The Hospital Team's Need for Media Relations and Interview Training

Dr. Jim Humphries is a veterinarian, media spokesperson, and communications consultant in Colorado Springs, Colorado, (719) 495-2100. He was the animal health reporter for NBC Dallas-Ft. Worth for ten years, and has been a contributor to CBS "The Early Show" for over thirteen years. Jim has given over four thousand interviews and completed twenty-three national media tours for the animal health industry. He now consults with a variety of businesses and industries in the area of media relations and training. He is the author of a new web resource for small business and medical practice promotions and publicity, www.Publicity123.com.

In today's fast-paced business world, most professionals operating a small business cannot ignore the positive and negative power of the media. Generally, in veterinary medicine both the print and electronic presses are our allies. Stories done about veterinarians and veterinary practice are generally positive and give us a tremendous amount of valuable publicity and public awareness that's hard to buy. However, occasionally the press attention we receive might be negative or surround a controversy that can cast a shadow on our practice or our profession.

Giving a media interview is not a simple task. Those who believe they can "wing it", may find themselves in a very tough situation, with reporters who only care about their investigative agendas and not your public image. Just as you would not attempt a new surgical procedure without some specialized training, neither should you attempt any media interaction without training from an experienced professional.

Consequently, media communications training has become extremely important for all members of the hospital team. The chances of a veterinarian or members of the hospital staff finding themselves in front of a camera, or on the phone with the local radio station, are growing. This is an opportunity for publicity and promoting your positive public image. However, it can also be the source of distress and mistakes without some small attention paid to proper media training and performance.

What you want is print media coverage that reflects what you've actually said. You want television and radio stations to use your best sound bites. Frankly, you want to take control of the nerve-wracking interview process and learn how to turn that into public information and publicity for the hospital. That's what "Media Training" can do for you. You should learn how to avoid being misquoted, how to control the course of the interview, how to spend your valuable time delivering positive message points about your subject, and how to get your message across, no matter what they ask!

Once a comfort level is achieved in this new skill, a few doctors and staff members can be designated as hospital spokespersons, and media encounters become a consistently successful PR campaign and part of your publicity plan. In addition, you also have in place a powerful source of immediate public notification in case of disease trends or outbreaks, and can even easily handle crisis communications scenarios.

Whether your message is public information or practice publicity, the media is one of the most powerful and fastest ways to communicate with the public. Once you are seen as a good "source" to the local media, you can literally place a few calls and have a hot story on the news within hours. That's powerful communications.

A few things to remember:

 The media is in a big hurry, and they will get the facts of your story wrong if you don't pay close attention to accurate delivery of your points. That's not being overly critical. All of us have read stories or watched TV reports on issues about which we know something. It is amazing how much of the reports are wrong. News people are rushed and attracted to controversial and sensational issues. They are judgmental, busy building their careers, and many times perspective and fairness are less important!

 Print reporters are the worst, so be especially careful when giving any print interview. You must have a good grasp of interview skills to get a print reporter to write a story that accurately reflects what you said. In the electronic media, especially a live interview, you are in control of what you say, and there is no editing or "interpretation" done by the reporter. With taped television, your interview will be edited and, therefore. you must learn to speak in sound bites that deliver your concise message points.

 People who do well in interviews weren't born with that skill. They were trained to use time-tested techniques that produce accurate reporting and reduce the media's tendency to get the facts wrong. Media interviews should be viewed as great opportunities to properly communicate your message and not something to be feared.

 Media training will prepare you to engage an increasingly aggressive, judgmental, and unforgiving media. One of your best resources for self-teaching is at www.Publicity123.com. This web site allows you to customize your "short-course" in media training. There are both free and for-fee reports available that you will find helpful in learning this important skill. One report that is a must for anyone planning to give a media interview is "50 Interview Tips Only the Pros Understand". Other material is organized into categories, such as "The Essentials"; "The Print Media, Radio, and Television"; "The Web"; and "Advanced Learning".

The hospital team that learns to properly use the media to their advantage, both in information delivery and publicity, see more new clients and more referrals. It is a fact that clients like to use an animal hospital that has some degree of celebrity and notoriety, and media exposure can do that for you quickly. Using this to your advantage will pay off in the future with a growing practice, where all the staff members contribute to the public image of the operation.

What to do when the Media Calls

Media attention is often valuable free publicity, which lets you deliver your important message to a large audience. However, when the media calls, asking for an interview, it can be a very stressful and nerve-wracking event. Frankly, you should welcome the call and see it as a chance to get your hospital seen by thousands, but that only comes when you know what to do when the media calls.

When the media calls you for an interview, perhaps you see the call as a chance to achieve some free and valuable publicity for your practice. On the other hand you may view the media's request for an interview as a real potential risk or a difficult situation, because you know this reporter is the investigative type.

Whatever the case, you should be prepared to make the most of the event. If you can meet the reporter's needs, and get your key message points across, you will be miles ahead of the competition when it comes to public visibility, credibility, and new clients!

There are two basic goals for you to keep in mind anytime you do an interview:

1.  Meet the reporter's needs.

2.  Get your point across!

If the reporter is from a general talk show or mid-day variety program, the need is simple and usually involves a fun and entertaining interview about some visual aspect of veterinary practice. So, to meet the reporter's needs, you will need to be prepared with your key message points, decide what will make the story visual, prepare how you will work in the name of your hospital, and be upbeat and positive in your delivery of answers.

If the reporter is from the news department, they will be in a hurry, looking for sound bites, and searching for information to formulate a story about your subject. To meet that reporter's needs, you would not waste their time. Be ready, with short, concise statements that cut to the heart of the issue and assist the reporter wherever possible, while staying on target with your message.

All this is much easier said than done! Here are the "Top Ten" details you should know, when the media calls your hospital for a story:

1.  Reporters are neither your friends nor your enemies.
Most reporters are simply trying to do their jobs. Few reporters are vindictive or have a negative agenda that may hurt your hospital's image. Frankly, you should know these "investigative" reporters in advance from their work in your local TV area. With good interview training, you and your staff should be able to handle most interview situations.
Also, don't make the mistake of thinking the reporter will be your best friend. This starts when the reporter asks the "softball" questions early in the interview to soften you up. Feeling relieved, some people will begin to open up. This can be trouble, because you will say things to friends that you should never say to a TV or print reporter.

2.  Understand reporters.
Reporters are typically negative, because they deal with so much negative news. They are reporters, and by definition journalists. But frankly, most of the electronic press is not interested in too many facts about your corner of the world. They like the sensational, unusual or bizarre aspects of any story. Why? Because ratings improve with sensational and unusual stories, and radio and television are driven by the ratings. It's that simple.
The best way to give an interview is to make an effort to save the reporter time. Offer great sound bites and all your contact information, as you pat them on the back and guide them out the front door. They will love you for such efficiency and respect for their time. You may get on their source list and perhaps get a call in the future to help with other reports. Smart publicity seekers know the importance of this, and they know that any publicity now, or in the future, makes the phone ring!

3.  Reporters are in a hurry.
Reporters are always in a rush. Knowing this, help reporters get their jobs done by being "easy to produce". They will love you for it. This means not only delivering concise message points that are right on target, but also helping with simple things like finding a good setting for the camera before they arrive, making sure there is adequate electricity, a semi-quiet environment, and not too many distractions.

4.  Determine what they want
If possible, in advance, determine a few key factors about the story and what the reporter wants from you. Use this knowledge to determine if you a) want to do the interview, and b) how you will frame your answers.
Here are some of the key questions you should answer about any upcoming interview:
Is this a soft or hard news story?

a.  Is this a controversial subject or a general interest story?

b.  Do they want a short sound bite or an extensive interview?

c.  Is this a print or electronic media reporter?

d.  Is this happening immediately, or do you have some notice?

e.  What is the reporter's angle?

f.  What is the media's interest in the story?

g.  Who else are they planning to interview?

h.  How did this story come to their attention?
The answers to these questions will tell you a great deal about the story and whether you wish to participate.

5.  You do not have to agree to an interview.
While a print, TV, or radio interview can be a powerful publicity event for you, it can also hurt you. If your better judgment tells you there is a problem with this subject, the reporter, or the angle, you can respectfully decline to be interviewed. For a veterinary hospital and a non-controversial subject, I suggest taking the opportunity to do the interview and deliver your key message points. It can be valuable publicity and visibility that's hard to buy. But if you see trouble, it may be best to decline and refer them to someone else.

6.  You do not have to agree to their terms.
Time, place, scope, and other parameters of an interview should be discussed in advance. It is perfectly reasonable to ask for changes or even negotiate some terms to benefit you. Remember, the reporter probably needs your sound bite and also needs to get back to the station. Don't be dominated by aggressive journalists used to running over star-struck viewers.

7.  What is this reporter's history?
If you are interested in practice publicity at all, you should be an avid local TV viewer and radio listener. Therefore, you know which shows and channels are appropriate for your subject and which ones are either inappropriate or possibly aggressive to your position. You should also know a reporter's reputation for being simply a good storyteller, or for being a real bull-dog investigator. While you may choose to do the interview with the "bull-dog", you will prepare and deliver differently.

8.  Who else are they interviewing
It is very important for you to know who else this reporter is interviewing for this story! I've seen many news reports, where an individual was interviewed and it was clear they thought they were in a news vacuum. No thought was given to what others with an opposing viewpoint might say. To ask, "Who else are you interviewing on this story?" is a perfectly reasonable question and can tell you a great deal about how to frame your answers.

9.  How did this reporter choose to do this story?
It is very telling how a reporter gets the assignment to complete a story on a particular subject. The story could have been generated by another animal hospital attempting to gain publicity, and the reporter simply wants your angle. The subject could be in the news, or the issue might be an assignment by the station's assignments editor. On the negative side, the reporter might have been treated unfairly in a situation, and they are "going to get to the bottom of this issue" by doing a report.
When you know what generated the story, you will also be armed with important information about how to frame your answers. You may choose not to be involved in any way, if this reporter is on a mission to discredit an industry or profession. So before the interview, try to find out how this reporter chose this story.

10.  Stay aware of the news of the day.
There are two very important reasons why you should be an avid news consumer. One is that most news is generated because of other news. Therefore, knowing what's happening in your area of expertise will keep you one step ahead of the media's phone call.
Another important reason to be a good media (news) consumer is to generate stories about your hospital that come from the current events. By calling the press, when you see a current news item that is related to veterinary practice, you are miles ahead of getting a story on the news or being a guest on the local radio talk shows.

Now Take Some Time to Prepare!

1.  Anticipate the questions you will receive.
After you receive the call from a reporter and you have followed the previous ten steps, you already know a great deal about the upcoming interview. So take a moment and play reporter. Write down all the questions you think you would ask, if you were the reporter. Be sure to include all the questions that might be pretty tough. This list of questions will get you well on your way to feeling more comfortable about the interview. You should feel a bit "rehearsed" before the reporter arrives. Of course you don't want to be an interview "robot", but relaxed delivery is easier to the eyes and ears. That comes only through proper preparation, as in a little rehearsal.

2.  Craft your seven to fifteen-second answers!
If this is going to be a live, two to three-minute interview, you can relax about the "seven-second sound bite", be more natural, and take your time. However, if this is a taped interview for television, your message will be lost, unless you master the art of delivering a point in a few seconds. This does not happen naturally. It only comes with good writing and then practice. All good interviews are properly thought through, and answers are practiced the day before the interview. Good interviews don't just happen! You have to prepare and practice, and then learn the skill of delivering sound bites and message points quickly.

3.  Begin to practice.
I suggest you write as many possible questions and answers as you can. Then initially practice them all. Next, select the most likely "top ten" and get those down cold, knowing full well you will only be asked about three to five of them, then one or two will make it into the story. Your practice should be out loud with a friend playing reporter. If that is not possible, then practice aloud in front of a mirror. You will be amazed at how well this practice prepares you for the real thing. Never wing an interview!

4.  Write and practice all the Hot-Seat questions
These are the most feared and dreaded questions most do not want to be asked. They involve areas of law, money, personal interests, and the like. Frankly, you know them better than the reporter does. If you have not gone through the exercise of constructing an answer to these types of questions, you will be caught by surprise on camera, and that should never happen to a media-savvy, publicity-minded professional.

5.  Practice answers out of order.
When you think like a reporter, you will list a flow of questions, beginning with basics and background information, then leading up to more pointed questions, and then even the really tough ones. This is a normal flow of questioning, and you'll probably practice them in this order as well. However, practice your answers out of that order. It's so surprising, when you are all "psyched" and ready for your interview, and a news anchor, host, or reporter will ask you questions completely out of your sequenced order. It will catch you by surprise and make you look unprepared. Even if you simply submit four or five questions for a quick segment on the local morning news, be prepared to be asked the last question first and the first question last. If you prepare in this way, you won't be surprised, and you'll be ready no matter what.

6.  Practice working in your message early
Another surprising thing can happen in an interview. You will be delivering very nice answers to the host's questions and believing things are progressing quite well. Then you hear the dreaded words; "Well, thanks for joining us...." In your mind you are shouting, "But wait! I haven't told you my key messages yet!" The host has cut the interview short for some reason or your two-and-a-half minutes went by so fast it felt more like thirty seconds, and you've lost your chance to tell the audience about your great practice. This happens more than you think. The fix for this problem is to work your message points into your answers early in the interview. This can be done naturally and should never seem artificial. When you practice answering questions for the interview, practice this technique as well.

7.  Support what you say with credible third-party sources.
You are clearly giving an interview because you are seen as an expert. You are also giving an interview to publicize your practice. However, one thing adds to the credibility of your entire interview process and that is citing a recent study, a non-profit organization, or case reports. This third-party support is very important, and many reporters look for it in the pre-interview or through their questioning. I suggest you have these ready and be prepared to add such support and credibility to your answers.

Ten Steps for Getting Valuable Media Exposure for Your Practice

It's all in the selling, and then in the telling! Every day a veterinary hospital sees many cases that would make great stories in the paper, or on television and radio programs. What keeps those stories from finding their way to the noon news? Several things:

 We are all very busy and, hence, don't take the time to call the reporters.

 A good media story may seem routine or unremarkable to us.

 We may not know how to pitch (sell) the story to the media gatekeepers.

 Veterinarians and staff are inexperienced in actually telling a complex story in a three-minute time frame.

Those obstacles keep us from some very valuable publicity that can bring in new clients and boost income.

Simply accomplishing some media attention once or twice makes the whole process easier and more natural, and many veterinary hospitals find that such publicity becomes a regular part of their weekly activities. The busy schedule issue will have to be handled by you and your team, but I can certainly help you with the other obstacles that keep most veterinarians away from the spotlight of the electronic and print media.

Here are ten steps to make media attention a regular part of your publicity activities:

NOTE: THERE ARE ONLY EIGHT STEPS, BOOK IS NUMBERED INCORRECTLY

1.  Identify a good story.
Journalists can identify a good story within seconds. Learn to identify and sell the interesting stories that come through your office. Good stories have a central theme, a hero, a beginning, middle, and end. They should be of interest to many, and can be instructional, emotional, or just plain unusual. Learn to identify these and then learn to pitch them to the reporters quickly. Good examples are:

 Unusual cases.

 Survivor cases.

 Special surgeries or treatments.

 Newborn oddities or special stories.

 Horrific or the inhumane, where education is the goal.

More specifically:

 A case of rabies

 A case where pet insurance paid much of the bill.

 Alternative medicines or therapies.

 Interesting heart disease.

 West Nile Virus.

 An outbreak of most any disease in one part of the community.

 A case of feline AIDS.

 An interesting frostbite case.

 A disease common between man and other animals (zoonotic).

 A survey of your geriatric patients showing a trend.

 Deadly bugs that transmit disease.

 Results of a national survey.

 Piggy-back with a local event.

 Seasonally addressing fleas and ticks.

 Winter precautions.

 New specialty and therapeutic diets.

 Teach viewers to do a physical exam at home

 Take news from today's headlines and show an example case.

2.  Know the media.
As I said before, this involves being a good local TV viewer and radio listener. The producer you speak with will want to know you are familiar enough with the targeted show to know your story will work on that program. If you call a producer, having never seen or heard the targeted show, it will be obvious to the producer, and you lose credibility. Here's a good example of how your call should go:
"Hi this is Sara at the County Animal Hospital. I watch "Memphis Today", and I know you have some time for fun or interesting stories on Fridays. We have a fascinating case of a puppy that survived a house fire last week and may have even saved one of the family members.
After pretty intense treatment, he's recovering from his burns now, and the family would be willing to talk about their experience, too."
This principle also applies to knowing which media and reporters would be appropriate for your story. Veterinary care stories are much more appropriate for morning and noon news. Evening news is typically filled only with hard news stories, and you probably would be wasting your time by calling one of these producers. However, there are a good variety of mid-day general programs and morning talk shows that would be the proper avenue for pet care issues.

3.  Develop relationships with the media.
Suppose your office manager told you there were two calls waiting: one is from someone you've never spoken with before, and the other is from a person who has taken the time to establish a relationship with you and knows your needs. Whose call are you most likely to take
Building a relationship now with reporters means they are more likely to take your call, when you have an important story to tell. If your story is not a fit for their programs, they will refer you to others, because they trust you. Also building a relationship with a reporter or producer allows you to be seen as a source, and that means they will come to you for stories
As with any relationship, building and maintaining trust is critical. Do what you tell them you will do in the timeframe you give. Do your best to check out your facts before you present them to your reporter friends, always try to bring them good, solid story ideas, and be available on short notice for them if they call you.
The thought of calling a TV or radio station and offering a story from your hospital can be intimidating. No one likes rejection, and it's never easy to step out of our comfort zone, but when you succeed and then see your story on the morning news, it becomes challenging and fun. Here are some pitching tips:

 Hone your story idea down to about fifteen seconds. You have to capture their interest in that very short amount of time. Here's an example:
"This is Dr. Johnson. I'm a veterinarian here in Denver. We have a case of West Nile Virus in a dog, which as you know is very rare. I believe it would be valuable to tell your audience about this case and go over mosquito prevention tips for dogs and cats. This dog's owners have already agreed to be interviewed, either here at my clinic or at their home."

 Ask reporters if they are on a deadline, and, if so, find out what time would be best for you to call back.

 Phone calls are good, but you'll often get voice mail. Leave the reporter your brief fifteen-second pitch on the voice mail, with all your contact information. Try to get the reporter's e-mail address and send a one paragraph summary of your interesting case. Many reporters prefer being contacted by e-mail.

 Be sure to follow up on everything. This means sending any requested information as soon as possible, or simply calling back at a better time for the reporter.

 Be persistent. But don't be a pest and bother the reporter or producer with too many calls. Many reporters just can't find the time to return calls, even with stories they are interested in, so you have to call back. If you get their voice mail, I suggest not leaving another message. You want to try different times of the day and, hopefully, get the reporter on the phone.

4.  Be creative.
Inject your story idea and pitch it with some innovative thinking. Instead of simply pitching a reporter on the importance of heart worm prevention and vaccinations, offer something like "The Five Most Common Questions People Ask A Veterinarian". This is a more innovative approach to a story, and within the answers to those five questions; you discuss vaccinations and heart worm prevention.

5.  Good solid writing helps
This applies to your press release, or to your sample articles or columns you may be submitting for publication. Be observant about how the local paper writes a story. There typically is a catchy title, lead line, good quotes, lots of facts, and third-party endorsements. You should mimic style and include these elements. Stay away from jargon and buzz words. Write very simply and be to-the-point. Far too many professionals want to write a consumer article, like they are writing a technical report for a journal. Keep it simple, readable, and short! Get some professional assistance, if you are a bit rusty in this area.

6.  Target your media, and then plan on spin-off coverage.
Once you have a story idea or unusual case, think about which medium would be the best to deliver your message. Some stories work best in print and may not work on television. Radio requires you to develop good "word pictures" to tell the story. Next, pitch your story to the media that you feel is right for the story. If you have a highly visual case, such as a foreign object easily seen on an X-ray, then be sure to call the morning and noon news television programs. If your story is more of a human interest story that needs some development, then print or talk radio might be a better choice
Then expect spin-off media interest. Often when a story runs on one media, other media will pick up on the idea and call you for its own coverage or other stories. Be prepared for this to happen, and perhaps be prepared with some alternative stories or cases.

7.  Always have visuals.
It does not matter whether you plan to pitch radio, television, or the print media. Something that will make the story visual is a huge plus. Rarely will the media do a story without something to show or describe. Examples include the actual animal patient, the animal's owners, X-rays, ultrasound print-outs, removed foreign objects, products, bottles of medication, models, anything to further describe your story.

8.  Be "Easy to Produce".
As you have a few media successes, you will begin to learn what the producers and reporters need to make your type of story work. Consequently, you should prepare and pre-plan your stories with these concepts in mind. Help the producers do their jobs, and you will be asked back time and time again.
Things that make a producer's job easy are:

 Visuals ready.

 Maps, if applicable.

 Third-party support of your findings.

 Results of surveys.

 Short, written, story run-downs, or script outlines.

 Animal patients that appear and behave well on camera or in studio.

 Demonstrations of equipment.

 Brevity and conciseness.

 Gaining and then using your experience in front of the camera or microphone.

Media attention can really make the telephone ring and the front door swing! Because the inside of a newsroom is such a foreign place to most of us, we never venture there. But once you see the power of local publicity in the mass media, you will be sold on the importance of identifying good stories and packaging them in a way reporters can't resist. You have a limitless supply of great media stories. But remember, it's all in the selling, and then in the telling!

How to Get Booked on Radio Talk Shows

Radio is a great means of free publicity, because it is relatively easy to get booked, relatively easy to conduct a successful interview, and you can target your audience very well. Here are the steps to get booked on radio talk shows:

1.  Plan, prepare, and give them a call.
First, become an avid talk radio listener, and you'll soon be able to tell what shows in your market would be right for your subject. Even music stations sometimes have morning guests, and most have weekend shows and public service programs that will provide you good publicity. Pick stations that reach your target audience.
Become familiar with the hosts, their style, and their favorite subjects. Visit their web sites and make notes of their show times, contact information, and anything else you can learn from their sites.
Next, get your materials and your pitch ready and simply call the station directly. When you call be sure to say, "I'm an avid listener and I have a great idea for you...", and you will already have made a friend. Tell them quickly and succinctly what you want to talk about and why you would be a good guest. Quickly give them your credentials and play off of any other media exposure or public events you've had.
Fax and -mail also work, but if you can get the producer or the host on the phone, you have a much better chance. Sometimes the producer and the host are the same person. Radio pros can tell very quickly if you will be a good interview simply from this phone call. This call is almost like a quick audition, so be upbeat and energetic
Plan on some sort of fun topic or giveaway that will make listeners tune in, call in, or even visit your web site or practice. Tell the producer how you will have fun with this idea. Radio is much more able to do crazy or off-the-wall promotions.
In case they ask, have a simple media kit ready. This is a portfolio folder with your press release, practice brochure, fact sheets, surveys and data, pictures, sample interview questions, and a business card. Think of it as a "toolbox" a talk show host can use to do the interview.
What interview ideas really work? Producers perk up when they hear "local", "news", "new", and "just released". Craft your interview idea in a way that takes advantage of a news angle, recent local events, the season or holiday, breaking news, or insider secrets. In veterinary medicine, seasonal or holiday stories always work well. Also any new drug, equipment, or procedure is news. You can also take advantage of pharmaceutical companies and other industry manufacturers and use their surveys, promotional items, and announcements as a radio interview idea.

2.  Be a great radio guest
Radio producers hate dull, boring guests. Remember you don't have visuals, so you must communicate only with your voice. If you speak in normal conversational tones and energy levels you will lose your audience fast. You must be upbeat, energetic, and punchy
Prepare for your interview with some fascinating stories or funny analogies. Also, radio producers love anything that gets the phones ringing, and nothing does that like a good argument. You can be controversial in your position, or you can speak on a controversial topic. Either way the phones will soon be ringing at the station. You have just made good radio.
I suggest you offer to go into the station if possible. This makes for a more interactive and spontaneous interview environment. Increasingly, even local radio interviews are done on the phone, so please have a good quality phone wired to a plug. Better quality sound will make your interview more professional and clear.

3.  Don't forget your main purpose.
All your energy and information will be wasted if you don't have a place to send the listeners for more information. An easy toll free number, catchy web site address, or sending the listeners to a public event or seminar should be the net result of your time on the radio program. Work this information into your answers. If you are not a "walking commercial", most radio hosts and producers will let you promote a little because, frankly, it is good listener service.

4.  Follow-up.
After your calls to media producers, or after an actual interview, be diligent about follow-up. Provide them the resources you promised, and include all your contact information. Make a note to the producer that you will be available anytime and include your home number. You never know when a hot topic, breaking news, or other immediate need for your expertise will arise. You want to become a resource for the media when it comes to veterinary medicine.

Traditional Advertising and Marketing

Marketing a veterinary practice is changing rapidly! Before low-cost Internet and database technology, practices used highly inefficient marketing methods that wasted money. Because in the past it was difficult to identify the pet owners in the practice area, veterinary hospitals generally relied on strategies that delivered to a large audience, reaching many thousands of people with little interest in pet care. Traditional advertising and marketing agencies used this method for years and touted the thousands (or millions) of viewers and readers enjoyed by the campaign, with little attention or knowledge of an actual measurable result.

Even today, advertisers that pay for placements in print and on television pay to reach millions of people who would never consider buying their product or service. A great deal of paid advertising is a waste.

The traditional media likes the term "narrowcasting" to imply their audiences are more narrowly focused for your needs. But it is generally impossible to target people searching for information on a specific topic at a specific time. That's the nature of the "mass media". It's rarely "narrow".

So the old methods force the marketers to waste a lot of time and money, and they lack any means of measuring their effect. Many advertisers still use a variety of mass media modes but still don't know which one works.

Putting the Web to Work for You!

The technological revolution has transformed advertising, marketing, public, and consumer relations. The relatively low cost of Internet services make it possible for any practice of any size to compete by applying this so-called "New Marketing". Putting the web to work for your veterinary hospital will result in a significant savings in time and money, plus a practice with greater reach to clients and the media. Only a few veterinary practices have made such web-savvy marketing a part of daily business, but many more are on the way. Large consumer-goods companies and business-to-business marketers have used this new marketing strategy successfully. It's now time for veterinary practices to jump on the bandwagon. Because web marketing has low cost and high efficiency, it is possible for small and mid-sized hospitals to compete with large hospitals and corporate operations.

Web marketing has developed in response to three things:

1.  More computer-savvy, educated clients.

2.  A growing commitment from most progressive veterinary practices to acquire and keep good clients.

3.  Improving technology that is increasingly economical for small business.

Putting the Web to Work for Your Practice

With web marketing, you seek to find people in a buying mode and then to build an improving relationship with them over time. The details of your web marketing plan will depend on the specific details of your veterinary hospital and practice area, but the basics are the same for all practices:

 The Internet enables your practice to target clients searching for information specifically about your practice, or area of expertise, and do it for much less than traditional marketing.

 Inexpensive database technology is now available that makes it possible for a practice to identify the people most likely to be clients and to focus accordingly.

 Relationship-building strategies are now more critical than ever, are aimed at your best prospective "A" or "B" clients, and give you a higher, more measurable return than traditional marketing.

 Web marketing is unusually effective, because it appeals to existing clients who already trust you, saves you time and money, and provides measurable results.

 Web marketing lowers costs, by allowing you to focus marketing dollars on the people most likely to become clients. It lets you track the results of every transaction, and it focuses on retaining clients, rather than continually spending money to replace them.

 Web marketing does not replace advertising programs designed to build awareness and identity.

 Web marketing requires good coordination between your efforts that identify potential clients, and bring them in, and your team's client care work, which strives to retain the new clients.

The Ten Essentials of Web Marketing

1.  The effort is focused on identifying, selling, and satisfying clients, one by one.

2.  Clients are now more than ever focused on marketing messages that key in on their needs.

3.  Pet owners are more likely to become clients when they actively search and find your targeted marketing message.

4.  Clients are smarter and much more wary about false and over-blown claims.

5.  When you provide useful information via web site, newsletters, and other resources, pet owners are more likely to become clients.

6.  New lower-cost database software now makes it possible for you to determine how well your marketing efforts are working

7.  Face-to-face client care is as important as it ever was to turn these web-savvy pet owners into long-term clients.

8.  Marketing brings them in, caring people and relationship building keeps them.

9.  Your "new marketing" and client care/follow-up functions must be seamlessly aligned.

10. Your traditional marketing techniques, such as print or electronic advertising, and even your publicity and/or promotions, will improve and become more measurable when linked to a web marketing strategy.

The Internet

The way you find clients who are interested in your veterinary hospital is the Internet, and it's not expensive. Your web site should be focused on useful, valuable content and not gimmicks. By searching the web, contacting webmasters of sites you like, you can find experienced site construction and maintenance businesses. Beware that a good site may cost you as much as $5000 and $10,000 a year to maintain, although many excellent ones are available for much less. Don't let them charge you $50,000 to $100,000.

Internet use is growing rapidly. Not only is the web being used as a source of information, but statistics show that significantly more people are now purchasing online, as well. A recent Nielson Ratings Survey shows that:

 The number of on-line users has more than doubled in the last two years to one hundred sixty-six million users in the United States and Canada, and six hundred million people are on-line worldwide.

 Sixty-one percent of all adult men are on-line, and fifty-four percent of all adult women are on-line.

 Seventy-one percent of on-line adults use the web for product or service information.

 Fifty-eight percent of on-line adults order products on-line.

Household and business penetration of Internet access has jumped dramatically. Consequently, the volume of users, combined with the low cost of web strategies, makes the Internet essential in today's veterinary practice. Still, many practices fail to profit from the web, because few understand its role in the marketing mix.

I don't want you to think the Internet is a replacement for traditional media. There may always be the need to build brand and name awareness, using broad-reach media. But right now, the Internet is an alternative medium, with a powerful characteristic: It allows users to get specific information on demand, when they need it, any time, day or night. Don't make the mistake of trying to make your web site into a broad mass-marketing tool. If you do, you'll miss its most focused and powerful benefit to your veterinary hospital.

From veterinary practice perspective, the Internet is economical in every sense of the word. Like TV in its early years, the Internet has a major problem: content. Much of the information on the Internet either duplicates what is already available in print or is not of useful or practical help to the average consumer. This is changing, and, frankly, you and your practice should be a part of that change. Don't let your web site simply be an electronic brochure that provides little useful information. Give useful information, as you would to a newspaper or television reporter doing a story on your business. Categorize it well, so it's easy to find, and make your site fun and interesting to come back to time and time again.

Your practice can profit from the Internet by:

 Having a web site with useful information related to your practice's emphasis on service. For instance, one veterinary hospital provides site visitors very useful tips on the ten most common calls into its practice. Another provides the ability to make appointments on-line, yet another gives the visitor the ability to ask questions and get a real reply.

 Using the web site as a very special relationship-marketing tool by giving visitors such things as access to special information, educational events, or screening clinics, and perhaps a free exam.

 Understanding the many ways in which your web site can educate your potential clients, while providing them with useful information that will motivate, convince, or generate an appointment.

 Using promotion techniques to attract people to your web site and to encourage them to provide you with demographic information. This information is extremely helpful to your future marketing efforts and will reduce your overall marketing costs. Give them something for offering their contact information!

 Knowing how to market your web site. While your web site address should be on all your promotional materials, give the readers more reason to visit. Let them have the latest results of a national survey, an article on the insider view of your special operation, or even a calendar they can customize and visit often for their own use, not to mention your repeat visits.

 Making the Internet site interactive, by allowing visitors to participate in "chat rooms" of regular users of your hospital, or perhaps a simple, weekly, "Ask the Expert" section, where you and your staff can answer simple questions, then post the answers in your FAQ section. You could even have a complaints center, so you can handle these in private on the web and not in your reception room.

 Knowing how to use your consumer's information. Once you have the names and e-mail addresses of clients who have entered them at your site, you should send them helpful information on a regular basis to build and keep the relationship going. Many people like this, and there is almost no cost involved. For those who don't like the effort, give them a way to unsubscribe.

 Respecting privacy and time. You know how much you hate unsolicited e-mail. Your potential clients will hate it just as much. It is recommended you send useful material to those who have volunteered their information, but do not send unsolicited e-mails, because you should respect a potential client's privacy.