By: Tony Barlow | tbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com
We all want our stuff to be read… we don’t spend hours crafting a mailer, print piece or special email, just to have it deleted or thrown away. But what makes the difference? How do we differentiate? Over the years our team has gleaned a myriad of helpful insights as we’ve created messages to support our national client base. The writing experience along with closely following the results metrics have provided five important considerations.
- Target the Audience – In a lot of cases casting a WIDE net can be a good thing. But if you are looking to get and hold an individual’s attention you need a tight focus. Some of you might be saying that you can still reach the RIGHT people while casting a wide net. Yes, I agree. BUT can you properly communicate with EVERYONE? Or does your wide net lead you to craft messages that are more generic? Focused targets allow you to write focused content. Instead of one message to the entire audience, think about splitting your audience into specific segments and then create distinctive copy for each segment.
- Be Specific – If you want your content to stand out in the recruitment world you need to set yourself apart from the search firms. Residents and practicing physicians quickly learn to identify the big business formula, and then stop reading those messages. The biggest giveaway for search firm messaging is a lack of specifics. They just want a nibble, so they keep things very vague. Don’t be afraid to tell people exactly where your job is in the subject line. That sends a clear message that you aren’t a search firm.
- Be Just a Little Vague– Does this seem like the opposite of number 2? It definitely is. The important piece here is to write messages that leave the candidate wanting more. If you give them everything you’ll lose the opportunity to have a customized conversation. Often it is your energy and ability to share stories about the practice and community that are critical to getting in the door. We want to talk with our candidates. We want to let them know that we can flex and that we are worth considering. If we use the right amount of specific and vague content, we will have a nice warm lead when they reach out to you for more information.
- Think Outside the Box – Sometimes we all get stuck in a rut with our messaging. Year after year we are preaching the same messages in the same way. Take some time to think outside the box, do some research outside our industry, and try something different. The wonderful thing about email marketing is that the stats can tell you a lot about how your message was received. Pay attention to the analytics and then work to refine your messaging. Yes, it takes a little more work but a little work on the front-end can pay huge dividends on your success.
- Personal Focus –This time we are talking about your time management… not the message. Because you are pulled in a million directions, it can be difficult to set aside time and fine tune your approach. This area deserves your time and attention. It is nice to think that you will get multiple opportunities to reach a physician, but the truth is that once they click that Unsubscribe button on your email or throw your mailer in the trash the opportunity is lost and you probably won’t get another one. EVERY single message is important and deserves your focused attention to the details.
What are you going to do to fine-tune your approach? Likely you have heard most of our big 5 in the past, but maybe you have lost the focus to stick to them. Perhaps today is the day to energize your approach. The way you present your opportunities, health system and community should be at the top of your priority list.
And if it’s not happening, then what? If you are lacking time or support, we would love to help! Send me a note about our customized email messaging service. We source candidates on your behalf using our own in-house mass email system. We handle every piece of the puzzle and send you the leads. Our 2019 resident communication is just ramping up and we would love to work with you. For more information contact me at tbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com.