7 Ideas For Promoting Your Healthcare Event

UPDATE YOUR WEBSITE

Create an Events page on your website. Add details about your event, including Date, Time, Location, and other necessary information, including identification cards or medical forms that may need to be filled out. If you’re hosting a guest speaker, include the speaker’s bio and a topic brief. Be sure to add a banner, graphic, or other Call-to-Action on your main landing page directing viewers to your Events page for more info. Bonus points for adding links to embed a reminder into their Google or IOS calendar. 

CREATE EVENT-SPECIFIC BRANDING

Distinguish your event branding from your FQHC’s branding and create a presence that is unique to the event. This is especially important for events that you plan to hold on a recurring basis. By giving each event it’s own brand, they become recognizable in your community, helping to increase participation. Aside from logos and colors, this can also include event-specific hashtags that you can use in the lead-up to the event, and your participants can use throughout the event to increase engagement.

MAKE IT SOCIAL 

Develop a marketing plan that includes posting a variety of event-specific content across your social media channels. Behind the Scenes snapshots of the event in production, teasers promoting any guest speakers or special guests, and other personal touches in the weeks and days leading up to the event keeps it at the forefront of your attendees minds, especially in today’s fast-paced and over-scheduled society. Don’t forget to create an Event Page on your social media as well, allowing others to access and share information with ease. On the day of the event, create a special Filter or Frame that can be used when posting on social media. For bonus points here, organize a social media takeover by one of your Event Ambassadors (see #4).

RECRUIT AMBASSADORS/LOCAL INFLUENCERS 

Tap into the power of persuasion with Event Ambassadors and other local influencers who can support your event on their own social media channels, websites, and business pages. These influencers do not have to be celebrities or people in roles of power or prestige in your community, rather they are those who can shed light on the event and increase your exposure among their own followers. One way to do this is to tap into the resources from previous events and create testimonials promoting the successes of the past and building excitement and anticipation for the upcoming event.

USE MEDICAL REMINDERS

Especially for Legacy Events and those that are planned weeks and months in advance, you have time to incorporate reminders into the already-established practices at your FQHC. Add a note to your appointment cards or reminder emails with the date and time of your event and create an “Upcoming Events” section on newsletters sent out by your Center.

PARTNER WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES

Collaboration is a vital part of today’s society, relying on strength in numbers in local communities as well as among non-profit organizations and business owners. By partnering with others having similar goals, you can increase the exposure for all those involved. If you’re hosting a blood drive or free health screenings, partner with a local grocery store or chef to provide healthy snacks and recipes. If you’re hosting a vaccination event, perhaps a local cleaning agency can offer tips and tricks to reduce contamination. The possibilities here are endless, depending on the type of event you are hosting.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE MARKETING 

Many communities offer free publicity for non-profits and others organizing free events in the area. These include radio stations and newspapers, as well as publishers of community event calendars. Community bulletin boards can be found in most libraries and post offices, and many businesses will happily post flyers in their windows.