August 17, 2012 •Brian Watson
Impressive reach. More face-time with patients. A receptive audience. It’s no wonder that variable messaging is all the rage in statement processing circles these days.
By blending transactional data (what’s owed, for what, and by when) with a targeted, relevant brand-building or marketing message on a single document, TransPromo converts the unused space on your patient statements into a personal, timely, effective promotional message.
It’s a win-win convergence. On the transactional side, it’s an effective use of statement white space (And statements that use clean, clear, patient friendly standards will likely have white space to spare). In addition, best-practice applications use statement design elements and appropriate hierarchical placement to complement (never to detract or take attention away from) the primary goal of your billing: to inform and collect.
As a promotional tool, it’s more personal (and useful) than one-size-fits-all advertising. And, unlike statement inserts, TransPromo is able to leverage demographic and patient service usage data to provide messaging customized to fit your individual patients and their specific needs.
Making a Bold Statement
Plus it’s not just a marketing resource. Want to provide billing information that doesn’t fit elsewhere on your patient statements? Customized "thank you" messages? Information about upcoming classes or events? Put it in your messaging panel. Anything from instructions on how to request financial assistance, to your upcoming joint replacement seminar, if it’s noteworthy, or can add value to the base patient statement, or enhance the treatment experience you offer patients, it’s fair game for the TransPromo section of your statement.
Okay, so that might be just a little bit too broad. If you’re just starting out, or simply need some ideas and inspiration, here are 6 simple ways to ensure that your variable messaging panel hits the mark with patients:
1). Billing Instructions. Because it’s inherently variable, TransPromo is an ideal place for personalized billing instructions. Some common examples include:
• Customer service contact information personalized by patient demographic data, like last name or treatment facility.
• Instructions for patients requesting charity care, financial assistance, or an itemized statement.
• Billing-specific details, including payment due date, a recap of how many statement have been sent to the patient (and how many they will receive in total), and the time period to pay before a bill is considered past due and turned over to collections.
2). Promotional Messages. Similar to a statement insert, trans-promotional elements enable you to communicate marketing messages to each patient that receives billing correspondence. Unlike inserts however, there’s no extra printing and insertion costs to communicate special statement messages using TransPromo. And due to the high customizability of patient statement imaging, promotional messages can be updated or modified in an instant. We suggest:
• Announcing new treatment services offered by your facility. You can further increase engagement by including a 2D QR Barcode in your variable panel that, when scanned by a smartphone, automatically redirects patients to a spot on your website or a unique, campaign-specific online landing page.
• Providing contact information for the unique health and billing programs that you offer, like consult-a-nurse services or financial counseling.
• Offering limited-time-only or seasonal medical services like back-to-school/sports physicals, season-specific vaccines and treatment services, and special screening events.
• Highlighting value-added health and account management tools featured on your website; everything from online bill payment, to personal health records, to appointment request, to engagement apps like sharing sites or health information.
3). Hospital News. Now you’ve got room to brag a little. Literally. TransPromo gives you the statement space to highlight key happenings at your facility: new physicians, key personnel, or locations, awards and milestones, and treatment or business breakthroughs.
4). Upcoming Events. Chances are you offer a number of valuable, patient-focused events, classes, and seminars. Trans-promotional elements provide an ideal way to get the word out, increasing awareness (and attendance) of the key dates on your organizational calendar.
5). Cross-Marketing Services. Together with the sheer amount of patient transaction data that your organization has at its fingertips, variable messaging offers a real opportunity to optimize and add meaning to the marketing appeals you present to patients. TransPromo allows you to effectively match patient need with treatment services or specific health tools, enabling relevant, data-driven cross-marketing on a far more personalized level.
For example: transaction data shows that a patient was treated by your organization’s heart and vascular group. Follow-up variable messaging could leverage this data to highlight a complementary stress-management seminar, free heart-number screenings, cardiovascular check-ups, or a link to an “Ask a Cardiologist” online application. This goes far beyond a typical “push” advertisement to something that’s personalized, engaging, and truly helpful.
6). Personalized Thank You Messages. Sometimes a hearty expression of gratitude is worth a thousand words. (Or at least the impact of a few promotional messages). Your patients have loads of treatment options, but they chose you. That means a lot. So don’t forget to just say “thanks”. It’s a simple message that can go a long, long way.
The best thing about TransPromo? It’s variable by design. So you’re not locked into just one of these (or several dozen other) options. Mix and match. Track clicks and calls. And change things up often. It can only help you learn what patients like and respond to and what makes the most valuable patient statement.
If you couldn’t already tell, this is a subject I’m unabashedly excited about. Variable promotional messaging is simple, effective, and affordable. Not to mention pretty darn cool. If you have any questions, or just want to talk about other variable messaging applications, ideas and best practices, simply contact us today.
Do you patient statements utilize variable promotional messaging? If so, how?