Marketing To A Diverse Patient Base

MARKETING TO A DIVERSE PATIENT BASE

Taking steps such as hiring a diverse staff, offering bilingual or in-language materials, and creating a welcoming environment for family members and friends are all great ways to improve current patient satisfaction. But how do you attract new, culturally diverse patients to your practice?

There are many strategies you can take to make sure your messages are reaching the right groups.

ADVERTISE IN THE RIGHT MEDIA OUTLETS

With so many options today, finding the right mix of advertising to reach specific groups can be overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. You just need to understand what media your current – and prospective – patients are paying attention to.

It’s also important to think locally when placing advertisements, considering half of ethnic minorities consider “proximity to work or home” as an important factor when selecting an eyecare professional. Identify the most watched channels – or most popular local print outlets – for each group before placing your ad. Don’t rule out non-traditional approaches such as advertising in local church bulletins or local, group-specific publications.

Hispanics

When targeting Hispanics, you should recognize the importance of advertising in both English and Spanish. Just make sure your practice is ready to answer any inquiries you receive in Spanish!

Today, traditional media outlets – such as television, radio and print – remain viable choices for advertising. With almost all Hispanics online, the Internet is also becoming a must for reaching Hispanic consumers (Nielsen, 2010).

86% watch TV in English, and 66% watch at least some Spanish-language channels.
73% listen to English-language radio, while 60% listen in Spanish.
60% read English-language newspapers, while 40% read in Spanish.
More than half read English-language magazines, while 1 in 3 read in Spanish.
47% of Hispanic internet users surf in Spanish.

African Americans

Today, TV is the primary source of traditional media for African Americans (Nielsen, 2010). They watch more TV than any other ethnic group, using their household televisions an average of 7 hours and 12 minutes per day, compared to the national average of 5 hours and 11 minutes. They are less likely than the general population to watch TV news overall, but more likely to watch local and cable news – making advertising during local news segments an important consideration.

African Americans are also more likely to get their news from the Internet and are less likely to read the newspaper. However, a print advertising strategy can work well when ads are placed in outlets such as church bulletins or local, African American-targeted publications.

Asian Americans

Like Hispanics, when targeting Asian Americans it is important to consider advertising in English as well as other key languages that are spoken by your current and prospective patients. Consider that eight out of 10 Asian Americans consume ethnic media – with print having the highest penetration, followed by TV and radio. Additionally, Asian Americans largely prefer to be reached and targeted through in-language advertising – with just 17% preferring English-only advertising.

While the right TV placement can be successful, keep in mind that Asian Americans are the least likely demographic group to watch television – with household usage totaling just 3 hours and 14 minutes a day, vs. the national average of 5 hours and 11 minutes. Online advertising for this group is becoming a major asset – since this group is the most active when it comes to personal computer and Internet use (Nielsen, 2010).

In February 2011, Asian Americans spent nearly 80 hours on personal computers, compared to the national average of 55 hours.
73% listen to English-language radio, while 60% listen in Spanish.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MOBILE MARKETING

Don’t underestimate the role of mobile when targeting culturally diverse groups. In fact, smartphone usage is the highest among ethnic minorities.

Hispanics are the most likely group to own and use a smartphone – with more than half doing so. They are also more likely to take advantage of mobile features. 77% use text messaging, and 53% use picture messaging.
Next to Hispanics, Asian Americans are the most likely to own and use smartphones, with 48% taking advantage.
One in three African Americans owns a smartphone.

It’s easy to engage culturally diverse groups through mobile marketing – from simple text messages to remind patients to make their appointment, to full mobile marketing campaigns that promote eye health. Services such as Mobile Marketer can help with your campaign development.

With higher usage of smartphones, it’s also important to consider using QR codes on printed materials that link directly to your practice page or current promotions. There are several online services that allow you to create QR codes free of charge.

ESTABLISH A SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

Today, it seems like everyone is talking about social media. But did you know usage of social media sites is higher among ethnic minority populations? Having a social media presence can help you connect with your existing patients – and reach new ones.

Facebook is leading the way in popularity, with nearly half of ethnic minority population visiting it regularly. While usage is high among all groups, it is highest among Asian Americans. Does your practice have a Facebook presence?
Twitter is becoming an increasingly popular way to reach all demographic groups. African Americans are 30% more likely than the average American to visit Twitter, while Asian Americans are 26% more likely.
MySpace continues to remain popular among ethnic minorities. Hispanics are more than twice as likely (54%) to visit MySpace than the average American.
Blogs are also frequently viewed by culturally diverse groups, particularly among Asian Americans. They are 59% more likely to visit the blog-hosting site WordPress, and 41% more likely to visit Blogger.

BUILD A DATABASE - AND USE IT

You probably already have a database with all your current patients – but are you using it to reach out to them throughout the year?

Taking simple steps, such as sending out appointment reminders, can help keep your patients coming back year after year. Consider that nearly 1 in 5 Americans say they didn’t schedule an eye exam within the past year because they forgot. In addition, consider keeping in touch with your patients throughout the year to see how they like their glasses – or update them on new promotions or services available from your practice.

As you continue to reach culturally diverse groups through your advertising and local outreach efforts, don’t forget to add prospective patients to your database. Consider mailing postcards to introduce yourself and what your practice has to offer.