1. Offer Great Deals

Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t just for clothing, appliances, and other material goods. You can also use these busy shopping days to encourage sales at your practice. Set up a few specials with limited-time discounts on some of the most popular procedures that your clients request. If you sell skin care products, you can also emphasize these since they make great gifts for the holidays.

2. Limited-Time Savings

Giving your clients a limited time to earn the deals you are offering creates more incentive to quickly schedule a consultation. If patients see they only have three weeks to save on the procedure they have been dreaming of, this acts as a powerful call to action. In fact, limited discounts influence about 36% of buyers on Black Friday – that’s a huge percentage of possible clients!

3. Develop a Landing Page

A landing page announces all your upcoming specials and highlights different procedures that you think are the most popular among your patients. Giving your readers specific information about the discounts you are offering and how they can earn them.

4. Social Media Engagement

Along with your landing page, make sure to promote current offers and encourage patients to receive procedures on your social media account(s). Our marketing specialists can set up this social plan for you, with posts announcing the new offers and counting down to the “last chance” notification.

5. Email Marketing

If you have great specials and amazing offers, you need to make sure your patients or prospective patients know about them! Constantly remind your subscribers with advertisements about the savings in your email newsletter. Make sure to include a call to action that encourages patients to call your office and schedule that consultation for the offered procedure.

6. Free Gifts

Free gifts create a personalized customer experience and encourage patient loyalty. These gifts don’t have to be large. You could consider a small accessory, sample-sized skin care product, or a coupon to use on their next visit to your office.

7. Interactive Experiences

Take advantage of the holiday spirit and have fun with your marketing strategy! You can create a discount wheel, sweepstakes contest, or award small purchases for patient loyalty or other factors. This will make you and your practice memorable while generating a good patient experience.

8. Keep Your Offers Going

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the two biggest shopping days, but the buzz continues throughout the entire “Cyber Week.” Let your limited time offers expire a few days after Cyber Week, or until the end of the week, to encourage more patients and generate more traffic.

Purchase eCommerce with DLM

Paid advertising with Google Ads is a great way to promote your practice and garner attention at your ecommerce store. At Digital Limelight Media, we can also help you develop an eye-catching social media profile, engaging email newsletters, and beautifully designed advertisements. Contact our office in Grand Rapids, MI, and let our marketing specialists help you prepare for your biggest sales of the year.

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Exploring the Intersection of Technology and Patient Care

Our podcast is dedicated to uncovering how emerging technologies can enhance patient satisfaction and improve business outcomes. Episodes cover many different topics, such as the applications of AI in both patient care and marketing and Telemedicine. Plus, we don’t just give you a generic overview of the topics- we provide you with actionable takeaways so you can immediately apply strategies to your own practice.

Insights from Industry Leaders on Emerging Marketing Trends

The DLM Podcast offers insights from top industry leaders who are reshaping the field of medical marketing through innovative approaches. From developing personalized patient care strategies to pioneering digital tools that streamline outreach, our experts provide listeners with the knowledge needed to remain relevant and responsive to patient expectations.

The 2024 lineup features episodes on the latest medical marketing challenges and solutions, each designed to provide tangible benefits to healthcare providers. Highlights include:

• AI in Patient Care and Marketing: Discover how artificial intelligence can be leveraged to enhance patient satisfaction and streamline marketing efforts.
• Navigating Telemedicine Trends: Learn about the benefits and challenges of telemedicine and how to incorporate it effectively into your practice.
• Patient Outreach Solutions: Explore practical approaches to improving patient retention, re-engagement, and overall satisfaction through targeted outreach strategies.

Each episode not only informs but also empowers practices to adopt new methods that can improve patient loyalty, satisfaction, and retention.

Stay Competitive with the DLM Podcast

If you want to keep your practice competitive, the DLM Podcast is a vital resource, offering insights from leaders who understand the complexities of modern medical marketing. Catch all episodes on DLM’s YouTube channel, where you’ll gain practical knowledge and inspiration for implementing the latest marketing strategies. By tuning in, you can continuously refine your approach, ensuring that you deliver exceptional patient care and stay ahead of the curve in healthcare marketing trends.

The post How the DLM Podcast is Shaping the Future of Medical Marketing appeared first on Digital Limelight Media.

Be a Pro Packer

When shipping orders, the first step is to package your products. Packaging should always be cost-effective, functional, and customer friendly.

Packaging Materials

The customer’s unboxing experience is your chance to make a good first impression. It can also provide an experience that customers may want to share and post on social media. Social media influencers, beauty accounts, and more are known for creating “unboxing” videos with new products.

There are many different options when it comes to eCommerce packaging materials for your orders. Many carriers also offer free packaging with a specific shipping rate.

Save Time Buying Shipping Labels

You can avoid extra trips to the post office by buying discounted shipping labels from your eCommerce company such as Shopify. Once purchased, you can print off your shipping label and attach it to your package.

Get Your Orders Delivered Right

Today there are an array of shipping types and delivery methods available. Brands can now send products to customers via more innovative options than traditional mail such as local delivery or in-store pickup.

Local Delivery

Local delivery may be a good option if your customers are located nearby. You may also hire a dedicated staff member to deliver your orders or leverage a third-party service to pick up the orders and deliver them to a customer’s address.

Local delivery is also a great fulfillment method for brick-and-mortar retailers. It can effectively improve sales, especially if you have large items to transport.

Taxes

When you are selling products across state or country lines, it is important to understand the different tax obligations. You or your customers may owe taxes to the state in which you are operating, as well as the state in which the order is delivered. Each state has its own unique tax guidelines.

International Shipping

If you are interested in tapping into the global economy, selling internationally is one way to do so. However, this tactic comes with logistical challenges, including international shipping. With international shipping, you will need to use different carriers or a combination of carriers to account for higher costs and longer shipping times. You may also have to change your tax settings.

Optimize Your Ecommerce Shipping Processes

If you have an established eCommerce process, you probably already have some shipping processes in place. However, sometimes you can change what you have already set in place without a major overhaul.

Communicate Shipping Delays

Whenever you experience a shipping delay, it is important to communicate it. This means notifying the customers directly and also speaking with your supply chain, logistics team, operations, and whoever else may be impacted.

It is vital to stay in communication with your customers to keep them up to date on the shipping process. Sending an email to your subscribers can help to keep them in the loop. Also, don’t forget to update your shipping policy regularly.

Offer Free Shipping for Large Orders

Free shipping is no longer just a bonus, as many consumers consider it now to be the norm. While you may not be able to offer free shipping on all of your orders you may want to consider creating an order minimum. Customers who make a purchase above the order minimum will receive free shipping.

Build Your eCommerce Store with DLM Today

At DLM, we are dedicated to proving you with a user-friendly eCommerce store. If you are interested in starting an eCommerce store or would like to improve your current store contact DLM to schedule a 15-minute demo today! We can’t wait to speak with you.

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What is Product Pricing?

Product pricing is the process of using both internal and external factors to determine the value of a product. Product pricing strategies can vary widely based on your industry and area, but it’s important to know that your strategy has a direct impact on the overall success of your ecommerce efforts and your practice as a whole. Product pricing requires some in-depth knowledge of your business, industry, and competition, so make sure to continually look at other practices in your area offering similar products.

How Should I Price My Products?

Advice about product pricing can vary widely in its quality. The best way to begin developing your pricing strategy is by having a rock-solid understanding of your ideal customers and the local market you’re participating in. That’s because pricing will incorporate a variety of factors like your business finances, your online store, your product’s positioning in the market, and even whether there’s short-term or long-term demand for it.

Fortunately, setting a price for your product isn’t a one-time decision. The best strategy is to set an initial price and adjust it as you go.

Your Pricing Model

To find an initial price, start by adding up all your product costs and determine your profit margin. This process is called cost-plus pricing and it’s one of the most basic ways to set a price on your products. If it seems too simple, that’s because it can be – your pricing strategy will ultimately include a lot of other factors that are unique to your practice. These aren’t always something you can account for, either. Some other factors that may come up include consumer trends, competitors in your area, and insight from your customers.

Here are the biggest factors to consider when establishing a pricing model.

Variable Costs

Variable costs are the basic costs like the cost of ordering your products (or the labor and raw materials if you make them yourself), called the cost of goods sold. However, variable costs can also include things like your time spent ordering, preparing, sorting, and shipping your products to your customers. It can also include product marketing and promotions, as well as maintaining your ecommerce site.

Profit Margin

Profit margin is typically a percentage of each product sold on top of your variable costs. When you’re choosing a percentage, keep in mind that:

• Fixed costs haven’t been included yet
• Your price range still falls within the market’s acceptable price for your product (and doesn’t totally outprice your competitors)

Once you have your profit margin determined, take the percentage and turn it into a decimal (so 20% becomes 0.2) and follow this formula:

Target price = (variable cost per product) / (1 – profit margin as a decimal)

Fixed Costs

Fixed costs (or overhead costs) are costs that don’t change based on the number of products you sell. They’re typically not tied to product sales and can include things like building costs, salaries, taxes, website maintenance, and more. Regardless, it’s important to include them in your product pricing since they ultimately impact your overall profit – something that can be boosted by a well-managed ecommerce campaign.

Let’s Get in Touch

Interested in starting your own ecommerce site to boost revenue and become your patients’ source for their favorite products? At Digital Limelight Media, our marketing specialists can help you transform your ecommerce presence with industry-leading web marketing and strategy. Give us a call or fill out our online form to get started.

The post How to Price a Product appeared first on Digital Limelight Media.

That’s where services like practice management, data reporting and analysis, and financial planning can be overlooked. However, meeting these basic needs is crucial to ensuring your practice is financially healthy and growing in the right direction for your niche. With marketing and business services provided by experts like the ones at DLM, we’ll help you achieve your financial goals and grow with the latest tools and best practices available for medical professionals today.

What is a Break-Even Analysis?

One of the fundamental small business accounting practices is a break-even analysis, often simply referred to as a “breakeven.” It’s a chart that plots profitability over time compared to expenses, used to show graphically at what point your practice will break even, or reach profitability. You’ve likely accumulated substantial costs in opening your practice whether it was 10 years ago or last month. However, you can expect revenue to eventually outpace the principal and interest of your debts to where your practice actually starts to make money in excess of that amount.

An accurate breakeven analysis, adjusted yearly or quarterly for the pace of sales and amount of debt, can help determine your overall marketing strategy and business goals, whether you’re looking to sell your practice, bring on new physicians, or simply make a profit.

Benefits of Break-Even Analyses

Running a breakeven shows you how quickly your practice will become profitable at your current revenue rate. This can help inform several decisions or strategies, from negotiating healthcare plans, insurance policies, or other contracts, as well as how much to charge for certain procedures so you can put more money in the bank. It can also help direct efforts like promoting certain highly profitable or popular procedures, or show you that you need to move in a totally different direction than the one you’ve been going in if you want to break even more quickly.

Breakevens also reveal hidden costs you may not think about on a daily basis, like office space in addition to the cost of new devices or tools for the practice. These costs might not be front of mind all the time, but they definitely contribute to your practice’s financial health.

Finally, breakeven analysis can help you decide whether to move forward with new products, services, or personnel. If you’re not going to achieve profitability for years to come, it might not be the right time to buy a new laser platform or hire a specialist for treatments that aren’t utilized that often.

Practice Management By DLM

At DLM, we’re here to promote your practice’s success through marketing, automation, and technology. Learn more about what we can offer your practice and what we recommend for business best practices by calling our office or contacting our team online today.

The post What Is A Break Even Analysis? appeared first on Digital Limelight Media.

1. Times Have Changed

It can be easy to get stuck in the past, but you might want to consider that the most popular medical office from twenty years ago maybe isn’t so popular anymore. Furthermore, new businesses have developed in that span of time that you should be aware of. Besides, look at how much has changed in just a few years: online presence, technology such as AI, and new marketing strategies. It makes sense your competition will change as time passes.

2. Online Competition

As a practice with a physical location, you may not be considering the online presence of other practices. Many online services are now available in the medical industry, such as virtual appointments and online stores for products sold by your practice.

3. Narrow Thinking

You may be thinking too narrowly about who your competitors are. For example, if you own a general dental office, you might just be looking at other dental practices in the area. What about orthodontists, oral surgeons, specialty dentists, or pediatric dentists? Some of these practices might be your competitors, too.

4. New Competition

You may be basing your competitors on those who have been around for some time or those that you have heard of. New companies that have had a strong start and gained a large client pool within their first few years of development may also be some of your top competitors.

5. Reliance on SERP

If you are only looking at the search engine results page (SERP), your perspective on your competitors may be shifted. SERP is based on national results, and although you may have some national competitors based on the services you offer, a more local perspective could be more accurate when trying to boost the relevance of your practice.

Gain a New Perspective and New Marketing Strategy

Once you know who your top competitors are, you can compare their practice to yours and use this as inspiration to alter and improve your marketing strategy. This can be a lot of work, but luckily, Digital Limelight Media is here to help! Let our marketing and design specialists redesign and rebrand your website to put your practice at the top of Google’s search results. Schedule a quick demo with us today to learn about the services we offer.

The post 5 Reasons Why Traditional Competitor Analysis Isn’t Enough appeared first on Digital Limelight Media.

Even with a solid business plan and an essential product, things can go wrong. What makes the difference is how you and your team handle the missteps. Making mistakes is inevitable, but finding ways to lessen the impact and keep customers happy will set you apart and ensure success for years to come.

Tip #1: Do Your Research

Before registering your business or purchasing your first inventory, you should be doing your research. Follow brands you respect on social media and chat with your friend who started a business. Reach out to entrepreneurs on LinkedIn and read blogs and books on the topics of running a business. There is much to learn from the successes of others. But don’t discount the failures. While a business may have failed, there are many lessons to be learned through their stories.

A mistake some people make during the research phase is silohing themselves to only researching businesses in their own category. True innovation comes from blending ideas and models and making it your own. Just because your market category doesn’t typically have an ecommerce site or doesn’t utilize a certain buying method doesn’t mean it won’t be beneficial for you and the customer base you create.

Tip #2: Invest in Marketing from the Beginning

Your store is live. Your inventory is stocked. Your staff is trained. But no sales. No customers. A common mistake new business owners make is not investing in marketing early on. They think that product, services, or customer relationships will speak for themselves. While this can be true, you more than likely will need a few first buyers to begin the process. While a ‘miracle product’ going viral or being booked out before opening is possible, it’s unlikely these days without a major following in place.

Luckily, there are many opportunities these days for finding a form of marketing that works for your business. Between social media, ecommerce stores, influencer marketing, events, and eblasts – as a new business you can determine which media works for you and easily pivot if necessary. If you’d like to learn more about which type of marketing could be right for you, let’s chat.

Tip #3: Communicate with Customers When Something Goes Wrong

Even the most well-planned businesses run into issues. With so many moving parts, many of the elements that keep your business up and moving are out of your control. Maybe your operating system went down or a shipment was lost on its way to a customer. What happens when the power is out and you can’t host guests for the day? These things happen, so communication is key.

When issues arise the worst thing you can do is go dark. If clients feel like they can’t reach you, they lose trust and are unlikely to be returning customers. This is especially relevant during your first year in business as you are establishing your reputation in the market. When a problem arises, be as prompt as possible and offer actionable solutions. Let the client know you are aware and on top of the issue and they’ll feel like they are in good hands.

Tip #4: Uplift the Happy Customers

When your online reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations speak for themselves, this grows organic leads. But as a new business, it will take some time to gain a good reputation. Although, there are things you can do to encourage the good reviews. Create a feedback form and encourage happy customers to share their stories. Feature returning customers on social media if they are comfortable. Offer discounts for them to try a new product.

Maintaining a pulse on your customer base and what makes them happy will foster positive conversation around your brand. Good reviews will follow.

Maintaining a Successful Small Business

There is no doubt your first year in business will be riddled with lessons learned and areas to improve. But turning these road bumps into opportunities lies in finding what you can learn from them. Take time to review, make a game plan, and move forward. No small business is perfect, but the ones that stay in business analyze, optimize, and bounce back. Does your small business need help? Let’s chat. 

The post 4 Tips for a Successful First Year in Business appeared first on Digital Limelight Media.

What is HIPAA?

HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Enacted by the United States Congress in 1996, this act protects sensitive information of patients across the United States and ensures this data will not be shared beyond a patient’s consent. The act holds medical professionals and organizations to a standard of protocol when handling patient data. In 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) roped associated businesses and services into HIPAA’S requirements – including call tracking companies.

What is Call Tracking?

Call Tracking is software which monitors and records phone calls for a range of purposes. Depending on the services you offer, this could be for monitoring customer service representatives, fact checking information, or gathering analytics. It is a useful tool for marketing purposes which can aid in lead management.

Is Call Tracking HIPAA Compliant?

Not all call tracking software is HIPAA compliant but luckily, CallRail is! CallRail ensures HIPAA compliance from the beginning and offers its software in a specialized package for medical practices. Conveniently, medical marketing specialists, Digital Limelight Media (DLM), offer an optimized integration between their CRM software and CallRail.

Things to Consider when it Comes to Call Tracking and HIPAA

Integration with Other Programs

Combining call tracking and your CRM fosters seamless connection between programs which allows you to make the most of marketing analytics, manage customer communications, and remain HIPAA compliant. When putting your patient’s sensitive information in others’ hands – it’s essential to know who you can trust.

Use Separate Logins

Creating individualized logins for call tracking (and other databases like your CRM) create siloed interaction with your patients’ data. Understanding who is touching relevant data and when allows you to pinpoint exact login time and credentials when necessary. Pssst. DLM’s custom software can do this too.

Check with Your Lawyer

At the end of the day, to fully protect yourself in a constantly shifting technology landscape, You should always check with your lawyer to ensure you’re covering all your bases. They will have the most up-to-date information when it comes to protecting your patient data.

Ensure Your Data is in Good Hands

Digital Limelight Media has been working in the medical marketing field for more than a decade. Well versed in the world of maintaining proper marketing protocol in line with HIPAA compliance, they come alongside medical practices to offer solutions that fit your customer and practice needs. If you have questions about how call tracking can benefit your medical practice, let’s chat.

The post HIPAA and Call Tracking: Things to Consider appeared first on Digital Limelight Media.

Pricing Products is an Art Form

Price something too high and it will alienate certain customers. Price your products too low and you are at risk of not turning a profit at all, which can cause a domino effect and lead to a disastrous end.

While pricing is often an afterthought and a final step in creating a business, it should not be taken lightly. There are many factors to consider when pricing products or services – some obvious and some not.

Things to Consider when Pricing Your Products

1.    Cost

What does selling the product cost your business? This is the most important factor in determining the price for the end user of a product or service. If you’re selling a unit of lotion, the cost may be as simple as what you buy the product for plus your upcharge. For a service, it gets a bit more complicated when adding equipment, labor, expertise, product use, etc. Whatever the case, you need to determine the cost of the product or service that comes out of your pocket. This will serve as a baseline for future price considerations.

2.    Different pricing strategies

There are many different methods to determine pricing. From cost-plus to value-based to competitive pricing, each product category can require a different pricing strategy. Take some time to research industry trends, product types, and pricing methods to determine which is right for you.

3.    Industry standards

What is the current market like for your product? This could be a local consideration or an online search depending on where people purchase your items. Monitoring the market is essential, but also needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Use this information in tandem with your pricing strategy. You want to price your product true to your brand but also be aware if a significantly better or worse deal is out on the market.

4.    Who is your customer?

Having a well developed customer persona helps determine price. What can your client afford? Are they sensitive to price changes? Are they motivated by discounts? These types of questions allow you to fully understand the motivations of your customers and price a product or service accordingly. You must know who you’re selling to.

5.    Company image

Price plays a major part in perception. Often highly priced products are seen as higher end. While products that can be purchased at a discount or lower price point are seen as economical or “a deal.” Whichever strategy you choose, it must be in line with the image you want to send to customers.

Analyze your favorite products, their price, and how you feel about them. Do you feel excitement when you splurge on an expensive face cream? Do you congratulate yourself when you find a great deal at the discount store? These purchases serve distinct purposes and further solidify how you feel about a brand.

6.    Other marketing efforts

Pricing is just as much a marketing strategy as your monthly ad in the paper. We’ve discussed how influential it is in determining purchase power so pricing must work in tandem with your other marketing efforts.

If you’re running discounts does this pair well with a higher initial cost or lower? If you host events, are clients likely to make additional product purchases at the same time? Are your prices a major selling point? If so, how can you work this into advertising? Your website?

Pricing as Part of a Cohesive Marketing Strategy

Selling your product at the ideal price is a careful balance. It’s important to choose a price that speaks to both your product and your audience while still maintaining proper revenue.

Digital Limelight Media has over a decade of experience in the aesthetics, ecommerce, and medical marketing industry and can ensure your pricing methodology is a seamless part of your marketing strategy. If you’re interested in elevating your products as part of a seamless brand, website, strategy, and more, we’d love to chat.

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But you’ve had your landline system for a long time. You may be asking yourself, should I update my landline? Is your phone system operating at its highest capacity? How can I upgrade my phone system? Find out how CallRail can help optimize your business.

What is CallRail?

What does CallRail do? CallRail is a call tracking system. Call tracking systems use modern technology to analyze phone calls, the caller themselves, and behaviors stemming from the phone call. This all happens in the back end as you answer your desk phone when it rings, as normal.

Then, your medical practice can use the information CallRail gathers for many different purposes. So what are the benefits of using CallRail and call tracking?

Benefits of Using CallRail

1. You can keep your current landline – CallRail fully integrates with landline technology and call tracking can be set up regardless of an older phone system. This makes CallRail a fantastic option for bringing your old technology up to current industry standards. Your office can keep operating with their familiar phone protocol without losing out on the other benefits of call tracking.

2. CallRail tracks the entire patient journey – How many times have you been disconnected from a patient and had to start the records process all over again? What if a patient calls from a different number than usual?

CallRail keeps track of all records associated with a patient. Other features include recording patient calls, where the call originated from, who answered the call, and more. CallRail’s Lead Center allows easy access and reports of all tracked information.

3. CallRail is HIPPA Compliant – It’s of utmost importance to maintain client privacy when it comes to phone calls. CallRail is aware of this and allows for more information to be gathered while being encrypted for your office’s eyes only. CallRail elevates the client experience while maintaining privacy standards.

4. CallRail keeps your leads happy – Utilizing tracking numbers allows for more call volume to be analyzed through your phone system. Staying on top of who called and when allows you to optimize your calls and lower response time. No one slips through the cracks anymore. CallRail makes it easy to add notes, jump into an existing conversation with other employees, and make sure the client is getting the information they need in a timely manner

5. Fully integrates with your CRM – It is likely your medical practice has a CRM (and if you don’t learn why you should). Digital Limelight Media’s custom CRM system, DLM Insight integrates with CallRail analytics to bring you a tailored vision of your phone calls alongside all other relevant data. CallRail is part of your one-stop-shop.

Your Medical Practice Needs CallRail

We’ve discussed the day-to-day benefits of integrating CallRail with your current landline system. But call tracking goes beyond a conversation with a new lead or an appointment reminder phone call. Once you have a bird’s eye view of where your calls are coming from and how patients and staff interact with them – you can use this data to inform marketing campaigns,  optimize your practice, and enhance the patient experience.

If you’re interested in learning more about how CallRail can help you, we’d love to chat.

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