APMA News - September 2011 - (Page 38)

Members Who Know Media Conducting a Successful PR Campaign and Providing Patient Information QUESTION: How can members make a national awareness campaign work on the local level? ANSWER: Anyone can be successful at promoting podiatric medicine. When you first decide to carry out an awareness campaign, begin by asking a few important questions: Who is my key audience (patients, doctors, etc.)? What are the main points I want to get across to this audience? And, finally, how will I bring these messages to this audience? During last April’s Foot Health Awareness Month, APMA member Richard Jason, DPM; his son, Scott Jason, DPM; and their office staff in Jacksonville, FL, created excitement about foot health in their community through a variety of methods. The audience? Existing and potential patients of all ages. Top APMA Member Media Placements July 2011 National Public Radio “Are There Beneﬁts to Athletic ‘Toe Shoes’?” (James R. Christina, DPM) CBS News, US News and World Report “For Those with Diabetes, Pets Pose Unusual Hazards” (Lee Rogers, DPM) Woman’s Day online “Healthier Flip-Flops” (Carolyn McAloon, DPM) 3 Taking the time to think about, plan, and carry out a balanced awareness campaign can produce immediate beneﬁts for both your practice and the profession! In addition to displaying Foot Health Awareness Month banners outside each office, they also ordered similarly themed buttons for doctors and staff to wear. A handout with answers to common foot-health questions was distributed to patients in the office. They also included a copy of the Q&A with monthly billing statements to current patients. The Jasons’ practice website was updated with new foothealth information taken from APMA’s website (such as Today’s Podiatrist campaign information), as well as links to some of the videos found on APMA’s YouTube channel. To better reach potential patients, they purchased a banner ad on the website for a local newspaper, the Florida Times-Union, which ran throughout April. This ad allowed the doctors to reach a much larger group of individuals than they could with their practice website alone. Dr. Richard Jason’s granddaughter, Grace, also assisted with the campaign by presenting information about the bones of the foot to classmates at her school—educating students and teachers alike. 38 APMA News September 2011 This combination of approaches during the busy month paid off. It led to significant increases in visits to the practice’s website (visits tripled in May 2011 compared to May of the previous year), phone calls, and new patient bookings. Taking the time to think about, plan, and carry out a balanced awareness campaign can produce immediate benefits for both your practice and the profession! QUESTION: Does APMA have a simple, easy handout on foot health I can give my patients? ANSWER: Foot-health brochures are an easy and effective way to educate your patients about the capabilities of a podiatrist. APMA is in the process of updating the current brochure series and is excited to introduce the revamped Today’s Podiatrist foot-health brochure series. The brochures discuss topics such as diabetes, orthotics, and the capabilities of a podiatrist. They also encourage patients to visit www.apma.org for more information. Educate your patients today by ordering the new Today’s Podiatrist foot health brochures from APMA. For more information, visit www.apma.org/brochures. n Have a question about working with the media or improving your communication skills that you would like to see answered in a future column? E-mail mskulick@apma.org with your question today! http://www.apma.org http://www.apma.org/store/index.cfm?&navItemNumber=616

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of APMA News - September 2011

APMA News - September 2011
President’s Message
Contents
Highlights from the 2011 Annual Scientific Meeting
Residency as a First Step to Parity
Residency Consortium Enhances Podiatric Medical Training
The Value of Building Relationships with Legislators
Reimbursement
Federal Advocacy Forum
IT Consultant
Can They Really Do That?
Members Who Know Media
Technofile
Young Voices
Small Business 101
CPME Update
APMAPAC Chair Report
APMA All Stars
In Short
Worthy of Note
Affiliates Corner
List of Affiliated Organizations
Insurance Advisor
New Members
Death Notices
APMAPAC Update
Bylaws Propositions Due
Development Update
Annual Scientific Meeting Sponsors
Classified Advertising
Dates to Remember
Advertising Index
10 Questions

APMA News - September 2011