eBilling software through Billing Orchard . This affordable & efficient method of electronic invoicing has saved her HOURS of tedious paperwork each week (which is what prompted this wonderful list of free time activities). Not only is Candy now able to focus more on her projects as Social Media Director at Escaype Enterprises ... she also has more than enough time to tackle each and every item on her bucket list (so if you happen to see a cute blonde pedaling through the neighborhood on a tandem bicycle, be sure to point, laugh and wave).

How TWEET It Is: 3 Reasons Your Medical Practice Should Be Using Social Media

If someone has recently asked you, "Aren't you on Facebook?" and your answer was something like, "No, we just don’t have time for that... and besides, nobody wants to hear about what we do at our company every day..." Then guess what?! You are not alone.

This is actually a common response we've heard many times among business owners (especially in the healthcare industry) regarding the use of social media for their companies.

We at Escaype Enterprises understand that doctors (as well as owners of healthcare facilities) today may still be struggling to understand just what to do with social media and how it can be used to benefit their practices. 

So in order to get your feet wet before taking the plunge into that massive sea of tweets & hashtags, here are 3 noteworthy reasons social media can be advantageous to YOUR company:

1) Posting the links to your company's blogs does way more than you think (55% more, actually).

Social media democratizes information and gives us the ability to learn, grow, adapt and find new ways to overcome many of the challenges we face. Writing blogs for your social media pages are a perfect example of just that. Not only can these online publications help boost your organic web presence over time (with a whopping 434% more indexed pages in a Google search), blogs are also known for driving 55% more traffic to a company site.

2) 1 in 3 people post about their healthcare experiences online, and 2 out of 3 people look to online reviews when seeking treatment for their medical condition(s).

Blogs, Tweets and Facebook updates give doctors as well as patients a convenient platform to write about medical conditions, discuss treatment options or express views about a particular topic. Moreover, it allows doctors to educate their patients and their communities about what they specialize in, their methods of treating patients and the reasons why he/she is the best medical professional for you.

3) 80% of ALL searches online are healthcare related.

The World Wide Web provides an infinite amount of information at the fingertips of our prospects as well as our patients and this can be good or bad… if your company has an active presence on the sites which have the most traffic (i.e. Facebook, YouTube, etc.), then people are more likely to find your business when doing a Google search for your products and/or services. If you don't happen to have anything on the internet about your company, however, chances are those who are searching for you won't even know you exist!

So there it is in a nutshell: 3 reasons why healthcare businesses should jump on the bandwagon of social media. By making your mark in the spaces where your prospective & current patients already are, they won't have to find the products or services they need from your company, because your diligent updates & engaging posts will find them. 

How's that for effective marketing strategies? We know, it's ingenious!

Click here to learn more about healthcare marketing from Escaype Enterprises TODAY.

Easy, Cheesy Beautiful... with Holiday Helpings Like This

Who says you HAVE to have a holiday ham or a succulent turkey this Christmas...

when you can make something organic & just as wonderful tasting instead?!

This year, we're opting for a generous helping of Lasagna Bolognese ...rather than any traditional main course entree to serve up for the Yuletide season.

Check out this recipe we're puttin' into action, compliments of our friends at Nature's Garden Delivered :

Fresh Pasta
- 300 g all purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- drops of water if needed

Using food processor cut egg and flour together until tiny balls are formed. Gather dough and place on floured surface for kneading. work dough until smooth and not tacky. Form into a smooth ball. Add drops of water if the ball is dry.

Allow to rest for 30 minutes before shaping or refrigerate and chill until ready to use.

Roll pasta out until very thin and cut into large lasagne pieces. Store sheets on damp paper towels while working the dough.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Drop in pasta sheets and cook until they float, about 10 seconds. Put pasta in ice bath and then drain on paper towels.

Bolognese Sauce (ragu)
- 3-4 tbl olive oil
- 1 Onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 1 pound Tink’s grassfed ground beef
- 3 tsp italian seasoning
- 2 dash onion powder
- 2 dash garlic powder
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 28oz can San Marzano Tomatoes
- ½ cup Mountain Fresh whole milk
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in saucepan. add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery and saute until translucent but not browned. Turn heat to high and add beef and cook to brown meat. Add a little salt along with the dry seasonings and stir, sauteing for another couple of minutes until fragrant. Add the wine, tomatoes, milk, and thyme. Bring sauce to boil then reduce to simmer for at least 2 hours until the sauce is well reduced. Adjust seasonings. Set aside to cool slightly.

Bechamel Sauce
- 4 tbl butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk
- pinch of nutmeg
- salt and white pepper

Heat butter over medium heat and then whisk in flour, stirring constantly until the roux is light golden brown. Meanwhile, in a separate pan heat milk to just under a boil. Add milk to roux, stirring vigorously until thickened and smooth. Season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper. set aside to cool

To assemble--

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a layer of ragu on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with parmesan add a layer of pasta. Spoon over a layer of ragu then sprinkle with parmesan. Drizzle bechamel across the layer and add a few dabs of fresh mozzarella. top with another later of pasta and repeat until full. Top in the same manner, with both sauces, then parm, then add enough pieces of mozzarella to coat the top evenly. Bake for 40 minutes to an hour, until bubbling and cheese is melted. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve & enjoy!

Here's to an organic & non-traditional holiday dinner!
--The Escaype Enterprises Team

Why Employers Can Benefit from Employee Incentives & Rewards Programs

Let's face it: Whether you manage an international corporation or a small family business, your employees are your company's lifeline...so why not give your workforce a the rewards they deserve or encourage them to bring even more to the table in order to grow your bottom line?

A recent article sheds light on three huge employer benefits of offering employee incentives at your company:

-- Employee incentives could facilitate a competitive streak among coworkers, which can in turn, jump start employee morale.

There can be many circumstances which occur in the office which may cause cohesion among colleagues to dwindle, but that vibe doesn't have to linger long-term. Providing an employee incentive program for your team can re-ignite that competitive nature in many individuals, and may even cause your employees to grow closer as comrades outside of business hours!

-- Employee incentives are powerful because they have been known to boost productivity.

Whether your crew is comprised of a product assembly line or is made up entirely of a corporate sales force, dangling a metaphorical carrot in front of each horse definitely motivates employees to do more.

-- Employee incentives can also increase confidence. Rewards for a team member on your staff roster is often a huge inspirational factor when it comes to performing the same tasks day in and day out. When your workforce knows they are working towards a "prize," or some type of award for their laborious efforts, they will be more confident to produce, and more confident to help grow your business.

So if you're an employer in search of an effective employee incentive program for your business, contact LoyaltyWorks TODAY. Our employee incentive strategists design, develop and manage customer loyalty and business incentive programs that produce measurable results.

It may seem trivial or even unnecessary, but rewarding your team for their hard work in the office can help YOU as an employer as well.

For more information about our employee incentive program services contact LoyaltyWorks at: 1(800)844-5000 or visit our web site: LoyaltyWorks.com .

Why Employee Recognition Rewards Can Help Boost Your Bottom Line

It's true! Employee recognition rewards are now becoming widely recognized among employers as an effective tool to boost a company's bottom line.

While job competition and an increased work pace has added more pressure for staff members to perform with extra efficiency, each worker's individual performance (with a mere employee rewards system in place) can significantly improve productivity for businesses large and small.

Here's a few reasons why employee incentive programs can be helpful to employers like you:

-- Employee incentive programs can create a greater sense of responsibility for your staff. This means your team can develop more ownership of their jobs, simply because they have a bigger reason to work harder and become more productive for their own personal benefit!

-- Performance Related Pay (or PRP ) initiatives have been known to stimulate employees to work harder than average. Why is this the case? Because many people seem to be motivated more by "the light at the end of the tunnel" (with rewards aside from monetary compensation) rather than just going through the motions until it's time to clock out for the day.

-- The primary objective of employee rewards programs is to give an employee some control over their income.

"Cold hard cash" can be notoriously motivating, but can also be highly ineffective over time for the majority of people. That's because employees, by nature, have little ability in reality to alter their behavior to significantly increase their earnings.

Why not use employee incentive programs TODAY to improve performance among your workforce while simultaneously encouraging your staff to stay on board with your business for the long-term?

If you or someone from your company is interested in implementing successful employee incentive programs for your personnel visit LoyaltyWorks.com TODAY!

The "Morale" of The Story: Employee Incentive Programs May Improve Performance on the Job

It's no secret that employee incentives and recognition schemes have recently become a powerful tool for human resources departments in many companies.

This is mostly because job competition and the change of pace in professional environments nationwide now has added pressure, as well as even more demands from all levels of a company's employees...

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), each worker's performance can become an integral part in the success or failure of a company.

This is why PRP (Perfomance Related Pay ) initiatives have currently been credited for the increase in productivity at businesses across the U.S.

Here are 3 great examples of why implementing PRP , or employee incentive programs , can be helpful to employers:

1)  The primary objective is to give an employee some control over their income.
"Cold hard cash" can be notoriously motivating, but can also be highly ineffective over time for the majority of people. That's because employees, by nature, have little ability in reality to alter their behavior to significantly increase their earnings.

2)  Employee incentive programs can create a greater sense of responsibility for your staff. This means your team can develop more ownership of their jobs, simply because they have a bigger reason to work harder and become more productive for their own personal benefit!

3) PRP initiatives have been known to stimulate employees to work harder than average. Why is this the case? Because many people seem to be motivated more by "the light at the end of the tunnel" (with rewards aside from monetary compensation) rather than just going through the motions until it's time to clock out for the day.

While "compromise" typically tends to be what constitutes an adequate reason for your employees to perform well on the job,  balancing the (unwritten) requirement to improve performance will also encourage your staff to stay on board with your business for the long-term.

If you or someone from your company is interested in implementing successful employee incentive programs for your personnel visit LoyaltyWorks.com TODAY!