Make the grade with back-to-school marketing

You want to be one of the go-to healthcare partners for everything families need for back-to-school time and beyond — physicals, immunizations, the works. For you, it’s not just about the one-time, mandatory visit for a kiddo to play sports in school. You’re in it for the long haul, helping families to be happy and healthy. You have the care to back yourself up, but how can you get more people through the doors?

Women make 80% of the family's health decisions

Moms have many, many roles within the household: teacher, chef, therapist, chauffeur, playmate, caregiver, and more. They’re the ones saving postcards from the dentist about six-month cleanings, asking all the questions during doctor appointments, and keeping track of who needs to see which specialist when. If you want to reach the “chief medical officer” of the home, appeal to women by giving them an easy way to keep track of all the appointments and making the healthcare process as simple as possible. 

Be the touchpoint leading up to the school year

Top of the back-to-school checklist is a trip to a primary care physician or pediatrician for a yearly physical and updated immunizations. This checkup is a prime chance to start building lasting relationships with new families. 

Health-focused relationships are built through ongoing communication and easy touchpoints. And a relationship is the best way to keep families coming back to receive care from you regularly. So, how do you actually build this kind of relationship? Effort — all good things need this. Put in the effort you want back from your patients. You want to keep fostering these relationships, so it’s not another 365 days until they see or hear from you again. 

And if you haven’t heard from some of your previous patients, this is a great time to reach out to them. Back-to-school physicals are a good time to look at retention and check in with the kids you saw last year for school physicals. Are they caught up on their immunizations? What do their nutrition levels look like? Use this communication to show your patient's parent that you see their child beyond just a number and that you do care for their well-being. 

There are a number of different communication tools you can use, from social media to email newsletters to community events. These are our top 5 content recommendations to be their top healthcare partner right when they need you most. 

• Before the school year:
  • Physicals and immunizations
  • Back-to-school health checklist
  • Tips for packing the perfect healthy sack lunch
  • What to watch out for with lice
• During school:
  • How to stay on top of flu season
  • Sports-related injuries and how to prevent them
  • Habits for proper hygiene at school
  • How the whole family can stay safe during a bad weather season
• Leading up to summertime:
  • Water-safety tips
  • How to protect your skin from the sun
  • Healthy dinner recipes the whole family will enjoy

Provide resources beyond care

Think beyond the care that happens within the walls of the hospital or clinic, because you are a caretaker’s most valuable resource. Women often are interested in discussing preventive health topics and looking for tips they can utilize with their families. Going that extra mile is a good way to gain the eyes of the home’s “chief medical officer.” 

You can be more than a place that is thought of for emergencies or a one-time a year checkup because we know you do a lot more than that. Back-to-school physicals are a great entry point for a patient you could see for the next 10+ years. But it takes a consistent stream of communication to show their parents that you’re in this for the long haul. To get you started, we wanted to share our basic checklist for the back-to-school season. And if you’re looking for bigger ideas, let’s chat over a cup of coffee!