Digital Strategies Expand Yavapai Regional Medical Center's Total Healing Environment Vision

For the team at Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC), serving the community has always meant providing high-quality healthcare services. Recently, however, the definition of “serving the community” has expanded to include providing reliable, expert sourced, up-to-the-minute healthcare information for people throughout Yavapai County. “YRMC’s Vision is to create a Total Healing Environment for the people of Yavapai County,” said Ken Boush, YRMC Director of Marketing and Communications. “This is an inspiring Vision and it comes with great responsibility. YRMC’s marketing team supports this Vision by delivering the latest healthcare information to help the people we serve make informed healthcare decisions as well as to increase their knowledge of the ever-changing world of healthcare.”

In early 2016, Boush and his team broadened how they contribute to building a Total Healing Environment by expanding YRMC’s digital outreach program. The goal? To reach more online consumers with information about YRMC’s health-related services, medical innovations, exceptional providers, educational programs, community events and more. The centerpiece of YRMC’s new digital outreach program is YRMC HealthConnect 2.0, a healthcare blog designed for Yavapai County residents.

“With YRMC HealthConnect 2.0, people throughout Yavapai County can make a healthy connection to the latest on breast health, heart health, wellness and nutrition, orthopedic health, medical imaging, patient blood management and more,” Boush said. YRMC HealthConnect 2.0 also features information about YRMC (Your YRMC), the community YRMC services (Our Community) and the organization’s volunteers (Our Volunteers). “We plan to expand these categories as we grow YRMC HealthConnect 2.0,” said Boush. In 2016, YRMC also made great strides with social media, building its presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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“People of all ages are finding and sharing information on social channels,” Boush said. “We embraced these networking platforms to better serve our community with information.” YRMC used Facebook’s Livestream, which allows online users to watch video in real-time on Facebook. Events like YRMC’s Celebrate Life Health Expo held in May at Prescott Gateway Mall got a boost from Facebook Livestream. YRMC also livestreamed its online healthy cooking show, Your Healthy Kitchen. This program features Rita Carey Rubin, a YRMC Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. “Social media has the power to build more than a brand,” said Donna Werking, YRMC’s social media expert. “It builds a loyal following. Your followers will share information from your blog and social channels with their friends and family. It’s simply how people communicate today. Social media is a necessity to the hospital’s marketing strategy.” With the support of social media, YRMC HealthConnect 2.0 is attracting up to 2,000 visitors a month. Look for YRMC’s team of experts to launch more digital marketing strategies in 2017. Want to follow YRMC on social media? Reach us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Turn toYRMC HealthConnect 2.0 for more YRMC news and information.

8 SIMPLE TRICKS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR EMAIL MARKETING STRATEGY!

Fine tuning your email marketing strategy isn’t the easiest task. As a marketer, it’s our job to create amazing content and come up with a precise strategy to each and every email campaign that reaches your consumer. By applying these guidelines, you’ll see improvements to your open-rate and click-thru-rate (CTR). Let’s get right into it! 

Over-Saturation is a problem! Now that everyone has gone digital, more marketers are utilizing email marketing as a tool for CRM, sales and promotions. It’s your direct connection to your consumer! You worked so hard to build your customer email database, so it’s incredibly important that you DO NOT lose them from opt-outs. So how do you keep your consumer’s attention and loyal readership?

Abide by the once per month rule. The fact is, on average adults receive 150 emails per day! We filter through emails that we consider spam or garbage pretty quickly, and your company certainly doesn’t want to be on that list. This primary rule is to uphold the respect for your consumer. You respect the fact that their time is valuable, so you won’t waste anyone’s time by sending multiple emails that quite honestly are an annoyance. With this practice, you’ll be happy to see your email retention remains high. 

We have compiled a solid MUST PRACTICE email marketing plan that is received well by consumers.

1. Show Stopper Headlines. We refer to some as “train wreck” headlines. The underlying question, how will your company stand out amongst all the other emails? What subject line will catch the interest of your consumer? 

2. Content is key. Now that you have your consumer’s attention, you need to live up to that headline and provide “must-read” content. Strategy is key. Remember, some consumers like steak and others want seafood. It’s important to know who your consumers are, and to have a good idea about what intrigues them.

3. Sales Offer or Promotions.  A promotional offer for the month will spark interest to most. A monthly promotion isn’t a bad idea. Perhaps the consumer didn’t need your product or service last month, but it could draw the consumer’s interest in the current month. 

4. Video is the best media. If you desire to really capture your reader’s attention, add video to your newsletter. Video is the closest way to connect to humans on an emotional level. We are visual creatures. Be sure your video is quality, stimulating and not too lengthy (under 2 minutes). 

5. News about your company. People generally like to be in the know. It’s nice to include a brief blurb about your company. Are you a supporter in the community? Perhaps there is an annual event approaching? This is not an opportunity to brag about how great you r company is, so humility is the best approach. The reader is most interested in how you are serving them. 

6. Optimize your Linkage. Think of your newsletter as a prime marketing tool for information. The user should have the capability of redirecting to your website, blog, social channels and more! The more information channels the reader can access, the more time they will spend reading your content! 

7. Resend your Email. Your email marketing program should provide you with Analytics. This valuable information tells the marketer which consumers have opted-out, clicked though links, who opened the email and who did not open the email. To improve your open-rate, here’s the best and simplest trick. Resend your email after 48 hours from the first send to only those who did not open the email the first time. This will increase your open-rate percentage – guaranteed! 

8. Timing and Industry Standards. As a marketer, you should have reasonable expectations for performance. Know the open-rate percentage for your specific industry. This will give you a platform to set realistic goals. Also, know when your readers are opening emails. As a general rule of thumb, mid-week are the best days. Average open rate is 18% – 23%. 

Email marketing is a direct doorway to your consumer. With Northern AZ Social, LLC, we take Email Marketing to the next level. Find out more about our digital marketing services at www.NorthernAZsocial.com.