Audio marketing — marketing that aims to reach and influence patients and their families by what they hear, rather than only by what they see — is a key tool that hospitals and healthcare facilities are increasingly relying on. Audio can reach its audience without the need to read or physically view program material, or it can enhance viewable material. Therefore, audio can reinforce marketing strategies or reach its audience where other marketing strategies and tools may fail. This effectiveness allows healthcare facilities to improve patient care, boost public relations initiatives and grow customer acquisition, loyalty and engagement. Incorporating audio in a healthcare facility's marketing and customer service strategies can be done via the phone, online and even within the facility itself. Here are 8 tips for using audio to reach and engage patients, callers and visitors.
1. In-facility audio patient surveys are a great tool in evaluating patients' experience at your facility.
• Audio-facilitated surveys can evaluate your patients' experience in real time using the patient's room telephone.
• A courtesy call prompts patient to respond to a survey about their stay. A warm welcome and message from the hospital president begins the call, followed by a professional human narrated voice administering the survey.
• If the patient responds negatively to the survey, an alert is immediately sent to the appropriate staff member. By immediately notifying staff, service recovery can begin instantaneously, instead of the response having to wait until after the patient has left the facility.
• Positive responses from patients can be implemented in the facilities marketing initiatives, and added to the mailing lists of the hospital’s foundations and donors.
2. Callers on hold are a captive audience, receptive to hearing your messages.
• Because healthcare facilities usually have an enormous "customer base" and heavy call traffic around the clock, providing marketing messages while callers are on hold allows a facility to reach callers efficiently and effectively.
• Hold time is the perfect opportunity to communicate with callers, informing them about your facility's recognitions and awards, promoting your upcoming events or communicating important safety tips. These messages enhance your facility's credibility and image among competitors.
3. Enhance social media accounts with audio.
• Podcasts allow facilities to announce special events, physician availability, fundraisers, and important medical reminders.
4. Virtual tour audio enhances the simulated experience.
• By incorporating a audio into virtual tours of the facility, the simulated facility visit will instantly provide the personal feel of a real tour. Professional voice over audio can describe activities and convey information.
• Professional tour audio using a professional, yet tranquil human voice can help to calm the fears of patients who are unfamiliar or nervous about a surgery or procedure.
5. Interactive Voice Response announcements effectively navigate callers to their destination without live support.
• IVR announcements can improve your patient care initiatives, decrease hold time and efficiently direct calls without the need to increase personnel.
• Voice prompts increase brand loyalty by delivering critical information in a concise, timely manner.
• IVRs are capable of prioritizing information and consolidating menu choices.
6. The right music relaxes sometimes anxious patients and loved ones.
• Music on hold is a key technique in calming callers who are often times nervous and worried. Appropriate music and messages keep callers relaxed, informed and ready to talk to you.
• Studies show that listening to calm, soothing music can help regulate breathing, blood pressure and alleviate muscle tension.
• Specific overhead music is an effective way in easing the minds of those in the waiting room. By playing calm, pleasant music, you can create a serene atmosphere for patients and visitors.
7. Overhead announcements reach individuals who are in your facility.
• The system can also be used to broadcast quiet hours, sound alarms if there is a specific type of emergency, or announce information on elevators and lobbies.
• Many hospitals have implemented announcements about new born babies by playing Brahams' lullaby through the overhead system.
• Using professional audio for these applications ensures that your messages are clear and concise so they are understood by patients and staff alike.
8. Website audio allows patients to see and hear from you.
• On its website, a hospital can incorporate its audio logo, a message from the president or a professionally produced greeting to warmly welcome patients.
• Another growing trend is asking patients to record audio testimonials that can be published online. Many facilities are also creating YouTube channels with instructional eLearning videos and blogging about important health and safety tips.
• Adding audio to a blog can reach customers directly, showing and telling them how much you care.
Hospitals throughout the country are increasing and expanding their audio marketing tactics. Audio is the intermediary between one-on-one engagement and mass communication, and allows facilities to connect with patients, visitors and the public on a personal level. Your "voice" matters — it's important to let your patients hear how much you care. If you haven't given much thought to incorporating audio into your marketing initiatives, take some time to evaluate how you can best leverage audio in your call processing, physical hospital facility, and virtual healthcare world.
Harvey Edelman is CEO and co-founder of Holdcom, a leading provider of message On hold services. For more information about using audio, download Holdcom’s Free White Paper, “How to Leverage Audio Marketing For Your Healthcare Facility”.
5 Tips to Improve a Hospital's Brand
1. In-facility audio patient surveys are a great tool in evaluating patients' experience at your facility.
• Audio-facilitated surveys can evaluate your patients' experience in real time using the patient's room telephone.
• A courtesy call prompts patient to respond to a survey about their stay. A warm welcome and message from the hospital president begins the call, followed by a professional human narrated voice administering the survey.
• If the patient responds negatively to the survey, an alert is immediately sent to the appropriate staff member. By immediately notifying staff, service recovery can begin instantaneously, instead of the response having to wait until after the patient has left the facility.
• Positive responses from patients can be implemented in the facilities marketing initiatives, and added to the mailing lists of the hospital’s foundations and donors.
2. Callers on hold are a captive audience, receptive to hearing your messages.
• Because healthcare facilities usually have an enormous "customer base" and heavy call traffic around the clock, providing marketing messages while callers are on hold allows a facility to reach callers efficiently and effectively.
• Hold time is the perfect opportunity to communicate with callers, informing them about your facility's recognitions and awards, promoting your upcoming events or communicating important safety tips. These messages enhance your facility's credibility and image among competitors.
3. Enhance social media accounts with audio.
• Podcasts allow facilities to announce special events, physician availability, fundraisers, and important medical reminders.
4. Virtual tour audio enhances the simulated experience.
• By incorporating a audio into virtual tours of the facility, the simulated facility visit will instantly provide the personal feel of a real tour. Professional voice over audio can describe activities and convey information.
• Professional tour audio using a professional, yet tranquil human voice can help to calm the fears of patients who are unfamiliar or nervous about a surgery or procedure.
5. Interactive Voice Response announcements effectively navigate callers to their destination without live support.
• IVR announcements can improve your patient care initiatives, decrease hold time and efficiently direct calls without the need to increase personnel.
• Voice prompts increase brand loyalty by delivering critical information in a concise, timely manner.
• IVRs are capable of prioritizing information and consolidating menu choices.
6. The right music relaxes sometimes anxious patients and loved ones.
• Music on hold is a key technique in calming callers who are often times nervous and worried. Appropriate music and messages keep callers relaxed, informed and ready to talk to you.
• Studies show that listening to calm, soothing music can help regulate breathing, blood pressure and alleviate muscle tension.
• Specific overhead music is an effective way in easing the minds of those in the waiting room. By playing calm, pleasant music, you can create a serene atmosphere for patients and visitors.
7. Overhead announcements reach individuals who are in your facility.
• The system can also be used to broadcast quiet hours, sound alarms if there is a specific type of emergency, or announce information on elevators and lobbies.
• Many hospitals have implemented announcements about new born babies by playing Brahams' lullaby through the overhead system.
• Using professional audio for these applications ensures that your messages are clear and concise so they are understood by patients and staff alike.
8. Website audio allows patients to see and hear from you.
• On its website, a hospital can incorporate its audio logo, a message from the president or a professionally produced greeting to warmly welcome patients.
• Another growing trend is asking patients to record audio testimonials that can be published online. Many facilities are also creating YouTube channels with instructional eLearning videos and blogging about important health and safety tips.
• Adding audio to a blog can reach customers directly, showing and telling them how much you care.
Hospitals throughout the country are increasing and expanding their audio marketing tactics. Audio is the intermediary between one-on-one engagement and mass communication, and allows facilities to connect with patients, visitors and the public on a personal level. Your "voice" matters — it's important to let your patients hear how much you care. If you haven't given much thought to incorporating audio into your marketing initiatives, take some time to evaluate how you can best leverage audio in your call processing, physical hospital facility, and virtual healthcare world.
Harvey Edelman is CEO and co-founder of Holdcom, a leading provider of message On hold services. For more information about using audio, download Holdcom’s Free White Paper, “How to Leverage Audio Marketing For Your Healthcare Facility”.
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10 Secrets of Top Hospital Marketers5 Tips to Improve a Hospital's Brand