Starting a Medical Billing Business > Starting Your Own Medical Billing Business
Marketing New Medical Billing Company
AnthonyMBA:
SnyderKristine-
--- Quote from: SnyderKristine on February 17, 2014, 08:28:08 PM ---What possible methods should I use for marketing my business, online or traditional methods? What do you guys think?
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The reality today is that most paper media delivered by mail will rarely reach the decision maker. This is especially true for newly licensed doctors that tend to be less "digital-phobic." Paper media, blast emailing, and cold-call prospecting have a low client acquisition rate and may not be the best use of your time and $$$.
Online methods are the way to go. By maintaining updated business profiles on Facebook and LinkedIn, for instance, and having a well-maintained website, you have an established online presence where others can find you and you can share your knowledge, value, and experience to prospective clients.
To further expand your reach, grow your network of contacts on Facebook and LinkedIn by connecting with individuals and professional organizations. You can also post on behalf of yourself and your business on a regular basis. This way, you maintain a steady stream of visitors to your profiles.
You can purchase ads on Facebook and search engines like Google and Bing that will display an ad for your business (with link to your website) when users in your business' geographic area search for specific keywords.
--- Quote from: Merry on February 17, 2014, 09:22:26 PM ---The most important thing I think is to consider what you are selling..Yourself..so before you think of how you are going to market, I think you need to think about what you are going to market. YOU!!
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You also need to keep in mind that when a prospective client searches "medical billers" in your area, they are going to be bombarded with results. There are billers everywhere and when you look at their websites, they all look and sound the same. Take a look for yourself..."We specialize in everything", "We utilize the best technology", "You will have the fastest turnaround time", "We are different than everyone else"... The most important thing to do is figure out how to stand apart and differentiate your business from the competition.
PMRNC:
--- Quote ---The reality today is that most paper media delivered by mail will rarely reach the decision maker. This is especially true for newly licensed doctors that tend to be less "digital-phobic." Paper media, blast emailing, and cold-call prospecting have a low client acquisition rate and may not be the best use of your time and $$$.
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I don't agree at all. I think it really depends on your branding and packaging of those materials. Paper is in front of you without having to go to the computer, it's your first impression and if you do it right it's the most successful. And of all the contacts I've had from direct mail all of them make it where I want it to go. I don't try to get around the office managers, or billers, quite the contrary. I market myself as an extension on them and let them take the reigns and call the shot. Let them be the hero. I always do brightly colored packaging addressed to either the provider or the office manager ( I do both). I think the internet is great backup for marketing and is like a second backup. The other day I got the coolest mailing from a tax company here in my area with a QR code to scan to see special savings, now I didn't need a tax company but they peaked my curiosity so I scanned it with my Iphone and was really surprised to see I got a free federal refund with purchase of state tax preparation. My returns are pretty involved so this was a great deal. Their website was beautifully done and the owner himself answered the phone. Yes I have a tax guy now. LOL, My point is that his mailing made his first impression on me, I visited his site because of the good first impression and he grabbed my attention and curiosity AND I wasn't even in the market for a tax guy!
I really believe the marketing efforts you put forward need to match the goals of your business. Obviously direct mail may not be the way to go if you plan to aquire a lot of accounts at once, have a large business, etc. My goal was never to take on more than I could personally take care of as that was what physicians really worried about. Would they get lost in the shuffle if the company got big. One of my best clients was with a billing company when they started and within 2 years they grew to the point they could no longer give the client the personal service they were used to. I'm not talk hand holding or anything difficult, he just likes picking up phone and having ME answer ..it's the little things that keep small businesses alive. Your marketing efforts need to match the goals of your business. Every business is different but you can make any marketing campaign pay off.
I don't agree that postcards are better, I look at postcards as a "cheap and lazy" means. I think they could work for promotions or specials but not for actual client marketing. You can't make a full on impression with a postcard. In fact you need to grab them in 30 words or less which is rather difficult.
AnthonyMBA:
--- Quote from: PMRNC on February 21, 2014, 12:20:25 PM ---
--- Quote ---I don't agree at all. I think it really depends on your branding and packaging of those materials. Paper is in front of you without having to go to the computer, it's your first impression and if you do it right it's the most successful. And of all the contacts I've had from direct mail all of them make it where I want it to go.
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Thank you for sharing your experience and I wholeheartedly agree with you that branding is everything. I will try to give direct mail a more fair shot when discussing marketing strategy to clients (as well as my own) :)
I was speaking from my own personal experience with clients. In addition to the medical billing company that I worked at for a number of years, I spent a few months consulting for a large urology group's medical billing department. At both sites, advertisement mailers were routinely tossed without a second thought. The clients that I tend to attract now are recently licensed physicians that work in a non-office setting. Most have found me through networking sites such as LinkedIn and prefer to correspond with me via the tablets that never leave their side.
The healthcare industry is slowly working towards a goal of becoming completely paperless. Demographics capture and procedure documentation can be done from a tablet. Transcription and coding can be done electronically. Charges can be sent electronically and revenue can autopost. The process isn't anywhere near perfect, but it's working towards it. I believe that branding and other marketing efforts should match changing societal and operational trends.
I'll get off my soapbox now :) I read and learn from your comments regularly and am glad that I found this site. I started my business because the healthcare industry and its competitive environment is changing. Many established medical professionals and billing organizations are struggling to keep up and many newly licensed physicians are struggling to grasp the complexities of the business environment they will be working in.
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Merry:
Thank you for joining us and for your detailed contribution.
Merry
williamportor:
--- Quote from: SnyderKristine on February 17, 2014, 08:28:08 PM ---Hi All,
New to the forum. And I am really impressed to see people sharing valuable information here.
My Question:
I am starting a new medical billing company. I have decided a list of services and the pricing strategy. The website is also under construction.
What possible methods should I use for marketing my business, online or traditional methods? What do you guys think?
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I can answer that in 4 words: "Pick Up The Phone" It's not very fun sometimes, but if you have unlimited long distance phone service, get on yellowpages.com and start cold calling. It works for stockbrokers, as well as insurance and real estate agents, and it's a lot less expensive than direct mail or other forms of advertising. Don't be afraid to leave messages on their VM's. Sales is a numbers game, and if you happen to be the medical biller offering your services to a clinic when they are looking for one, there is a good chance you'll get their business. :)
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