Press Release: EDUCATION AND THE INTERNET ARE CHANGING THE WAY URGENT CARE CENTERS OPERATE

URGENT CARE MARKETING GROUP SAYS EDUCATION AND THE INTERNET ARE CHANGING THE WAY URGENT CARE CENTERS OPERATE

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/01/prweb4965214.htm

STUART, Florida/January 14, 2011 — The nation’s urgent care center owners and operators are now turning to the internet and educating the public and businesses about urgent care as key components of their marketing plans for 2011. “These are the must have basics for every urgent care center owner/operator,” said Sam Yates, founder of the Urgent Care Marketing Group.  “Increasingly, the general public and businesses are turning to the internet to search for their care providers and to learn more about urgent care medicine. An urgent care provider without a website or without collateral materials such as brochures and rack cards is losing patients every day,” added Yates.

According to current internet data, the United States has more than 239 million internet users or approximately 73% of the nation’s population. Internet use has increased 151% in the last decade.  “The internet and various search engines are quickly replacing more traditional information sources such as telephone directories for people looking for an urgent care center,” noted Yates. “Five years ago, if you asked a room full of urgent care owners if they had a website, only a handful would raise their hand. Today, especially with the advent of smart-phone technology, you must have a web presence and you must support and promote that presence with collateral materials, news media exposure, and place your practice in search engines and on the minds of potential customers,” added Yates.

The Urgent Care Marketing Group also advises urgent care center owners and operators to be creative in educating the public about their practices and urgent care medicine.  “Right now, there is a lot of public confusion about what is happening in the health care industry in general.  Providers who take the lead in helping to educate the public about urgent care generally are seeing more patients,” said Yates.

Yates points to “creative awareness” as one way of educating the public about urgent care medicine. “Every day, hundreds, if not thousands of people, nationwide are involved in minor traffic accidents and choose to not seek an evaluation from a qualified medical doctor because they do not want to experience a long wait in an emergency room.” The Urgent Care Marketing Group recommended that clients offer ‘crash checkups’ at their clinics as an alternative to the emergency room. “Now, as more people become aware of crash checkups they are seeking evaluations at urgent care centers that may pinpoint medical problems that would otherwise have gone undetected.  Creative awareness is creating a win-win scenario. Crash victims are getting care they may not have gotten and our urgent care clinics are seeing more patients,” Yates added.

For more information about how the Urgent Care Marketing Group may assist your urgent care practice in maintaining and growing your market share, visit www.UrgentCareMarketing.com.

The Urgent Care Marketing Group is a single source of marketing, public relations, internet, social media, video, and design services operating online through the website www.UrgentCareMarketing.com.  Founded as a consortium of leading marketing, public relations, internet, graphic design, and video production experts to the Urgent Care Industry, the site is a one-stop-shop for urgent care providers.

The group of Urgent Care Marketing professionals provides web design, brochures, marketing videos, direct mail, advertising, public relations, and a full range of marketing activities from direct mail to providing brochures and other urgent care collateral materials.

To learn more about the services created specifically for the Urgent Care Industry, visit www.UrgentCareMarketing.com.  You may also call (772) 463-8152 or toll free 800-805-3942.  Please send written inquiries to Urgent Care Marketing, 506 South Federal Highway, Stuart, Florida, 34994.

Urgent Care Marketing Tip #9: ENGAGE IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

Urgent Care Public Relations Firm

Public relations (PR) provides exposure for an urgent care center by creating stories that are of interest to local media outlets. PR tactics include activities such as writing press releases about the center’s services and topics of health care interest, making providers available to reporters as a subject matter expert, writing letters to the editor, and participating in community organizations.

The point of PR is to raise awareness of the urgent care center as an innovative health care delivery channel and awareness of the urgent care doctor as an expert on medical affairs. When relationships are established with local reporters, they will likely interview the urgent care operator whenever a relevant story brews.

Not only is PR free of the expense of paid advertising but there is increased credibility to “objective” coverage by third‐party media outlets. Sample topics of media interest include immunizations for seasonal and H1N1 flu, school and sports physicals, emergency
room overcrowding, and health care accessibility and affordability.

Urgent Care Marketing has a professional Public Relations Staff to handle all of your marketing needs with years of experience in the Urgent Care industry.

Marketing Tip #8: EVALUATE AND PURCHASE PAID ADVERTISING

While word‐of‐mouth is essential in building a positive reputation, it also takes time.

For a growing urgent care needing to reach break‐even volumes, the most effective way to let prospective patients know about the center is through paid advertising. Newspaper, radio, billboards, Yellow Pages, and direct mail targeted to the consumer segments most likely to use the center should communicate how the center meets consumers’ needs for convenient and affordable care.

Unlike restaurants, banks, and retail stores with daily utilization, urgent care medical needs arise on a fairly infrequent basis. A patient may be aware of an urgent care center and fully intend to use it but several months may pass until the patient has an actual
medical need. Thus, key to success in urgent care advertising is recall—that the patient remembers the urgent care center when a need arises.

In order for advertising to spur recall, consumers must be exposed to it on a frequent basis. Advertising during peak seasons and spreading the advertising budget across multiple media should maximize the number of times target consumers are exposed to the urgent care message when they have a need.

Urgent Care Marketing Group

Urgent Care Marketing has the personal and services that specialize in Urgent Care paid advertising and marketing material. Our Urgent Care Public Relations team can devise a marketing plan that best fits your Urgent Care business creating that ever important patient recall. Visit: Urgent Care Marketing for additional information.