Oftentimes, a pediatric private practice is working on referrals. To that end, they’re trying to do some marketing, and they’re doing a lot of little things—but they might miss the big picture. What’s the big picture when you’re trying to increase referrals? It’s getting the word out to the community at large.
How do we do that? Is there a great way to reach out and connect with people en masse? The answer is yes. Workshops, both online or in your practice, and community events are the way to really get your practice known in your community.
What Is a Workshop for a Pediatric Private Practice?
A workshop is basically a teaching opportunity for parents or the community. You can also call them “lectures” or “seminars” if you prefer. These are opportunities to be able to educate people on your expertise and what you know. But a key point about workshops is that they have to be valuable to parents and families. Your workshop has to give them information that they’re reaching for.
How to Pick a Workshop Topic for Your Pediatric Private Practice
Since your target audience really has to want to learn about the topic of your workshop to be interested in attending it, it’s important to pick a topic that the community is actually looking for (as opposed to something that you think is important). A lot of times, this is just a matter of tweaking the wording so that people are hearing something with which they would resonate.
You can even talk about the same topic in different workshops, if you’re talking about it using different buzzwords, different hot buttons, and things that make your community go, “Oh, I want that.” You can then work backwards to build your workshop’s content.
How to Run a Successful Workshop for Your Pediatric Private Practice
The way a workshop works is simple:
- Pick your venue. You can do workshops a couple of different ways. An in-person workshop obviously has people come to your practice location. You can also do a virtual workshop, otherwise known as a webinar, which is something people can register for online and attend from their home.
- Advertise it. Run digital ads to attract people to your workshop. Send out reminders to your email list. Invite people in person and through any other methods to get the word out that you have a regular series of workshops.
- Make it consistent. You can host a workshop once a month, twice a month, however you want to do it. But consistency gives the community something that they can remember and attend to get to know your practice.
Should Your Practice Do In-Person Workshops or Webinars?
If you’re trying to get people in to see your practice, you want to do an in-practice workshop. However, if you just want a bunch of attendees and to make it easy for anybody to come, you should do a webinar. Either one is an opportunity for you to showcase your expertise, teach people about things that matter to them, and really put your practice at the center of the community as a knowledgeable resource that people should go to. This increases referrals.
What Are Community Events for Pediatric Private Practices?
There are two types of community events:
1. External Community Events and Their Purpose
The first is going out into the world around you. There are fairs, family events, athletic events, child-related events, and so on happening all the time. Having a presence at these events is critical because yes, you’ll develop referrals and have people come for developmental screenings, etc. But more importantly, you’ll connect with people all over your community. Attending events helps you build connections you otherwise could never make.
2. Internal Community Events and Their Purpose
The second type of community event is bringing the community into your practice. The purpose of this type is to make your practice the center of the community. This is the classic bouncy house, petting zoo, or face painting event where you get people to come to your practice for any occasion you can think of.
And many pediatric private practices have some really great facilities that kids love. Using that, showcasing that, and sharing that with the community then makes you a center of the community by including them. And that develops relationships that you couldn’t buy with any sort of marketing because people will come to know and love you for being part of the fabric of the community.
How to Successfully Market Your Pediatric Private Practice Events
Community, events, workshops, and webinars are fantastic ways to connect with people that you otherwise would never have the opportunity to build deep relationships with. Just remember, when you’re doing event marketing of any kind, what you’re really doing is public relations. You don’t just let it happen naturally. You plan it, you execute it well, and you really put on a show.
What does that mean? It means advertising the event by making sure that you’ve got Facebook ads running so people know about it. It means that when people reach out, you don’t expect them to just come. You RSVP them—get on the phone and call them, schedule them, and make sure they’ll be there.
It means that when you put up a booth at a community event, you make sure you’ve got a great sign with your logo out there front and center. You make sure you’ve got smiling people running it and wearing matching T-shirts. You make sure you’ve got something to give away as a way to connect with your community.
Reach Out to Uplift Marketing
At the end of the day, any pediatric private practice ultimately should be using event marketing as part of their overall public relations and marketing strategy. If you have any questions at all, you know where to find me. Reach out at (314) 690-1575 or send an email to info@uplift.marketing.
