The health care industry has federal regulations in place to protect consumers from negligent advertising and marketing from home health care agencies and other businesses. For example, the Federal Trade Commission has strict policies and procedures for marketing that has deceptive pricing; uses the word “free”; or makes unfounded claims about a product or service. Fortunately, there are plenty of legal marketing ideas you can use to promote your home health care agency.

Website

A website is a perfectly legal marketing tool to use for your home health business. Hire a graphic web designer and copywriter to help you create a website that promotes your service offerings. Include a section about what home health services you provide, to whom you provide them and the benefits your clients get from your services. Include your telephone number, mailing address and email address so potential customers have a number of ways to get in touch with you.

Direct Mail

Direct mail is a legal way to market your home health agency to a targeted list of customers via postal mail. Hire a direct mail vendor, who will help you create a specific demographic profile so you can put together a targeted list of customers who may be good candidates for your services. For example, you may choose to target a group of elderly widowed women over the age of 70 who are suffering from heart conditions. Create brochures, letters, postcards and flyers, and send these marketing materials to your list of customers. Track and measure the response you get from each piece you send.

Television Ads

Hire an advertising agency or production company to help you create a television advertisement for your home health agency. Buy media space on television stations that appeal to your target audiences, and run the ad for a specified period of time. Similar to direct mail, ask your customers “How did you hear about us” so you can directly track how well each of your marketing tactics works.

Email Newsletter

Design and write an email newsletter that you can send to customers on a monthly basis. Create a sign-up page for the newsletter on your website. Provide a sample newsletter to show them what they will get. Include tips that are relevant to the audiences you are targeting. For example, if you are marketing to older men with type 2 diabetes, offer healthy eating and exercise tips to help them manage their condition.

Source: Scott Christ