Tag: orthotics

General, Marketing with Mansfield, Orthotic Prosthetic Continuing Education

It’s like REAL…only better!

Marketing with Mansfield

Simulive.

It’s a real word. Go ahead. Google it. (or just click on that link.)

Simulated + Live = Simulive.

What does it mean? In a nutshell…you can be in TWO places at the SAME time. So, it’s presentation magic.

Virtual. Remote. Online. Webinar. Webcast. Etc. Etc. Etc.

The new presentation/education reality is via computer/phone/iPad/tablet using some type of platform (Zoom, Google, Webex, etc., etc., etc.) which relies on TECHNOLOGY. And what happens when you use technology? Technical difficulties. Right? Bound to happen. Especially when everyone and their actual grandmother is online.
Rightnow. Thisminute. Allday. Everyday. In2020.

Just go online (haha, you’re already there) and if you don’t already have your own list of “why I like least about leaning online” search for “why I hate online meetings” or “remote presentations are the worst.” You’ll be reading for days.

In the rush to get EVERYTHING online, people often forget that quantity is not necessarily quality and that the attendee (and the presenter!) deserve to have a seamless presentation experience. Time is a precious commodity. Just because a lot of us seem to have more of it right now doesn’t mean someone else has the right to waste ours with TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES or, maybe even worse, the dreaded “uhhhhhhhhhhh” or “ummmmmmmm” or “like, like” or the “hang on for a second, there are chats coming in with questions and I need to read through them while I prioritize which ones to answer.”

we want it

I’ll say it again. The stakeholders – presenters, attendees, moderators, sponsors – should expect to have a seamless online/virtual/remote online learning experience.

Maybe each online event should have an “online event code of conduct.”

I (insert name) do solemnly swear that I will do the following or be forced to watch my presentation over and over and over again as punishment.

  • No technical difficulties
  • No verbal fillers
  • Provide real time interaction with attendees (in a way that does not detract from the content being presented)
  • BEGINNING AND ENDING THE SESSION ON TIME

What’s the key to having a SOLE (Seamless Online Learning Experience)? Simulive.

Contact CEC at  (844) 347-0738 to find out more.

 

 

COVID-19, General, Marketing with Mansfield, Orthotic Prosthetic Continuing Education

Orthotic & Prosthetic Providers COVID-19 Resources

Marketing with Mansfield

Blog_COVID-19-resources

Check out the COVID-19 resource page on the CEC website.

There are links on there – state by state.

Let us know if you have anything you think we should add.

Please let us know if you’ve had difficulty accessing any of the resources, agencies, etc., so that we can make a note.

Federal Resources

 

Organizations

 

General, Marketing with Mansfield

Silver Linings.

Marketing with Mansfield

Retro cartoon with texture. Isolated on White.This is going to be a quick one! I have to do website updates and email newsletters for O&P patient care facilities, vendors, manufacturers and state associations and AAOP chapters regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and how it is affecting…LIFE.

My parents both have Parkinson’s. That is tough. It was even tougher when they could not participate in programs, support groups, seminars or other face to face events because they couldn’t drive to them pre-COVID-19.

This morning my mom sent me an email from NeuroChallenge.org. She’s on their email newsletter list. Neuro Challenge is a foundation that puts on all kinds of great programs and events for people with Parkinson’s in the Port Charlotte, Florida area. Her email said, “Programs which were too far away from us to attend are now virtual – A silver lining!!”

Neuro Challenge improvised, adapted and overcame which led to a silver lining for my parents.

What are you going to improvise, adapt and overcome that will bring a silver lining to your patients, customers, stake holders?

Need help? Let me know.

General, Marketing with Mansfield

What House Hunters International and Your Website Should Have in Common

Marketing with Mansfield

charming flatOne of my favorite shows on TV is House Hunters International. It is one of the reasons I learned how to use the DVR settings on the cable box and one of the reasons I know how to use the Cablevision On Demand menu. Sometimes I watch the whole episode, commercials and all. Sometimes I skip the commercials. Sometimes, if the buyer or renter is particularly annoying (and oh, can they be annoying) I will skip right to the end and just watch the last five minutes of the show. This is the beauty of House Hunters International. Each segment of the show functions as its own mini-episode.

What exactly do I mean by that? Each segment has the same format.

  • Introduce the buyer or renter.
  • Tell where they are from.
  • Tell where they are looking to move.
  • How much money do they have to spend.
  • Etc.

The only thing that changes is the property. So, when I’m watching an aggravating couple who happen to have a four million dollar budget and they are looking for a charming flat in Paris, I can skip to the last segment and I will feel like I haven’t missed a thing.

The show gets it. By “it” I mean they get that people record their show. They get that someone might turn on the show in the middle of the episode or almost at the end. They plan for it. They want me, the viewer, to get up to speed asap. They don’t want me to feel left out or confused – and then, horrors, change the channel. It might seem repetitive to someone who watches the show from beginning to end but if you are watching it “live” you still have commercial breaks so it’s nice to have a little review post-commercial. House Hunters International understands that TV viewing is not like reading a book.

A website is not an online book.

What does this have to do with marketing? It has everything to do with online marketing, websites specifically. Your website is not a book. Your website does not have a beginning, a middle and an end. Your website should be like an episode of House Hunters International. It should not alienate me. It should not make me feel like a dummy because I landed on the “Services” page and not on the “Home” or “About Us” or “Our Story” page. Each page should give me enough information so that I feel like I know what’s going on without having to rewind.

Websites have words and pictures just like books. People read websites. People read books. But – people do not read websites like they read books. They do not start where you think they should start (like Home or About Us or Our Story) and go, nicely and neatly, from page to page, left to right. You should not ever think that a website has a beginning, middle or end. You should think of it as though it is an episode of House Hunters International!

Your website visitor should be able to land on any one of your “segments” (pages) and know, or feel like they know, what your story is. At the very least, they should know where you are located (including your CITY, STATE AND COUNTRY), how to get to your office, what types of services your provide and what your phone number is (AND THE AREA CODE!) Sure, you can and should have a Contact Us page but would it really be a big deal to put your address and phone number on the rest of your pages? No, it would not be a big deal and it sure would make it easier for the person in Reading, Washington to decide whether they want to continue looking at your site whey they see you are located in New York City.

Want to create a better online experience for your website visitors? Watch a couple episodes of House Hunters International…remote_control_pointed_at_a_tv_screen-1000x667

General, Marketing with Mansfield

Tatanka

Marketing with Mansfield

buffaloFor the nomadic Native American tribes, the buffalo was more than just a source of meat. They used the hide to make clothing and tents. The horns were made into cups, toys and spoons. Hair was used for saddle pad filler, rope and ornaments. Hooves were turned into glue. Thread was made out of the sinew or tendon. Even the brain was used for tanning the hides. Nothing was wasted.

It took a great deal of effort for the hunters to be able to take down a buffalo. They were not about to do all that work and not make full use of their efforts. The same should apply to your marketing strategy.

Maximize your efforts

Take a look at your marketing efforts. You have probably spent a lot of time and money updating your social media, organizing events, mailing collateral, making brochures and keeping your website updated.

Picture each marketing activity as a…buffalo. Ask yourself, am I using all the buffalo?

For all that effort you need to make sure you are taking advantage of the alternative uses to your hard work. Concentrate on making those efforts worth your while. Consider the all alternate uses for your facebook photos. There are various ways they can be rearranged and reformatted to find new homes in print and online.

Health fairs

Trade shows, health fairs, chamber of commerce events are great places to spread business news. Incorporate pictures from your social media platforms into materials you distribute at these events. Use the pictures you take at these events to post on your online marketing outlets.

Direct mail

Direct mail marketing is a great place to re-use photos that you’ve used in your social media marketing efforts. Have a picture on instagram or facebook that has gotten a lot of attention? Use that as the front of your postcard. It is so easy to make and send postcards these days and, if the picture was popular online, you can drive people who may not be familiar with your online marketing efforts, to your online outlets by making sure to include the urls of your facebook and instagram accounts!

Action!

Media is constantly changing and a good marketing strategy works with the flow of change. Not against it. Video channels – like YouTube and Vimeo – are hugely popular all over the world. If you haven’t had time to make an actual video, you can take those same photos and turn them into a slide show – voila! – instant video. Now go upload it to your YouTube channel.

Keep that website fresh

Adding the photos to the news or photo gallery section of your website – make sure you tag those photos! This will not only be useful in getting the word out about the information you are sharing but will also show that you update your site regularly. Nobody wants to see obviously outdated pictures or info on your website. Keep it fresh!

E-mail newsletters

Pictures are worth a thousand words. Use them. They are easier on the eye and generate a lot more interest especially now that everyone is using their phones all day, every day. It’s super easy to link those photos to your website, facebook page, etc., so make sure you do it. Don’t waste ANY of that buffalo!

Just as the nomadic Native Americans turned buffalo skulls into headdresses, I am sure you can come up with even more uses for your marketing efforts. I can’t wait to see what you do with your tatanka!