In a presentation during Becker’s ASC Review’s 12th Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference + the Future of Spine, June 14 in Chicago, Daniel Goldberg, CEO and creative director of Gold Medal Marketing, shared media and public relations strategies for spine surgery practices.
A press release is the most common way basic “who, what, when, where, why” information is shared with the media, said Mr. Goldberg. Press releases should be issued when spine surgery practices add a new physician, procedure or location, are hosting an event or want to generate interest for a story.
In contrast, a feature tells a story rather than just conveys basic information. A feature is often a profile of a patient and a procedure he or she underwent, and includes background on the patient as well as quotes from the patient and the physician. With a feature, “we get control of the message we send out, we control the story,” said Mr. Goldberg.
When writing a feature, it’s important to keep the focus on the patient, not the practice, said Mr. Goldberg. It should highlight the patient’s struggles and show how the surgery practice was a catalyst, not the cause, of the patient’s ultimate happiness. Patients profiled in features should be unique in some way, either their source of injury, age, vocation or outcome.
To identify the best media outlets for these stories, consider if the story could be part of a larger news story or trend, or if there’s a publication with a specific focus that would be especially interested in the story, said Mr. Goldberg. “Ask, ‘Does your story fit them?’” he said. When pitching stories to the media, be sure to pitch at an appropriate time, especially for breaking news, be available on the editor’s/producer’s schedule, convey an expertise on the subject at hand and demonstrate a willingness to adapt to changing news and research, he said. Focus especially on the “angle” — be able to convince an editor or producer why the story is of interest and what the bigger issues are at stake.
To track the return on investment of public relations efforts, train intake staff to ask new patients for their referral source, or ask for this information in intake forms. A dedicated phone number and Web traffic monitoring can also help determine the ROI of PR efforts, said Mr. Goldberg.
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