Community Building: It’s Not All About You

Dan Dunlop, President and CEO, Jennings

“If you’ve worked in healthcare marketing for more than a few months, you’ve undoubtedly faced a request from a service line leader who wants to see a photo of himself or his team prominently featured in an ad,” says Dan Dunlop, president and CEO of Jennings, an advertising and brand development agency, and member of the eHST Editorial Advisory Board.

“It is an old, familiar story,” he says. Unfortunately, it’s not an effective tactic when it comes to your healthcare marketing.

“The marketing generated by healthcare organizations can be extremely narcissistic,” Dunlop notes. “Our ads, brochures, websites, and billboards all scream ‘Look at us’ or ‘We’re number one.’ We talk about our world-class physicians, leading-edge technology, advanced services, and amazing medicine.”

But it’s not about us, Dunlop points out. “For the most part, we’ve lost sight of what really matters: the patients and families we serve.”

Dunlop says the best way to get healthcare customers’ attention is to engage them in the experience. Healthcare marketers, he says, should strive to build communities based around shared interests. “We need to create safe environments where consumers can have health conversations, access quality health information, meet our clinicians, and engage with others facing similar health challenges.”

For his tips on how best to do this, as well as examples of successful online communities to learn from, read his full article now: Community Building vs. Narcissism in Healthcare Marketing.

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President