PracticalDermatology

Successful clinician entrepreneurs use all marketing and communications options available to them. They do not discard ‘timeless’ opportunities to click and resonate with patients beyond clicks on the keyboard simply because these opportunities may not be new to them. Likewise, they are not paralyzed by fear of the unknown. They are willing to try fresh and innovative forms of media and content delivery. 

Some of the most formidable marketing platforms are hybrid in nature. They combine both elements of conventional advertising, promotional spaces, and digital communications. Virtual events are a great hybrid option that can complement your dermatology practice. If you did lean into real-time online gatherings during the pandemic, now is the time to maximize them. Or, if you started to shift away from these events as public spaces opened up, now is the time to embrace them again as a powerful and smart way to build community and acquire new, quality patients. 

Events hosted in an online environment boast these and other positive characteristics: 

• Accessibility - It is easier and less hassle to hop on one’s computer in their athleisure wear from the comfort of their couch than to jump through the logistical hoops of driving, finding a parking spot, or taking public transportation to and from your office, facility, or other partnering organization’s location. 

• Lack of Resource-Intensiveness - Virtual events can be handled seamlessly and succeed without all the resources traditionally associated with conventional, in-person gatherings. Physical space is no longer a constraint when moving or launching events in the digital realm. You never have to worry about too many arms rubbing up against each other in a tight office space, as this consideration is avoided entirely and becomes a non-issue. 

• Versatility - You can do almost everything that might be done in person from a marketing standpoint via the “magic” of online platforms and connectivity. This provides an opportunity to do things like a fun raffle or contest “party” with generous giveaways and product and procedures demonstrations and presentations on available services and offerings, which might have been cost-prohibitive or too time-consuming when done in the offline world. 

• Ease of Engagement - Not everyone feels comfortable raising their hand and asking questions amid a crowd of 

ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR YOUR LIVE EVENT 

Know Your Demo: Schedule the event at a time that best complements your demographics. Ensure any kinks with the technology and how information is delivered and communicated are worked out prior to going live with your event. The more you use these tools, the more effortless the whole process of planning and deploying the event will become. 

Draw On Your Presenting Experience: Do not forget that you have likely presented in front of dozens if not hundreds of esteemed peers in a live, albeit in-person, setting. After all of that, this format should be a breeze! Be sure to also enlist other clinicians or staff who are dynamic speakers, communicators, and teachers (depending on the nature of your event). You can lean into their talents and their strengths. 

Record and Repurpose: Ensure presentations or informational events are properly recorded and saved. These videos can be re-posted to your website and may be used to bolster the rankings of a given service page. For example, a launch event for a new laser system featured alongside an existing article about the laser treatment posted on the home and service pages of your website.