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What Can You Control During Coronavirus?

The Coronavirus situation is changing day by day, sometimes hour by hour, and no doubt it’s causing a lot of unrest in uncertainty in your practice.

While there are many things out of your control right now, you do have a few things you can control:

Your response to what’s happening
The way you address and encourage your team
Your activities during this downturn to set yourself up for success once it’s over (or at least calmed down)

Specifically now is a great time to tackle any long-term projects or back burner tasks that you’ve been waiting to accomplish.

I wanted to share a few of the areas where we’re helping clients during the current situation.

Maybe this can give you some ideas for how to best use your time and prepare for the pending upswing once everything starts to return to normal.

Updated Social Ad Campaigns for Coronavirus

If you’ve read my previous emails, you’ve seen me talk about advertising opportunities right now.

I understand the desire to conserve budget, and I think you should.

But I wanted to tell you what I’m seeing on the social media ad side, from my clients who are still advertising there:

Ad costs are down 20-50% (depending on demographic we’re targeting)
Leads are still being generated (Most clients who are still advertising on social have seen little, if any, reduction in the number of leads coming through. Some have even slightly increased the number of leads generated)

We’re crafting new creatives around the fact that people have extra time on their hands, so “take our self-test” or “schedule a virtual consultation” and find out your options, now that you have some extra time.

If you can spare a few hundred bucks a week, social advertising (primarily on FB and Insta) is a good marketing buy right now. For less than the price of one TV commercial, you can get a week’s worth of solid coverage on social.

Conversion Rate Optimization on Your Website

I’m not a fan of website redesign projects.

Yes, they’re necessary from time to time. But they’re typically expensive, long-winded and generally a mammoth undertaking.

But there is a way you can quickly improve your website without redesigning the whole thing.

Look at your highest trafficked pages (the ones that get the most visitors), and make sure they are as user-friendly and as conversion-friendly as possible. This practice is commonly known as Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO).

Maybe it’s time to update the copy. Or add some buttons for your self-test. Or update the videos you feature. Or all of the above?

Online Reviews

It’s a great time to catch up on inviting patients to leave you reviews.

It helps with SEO, it helps with referrals, and surveys show 8 out of 10 people trust an online review as much as a personal recommendation from a friend or family member.

Coronavirus disaster or not, 5-star reviews are high leverage marketing assets.

Your patients are sitting at home without much to do. Keep sending your review requests and build your army 5-star reviews.

Web/Blog Content

If your blog is a wasteland, it’s a good time to get some posts out there.

They don’t necessarily have to be about Coronavirus – I recommend creating evergreen content like “5 Outdoor Activities Our Patients Love After LASIK” or “Answering The 4 Most Common Questions about Facelifts.”

Google likes seeing “new content” going up on your site, so this can help with SEO. It also gives you something to share on social media.

And if you go the evergreen route like I suggest, you can still use the blog posts in your marketing long after the Coronavirus situation is handled.

Virtual Staff Training

Staff development is one of those things that we know is important, but it gets put on the back burner because you’re so busy.

If you have extra time right now (and most practices do), it’s a good time to consider this.

Earlier this year, we started rolling out our virtual sales training program, based on the DISC profile of human behavior.

Obviously this type of online, virtual format is ideal in our current “social distancing” situation, and a great way to get teams trained up and ready for the resurgence of business (even if they are working from home).

Online courses are another good way to facilitate staff development, even remotely.

You’ll have to figure out how to budget for something like this. (What we’re doing in our program is a “Train Now, Pay Later” approach – deferring the actual payments until practices are up and running and creating revenue again. )

Prepping Future Campaigns

Might as well take some time to think through your marketing strategies and campaigns for the reminder of 2020.

I’m taking the approach that the worst will be behind us by the end of April, and things will start to upswing.

Maybe that sounds crazy to you. And maybe it is.

To be clear, I’m not *predicting* this. But I’d rather be ready and delay if necessary, than be unprepared and try to catch up.

That means we’re getting summertime graduation campaigns, teacher appreciation campaigns, military appreciation campaigns, new reading vision campaigns and summer cataract campaigns ready to roll.

In Conclusion

While you and your team have extra time on your hands, think about what you can do – what you can control – to set yourself up for success once everything is back in full swing.

That should give you plenty to chew on for the weekend. If you have questions, hit reply and let me know how I can help.

And if you find this useful, please pass it along to a colleague. We all need to work together to get through this.

[VIDEO] The “PSA Method” for Creating Simple Social Videos

As I write this essay, we’re 3 weeks into the Coronavirus quarantine in the United States.

It stinks, but we gotta get through it.

It’s time to get a little creative.

Which is why I’m talking about video today.

You probably already know video plays an important role in modern marketing.

In case you don’t (or if you do but don’t know why), here are a few key stats:

Mobile video consumption doubles every year.
Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text.
7 out of 10 customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video.

And of course there are all kinds of stats to support video specifically on social media, including:

Over 1.9 billion people use YouTube (about 1/3 of the internet)
Social video gets shared 1200% more than text and images combined.
Facebook has over 8 billion video views per day.

Despite all that, practices don’t create enough video. I hear a few common reasons for this, maybe some of these sound like you:

I don’t have time.
I don’t have a good set-up to create great-looking video.
I don’t like being on camera.

I want to address each of these:

Time – You have it now.

If you aren’t doing surgery for the next few weeks, you have extra time. And doing video the way I recommend only takes a few minutes anyway. (more on that later)

Good set-up – You don’t need one.

Yes, there’s a time and place for polished, high production video. If you have those, awesome.

But those aren’t the kinds of videos I’m talking about today. People want to see your raw, real, in-the-moment comments.

(Especially in times like this, when it feels like the world is spinning off its axis. People want a leader, and they want a human connection.)

This looks better filmed on your iPhone or your laptop camera vs. a fancy studio set-up with perfect backdrop and incredible lighting.

Don’t like being on camera? – Neither do I. Neither do most people.

Which reinforces why video is so powerful.

I get it, you’re a doctor, not a TV host.

But if you can get on camera and just be mildly engaging, it lends you instant authority and credibility. Partly because you’re doing something most people are uncomfortable doing.

What I’m saying is, the bar is pretty low. And as an expert in your field, you’re more than equipped to get on video and do an adequate job.

Alright, now that we’ve addressed the reasons why most practices don’t do video…

It’s time for some new video content.

“What kind of videos should we do, Troy?”

So glad you asked.

You want to create what I call Simple Social Videos – bite-size pieces about one piece of one individual topic.

Here’s an example:

I work with a lot of LASIK surgeons, who might think, “Well, I could do a video about LASIK.”

But that’s big topic. So break it down.

How Much Millennials Save When They Have LASIK in their 20s
Can People with Astigmatism have LASIK? Here’s the Truth…
LASIK vs. Contacts – Which is *Actually* Safer?
Virtual Consultations – Get a LASIK Evaluation from Your Couch? (super-relevant at the moment if you aren’t seeing patients in your office)

You could even break each of those down into 2-3 more specific themes.

Whether you do vision correction, orthodontics, cosmetic dentistry or plastic surgery, the concept is the same.

You probably have 3-5 big categories of service you offer, right? But when you break that down into sub-topics, FAQs and patient stories, you can quickly create a list of 100 Simple Social video topics.

How long is bite-size?

As a rule of thumb, anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes. But they can (and should) be longer if necessary.

There’s a general assumption that people don’t have long attention spans, so they won’t watch longer videos. That’s absolutely not true.

People will binge-watch 10 hours of a Netflix series in one sitting.

If your message is focused and engaging, people will watch, regardless of length.

But if your message is all over the place, it doesn’t matter how short it is. People will tune out.

Once you have your topics, how do you formulate a simple video script?

This is where I normally get overwhelmed. Which leads to… not doing video.

I wanted a way to simplify the scripting process. I knew if I could overcome that hurdle, I’d be much more likely to take action.

After some experimenting, I ended up putting together a simple scripting flow that fits on an index card and takes 2 minutes to create. It’s working well for me, and I hope it’s useful for you too…

Rather than type it all out, I explain it in a VIDEO (surprise, surprise) on my Facebook page.

Click the link below to check out my “PSA Notecard Method” that lets you plan an entire video in just a couple of minutes…. so you can share your message in a clear, concise way without rambling.

Click here to check it out:

Hey look, I’m in the same boat as you. I don’t create enough video content, for largely the same reasons you don’t – time, setup and fear.

But those are garbage excuses. I know it and now you know it, too. This is the time for us to step up and do the thing.

Why is video so important right now?

Because your patients need to know you’re still around. Your practice is still alive and kicking. You’re just doing things a little different for the time being.

And yes, you can post your polished, lawyer-approved COVID-19 updates about wearing masks and sanitizing everything.

But once you’ve shared that a few times, people need more humanity. Personality. Hope. Even a little fun.

How do you do that? Get on video. And again, your setup doesn’t have to be anything crazy.

I explain the simple way to do it in this short video…

It’s Time to Claim (Cheap) Market Share

FYI in case you missed them, here are my previous 2 messages relating to Coronavirus:

Also, I keep reminding myself (and I’ll remind you too) that WE WILL BEAT THIS. The smartest minds in the world are working on this thing, we will beat it, and our country and economy will come back even stronger.

Stay positive and focused on what you can control.

Alright yesterday, I promised I would share notes on how you can get cheap market share on a reduced budget, without coming across like a scumbag just trying to peddle your wares amidst an international crisis.

“How do I get cheap Market Share?”

In the normal, everyday world (think: life 3 weeks ago), you’re competing for ad inventory against everyone under the sun – your local competitors, other local businesses, even big national and international companies.

But when something happens to disrupt the marketplace – a stock market crash, a global pandemic or *gasp* both – advertisers start pulling back.

Now, this makes logical sense. You want to conserve resources in times of uncertainty.

But at the same time, this creates an opportunity in the marketplace. When competition drops, so do market rates for ad space.

A recent report forecasts a decline of $3 billion (or more) in ad spending this year. That’s a big chunk of money. Media outlets don’t want to lose that money.

As the advertiser – the one with the money – you hold the power.

In this climate, media outlets are willing to wheel and deal just to keep advertisers around. Use that to your advantage.

Cut your rates. Request bonus inventory. Take advantage of cheap market share.

“Should I cut my marketing budget at all?”

I say yes. Tighten it up. Save some cash.

While I generally recommend being aggressive, I also understand the very real concerns around cashflow in a time like this.

So be smart with your money, but try your best to make decisions based on opportunity.

Your competitors (and many other businesses) are making decisions based in fear. They’ll pay the price when the economy bounces back and you are miles ahead of them.

“How do I do this and not look sleazy?”

You may be worried about looking out-of-touch with reality, or worse, like you’re trying to profit despite this global crisis we’re facing.

Even though you and I know this isn’t the case, neither of those is a good look.

But there are plenty of ways you can put out a message that builds brand awareness, and even generates leads, in a positive way.

A few ideas off the top of my head:

If you are doing virtual consults (which I recommend you try), promote those as a way to continue caring for patients in a way that helps them feel safe and comfortable. (see yesterday’s email as an example)
Do you do charity work? Share results from recent charitable activities, as a way to thank your patients for their participation, and as a way to celebrate something positive amidst all the melancholy that’s out there.
Do you have educational content/videos about your procedures? That’s a great, innocuous way to help build brand awareness, build your authority and educate prospective patients at the same time.
Use your social channels to help promote other local businesses – your favorite restaurants that are offering to-go orders, etc. This builds goodwill in the community while also keeping your name in front of prospective patients.

This is a truly heart-breaking time for many practices out there. But we’ll get through it. I am here to help you come up with creative ways to keep your ship moving in the right direction in the midst of the storm.

Your patients are depending on you. Your team is depending on you. And we’re going to get through this together.

Model This Coronavirus Response from a Local Custom Clothier

One particular Coronavirus response caught my eye, and I wanted to share it with you because it parallels a lot of what you do in your practice.

No doubt you’ve seen many COVID-19 messages from different businesses pop up in your inbox and social media feeds.

Most of them are fairly similar – here’s what we’re doing, here’s what you can do, let’s get through this.

And that’s fine. I even recommended you do something similar in the email I sent Friday.

It’s one thing to address Coronavirus and what you’re doing to keep patients safe.

It’s another to talk about ways to keep business moving, keep consultations flowing, and keep patients going on the surgery schedule.

“But Troy, how can you think about making money at a time like this?”

Easy, it’s my business to think about these things. I help clients get paid handsomely to help people solve critical problems in their lives. It’s literally what we do at LogiCole Consulting.

So we can freak out and freeze, stick our heads in the sand and hope by chance that everything turns out OK.

OR we can stay focused on our work, get creative, and figure out ways to help our clients continue to grow and thrive. In the midst of this turmoil and beyond.

This too shall pass, my friends. And I’m going to make sure my clients are set up for success when it does.

Alright, we’re off track. Back to the Coronavirus response that really caught my eye.

A buddy of mine does custom suits and runs Q Clothier in Fort Worth. Here’s the post they shared yesterday on social media:

In case that image doesn’t display for some reason, here’s what it says:

To Q Clothier | Rye 51 Friends,

As the US confronts a new reality, and our communities take steps to help slow the spread of COVID-19, Q Clothier | Rye 51 has decided to take part as well. All of our stores, except Atlanta, will remain open and continue to serve clients in a PRIVATE APPOINTMENT SETTING. Additionally, all of our Clothiers will be holding VIRTUAL APPOINTMENTS for clients who prefer to remain at home.

On behalf of the entire Q Clothier | Rye 51 team, we will continue to monitor the current situation as it unfolds, and we remain committed to keeping the highest standards of safety and sanitation.

I love this for a number of reasons:

1. They acknowledge that they will take part in helping slow the spread of COVID-19. How will they do this? Close up shop? Stop seeing clients? No! The exact opposite actually.

2. They showcase their “Private Appointment Setting.” This is a unique feature of their business that is particularly desirable right now, when we’re trying to limit exposure among even small groups of people.

3. They also highlight the option to do virtual appointments should people desire to go that route, another attractive option given the current state of the country.

—-

When I saw this, I initially thought, Good for these guys trying to continue taking care of their clients.

And then I realized you can make a very similar proposition to your prospects.

Here’s what I mean:

Your consultation setting is pretty much 1-on-1, right? The patient is either with a counselor, a tech, or a doctor. But it’s essentially a “Private Consultation Setting.”

Why not take the time to highlight this?

“But Troy, everyone assumes a doctor’s appointment is going to be private.”

Agree, but people aren’t consciously thinking this. It’s a given. Draw people’s attention to it as an actual feature with a big benefit.

—-

Re: the virtual appointments part – This is the direction everything is already going.

Online evals. Virtual reality. Telemedicine. People will start adopting – and then asking for and demanding – these technologies in the not-so-distant future.

Now is a fine time to jump on board and test this approach. It sets you apart from your competition in a big way. And it could give you an entire new funnel of new business even beyond COVID-19.

Your first thought may be about how complicated this would be to pull off.

But you don’t need to be super high-tech to do this.

You don’t need a bunch of special equipment, or an automated-integrated-online scheduler. (Great if you do, you just don’t need it for testing purposes).

Figure out some date and time windows you can facilitate virtual consults. Let prospects pick a date and time from those pre-determined options in a dropdown box on your web form. Then connect with them at that time via FaceTime app.

(This is the part where I remind you I’m not a HIPAA lawyer. I’ve read and also been told by people smarter than me that FaceTime can be used in this manner. If you think this is wrong, or if you disagree for some other reason, there are certainly other telemedicine communications tools you can use)

Get on FaceTime, go through some medical history questions, ask about their Rx, do some lifestyle questions. Enough to prequalify them for an in-person eval. Doesn’t have to be long, maybe 15 minutes?

If the video call / FaceTime thing is too complicated, just do a phone virtual consult. A 15-minute express consult, via phone.

That probably sounds similar to what you would do with a prospect on the phone anyway.

It is. But the positioning is the novel part. It’s the new, timely opportunity that people need right now.

—-

There are obviously a number of ways you can do a virtual consult. Here’s the bigger point:

Even in all the turmoil surrounding this virus (or any other disaster-ish issue that arises), you need to keep starting conversations and keep current conversations going.

Most of these conversations won’t manifest in a new surgery on your schedule today. But they are building you a runway, which you very much need right now.

Your Practice Growth Roadmap During Coronavirus

There’s a good chance your inbox is filling up with messages about COVID-19/Coronavirus.

Breaking news stories about ANOTHER thing canceled…

Alerts from companies about what they’re doing to serve people during the “outbreak”…

Tips on how to stay safe and healthy…

(I heard a report on the radio earlier where they were literally discussing how it’s important to not inhale other people’s sneezes. Thanks for the tip, y’all….)

So obviously you don’t need to hear any more of that. Everyone else has it covered.

My concern is your business – how is Coronavirus going to affect it, what steps can you take to mitigate risk, and how can you come out the other side of this with a stronger, more thriving practice than ever.

Yes, this is a long email. But I’ve sectioned it out for easy reading:

Why 2020 is the best time to be alive in human history
The “temporary” mental framework
How the fear-based news industry works
People’s desire for normalcy
Things getting worse (for a minute) before it gets better
Your patients should know you care
Opportunities Coronavirus represents for businesses
“Social Distancing” as a huge leverage point
To Advertise or Not to Advertise during a recession

Skip a section if you want, but be sure to read to the end where I talk about how “Social Distancing” is a huge leverage point for you, and whether or not you should stop advertising in a recession…

First and foremost, right now – 2020 – is the best time to be alive in human history.

We have better tech, better communication, better solutions than ever before, in the history of mankind.

We are so fortunate to live in this Golden Era of abundance.

Does that mean we won’t see minor set-backs and challenges like Coronavirus? No.

But we are better equipped to deal with these challenges than ever before.

And that should give us all hope. That the world is working together to solve this potentially massive problem.

That the best brains and best technologies in the world are coming together to battle and defeat this virus. And we will win.

On that note, keep the mental framework that this is temporary.

Most “modern” catastrophes are temporary.

The sub-prime mortgage market crash of 2008 was temporary. The swine flu pandemic of 2010 was temporary. The stock market taking a swan dive off a cliff this week – temporary.

There will be an “other side” of this.

Yeah this may be hard to remember when you find out that March Madness is just straight-up canceled.

And that the NBA and NFL have suspended their seasons indefinitely.

And Broadway shut down.

And mega-star Tom Hanks has Coronavirus.

And all the other insanity that’s happening.

But it’s temporary.

The news business is built around fear.

I find it hard to stay hopeful with the news media talking doom and gloom 24-7. But just remember, that’s the entire M-O of the news.

The news wasn’t “happy” before this Coronavirus thing started. I rarely watch the news, but if I happen to catch it after a ballgame, the format is typically…

Murder. Scandal. Murder. Arrest. Murder. Some awful thing that happened to a kid. Car crash. Scandal. Murder.

And that’s just the traditional 30-minute TV newscast. You also have news channels and websites that have round-the-clock publishing schedules to fill.

Of course they’re going to fill all that space with whatever sensational stories will get the most viewers and the most clicks- which are usually negative and scary stories.

Unfortunately, the news is a broken model, designed to paint a particularly horrible picture of society.

Maybe you love watching the news. That’s fine, to each their own. But love it or hate it, my description of the news is accurate.

So don’t forget – now is the best time to be alive. And humans are resilient. America in particular is resilient. And we’re going to get this figured out.

As bad as Coronavirus is, it’s temporary.

People want to get back to normal.

The aforementioned doom-n-gloom news industry has everyone in a tissy.

You’ve seen the pictures of people buying out Costco’s entire stock of… toilet paper (still haven’t figured this one out). Along with cleaning supplies, bleach wipes and hand sanitizer (those make more sense).

But ultimately people want to live their lives, go to work, take their kids to school, go to the movies, go to the gym, go to their favorite restaurants, spend their money, live their lives.

And this actually works in your favor.

Regardless of how bad this actually is (we really don’t know at the moment), the perception that it is awful is what’s driving the panic.

And the biggest driving force of panic right now is the unknown. Case numbers – relatively small. Especially if you compare it to the flu, or heart disease, or cancer, or any other major killer condition.

(Which are actually bad comparisons – even though people are making these comparisons all the time – but we won’t get into that today)

We KNOW what those things are.

We know what the flu does, and how to treat it, and how bad it normally is, etc.

But what the heck is Coronavirus? People still don’t really know.

And when given a gaping hole of dangerous unknown, people will fill that hole with their worst imaginations.

Even so, people want to get back to normal, and they will as soon as possible.

It will likely get worse before it gets better (but maybe not for long).

As all these testing kits get out into the world, no doubt the result of MORE testing will be MORE diagnoses, which means more news headlines and more panic.

But ideally, this will also reveal that more people who have Coronavirus are also overcoming it, with more accurate numbers showing lower death rates.

At the same time, we’ll continue finding more effective ways to treat it.

So we’ll get to KNOW more about what Coronavirus is, what it does and how to defeat it. When people have this knowledge, it’s no longer the scary unknown. It’s a less-scary, known issue.

And we can fight an enemy we know.

Your patients should know you care.

There’s a sort of “balancing act” when you have an issue like this. You generally don’t want to bring up bad news if you don’t have to.

You are in an aspirational services business. You help people become better versions of themselves. So you want to maintain a positive, forward-focused message as much as you can.

BUT sometimes news gets so big, that if you don’t talk about it… you come across tone-deaf. Or like you’re not dialed in. Or like you’re just ignoring a big problem that society in general is facing.

I would say with COVID-19, we’ve crossed that threshold. It can’t be ignored.

So I’ve been working with my clients this week on the best ways to share these messages with patients, prospective patients and referring doctors. (a mix of social, email, website updates and more)

Let your patients know you’re aware of the concern and possible issues with Coronavirus, and what you’re proactively doing to keep them – and your team – safe.

This signals that you’re dialed in to the national conversation, you’re taking it seriously, and you’re doing whatever you can to serve your patients. (which is part of your overall mission anyway, right?)

What opportunities does this present?

Hear me out – I’m not suggesting or even celebrating the idea that businesses should profit off disasters.

But fact of the matter is that just because something like Coronavirus shuts down parts of life, people still need what they need.

So what businesses have opportunities for growth right now?

Online schools/colleges/education platforms
Homeschool curriculum companies
Amazon and Amazon Prime (and any grocery delivery service)
UberEats and other food delivery services
Solar Power/Solar Panel Companies (I don’t think this is going to affect the power grid, but some people do)
Non-Perishable Food Companies
Gun manufacturers (some people thing this is going to be armageddon, and they want to protect themselves)

And…. YOU.

Telehealth is a rising trend in healthcare.

If you’ve been toying with a mechanism to do remote consultations or FaceTime-like evaluations with prospects, Coronavirus is one of 15 reasons this is a good idea.

In fact, now would be a great time to test it.

How your practice marketing can benefit from “Social Distancing”

One of the big recommendations right now is Social Distancing. This is an umbrella term for “staying away from other people.”

This may include avoiding public gatherings, not shaking hands/hugging, and even working from home.

We already talked about all the canceled things – sports, conferences, gatherings, concerts, travel, etc.

Much more free time – and even “work time” – will be spent at home.

So what are people going to do with all the extra time that “social distancing” has created?

The same things they already do at home – binge Netflix, shop on Amazon, watch TV, surf the internet and scroll through social media.

They have more time to research your procedures. They have more time to engage with your content.

So keep up your social posting. Keep your social ads running. Keep your digital presence as strong as ever.

Because as much as Coronavirus is a distraction, plenty of other distractions (read: “going out in public for anything”) have vanished overnight.

Take advantage of this…

To Advertise or Not to Advertise – What do you do next?

During many national tragedies/disasters like this one (still not sure if it is, but let’s just call it that for sake of the illustration), businesses are inclined to pull back and be less aggressive in their marketing and patient attraction efforts.

I’ve gone through a few of these situations in my 15 years of medical marketing (market crash of 2008/9, etc), and I can say from personal experience…

The practices that keep their foot on the gas pedal during a recession are the ones who have momentum and advantage – and ultimately gain market share – once everything returns to normal.

You can look at datapoints from the last 100 years that reinforce my anecdotal experiences. Rather than repeating them here, see several examples in an ASI brief here.

So my recommendation is to:

Remember this is temporary
Play the long game
Gain market share as the dominant player in your market = WIN

And if you have questions, let me know.

At LogiCole Consulting, we’re all hands on deck for our clients at times like these. Susan, I and our team aren’t slowing down.

Let’s defeat this ridiculous virus and come out stronger, more powerful and more dominant than ever before.

Audaces fortuna iuvat,

Troy