Summer-time Marketing Events for Your Medical Practice

Summer is one time of year that offers unique marketing opportunities for your medical practice. Here are some of my favorites that we have worked with our clients to create:

1. Red, White and Blue Day. This one is great around Memorial Day, Flag Day, or the 4^th of July. Typically this involves an open house or having extra refreshments in the office for patients. The office is fully decorated in red, white and blue including scrubs or patriotic colors for the staff. I find that it works best for offices that have less "sick" patients such as ophthalmologists, orthopedic surgeons, plastic surgeons. Make sure you have corresponding social media campaigns and website promotions - people can't come out if they don't know about it.

2. Sun Safety Fair. Dermatologists fair well with this one. Invite sunscreen vendors and sun clothing vendors; give a presentation on the importance of sun safety. Some of my clients even have a free skin-cancer screening. Always a hit!

3. Summer Safety Fair. My pediatric and family-practice clients find this one very successful. They often partner with local first responders to create a summer safety fair. They will discuss water safety and heat exhaustion. Many times a pediatrician and a family practice will work together to pull this type of event off.

4. Host a contest. This could be a young artist contest, a cook-off, a 5K or shorter family fun run - you name it. This is a great way to promote your practice and get involved in a charity event. If you don't want to host your own, you can join as a sponsor for an already established event. On a smaller scale, you could host a Facebook contest to grow "likes" on your page.

A few things to remember in order to help make sure your event is a success:

• Give yourself enough time to prepare - proper planning and expert advice are keys to success. Our team helps clinics nationwide pull off these events successfully;

• Promote, promote, promote online. Post multiple items on social media, your blog, and your e-mail newsletter;

• Contact local media, they will often include you in their news sections without charging for an ad (but I would suggest both if your budget allows);

• Involve the community - the more related businesses and vendors you can involve, the more people can come out and learn about your practice;

• Have door prizes and giveaways that suit your specialty; and

• Have fun!

No matter your budget, specialty, or time limitations, there is a summer promotion that is right for you.