Dos and Don’ts for Conference Season

The spring conference season is almost upon us, and it’s a good time of year to consider some dos and don’ts when preparing for this year’s events.

Do insist on booth etiquette. Marketing directors should insist on proper booth behavior when attendees are in the hall, such as no eating at the booth, limiting time on devices, avoiding sitting, and so on. It’s easy to revert to these behaviors, particularly when hall traffic is slow, but attendees certainly will not engage with a rep when his attention is on appetizers or his iPhone.

Don’t display your best giveaways. Most exhibitors have some sort of trinket at their booth to grab attention. Unfortunately, sometimes a vendor will display a high-priced item (relatively speaking) that attendees will often take when their representatives are engaged in conversations or not at the booth. Instead, I recommend placing higher-priced giveaways under the booth and presenting them to attendees who have a meaningful conversation with a rep. For example, an insurance company might have branded umbrellas at the booth as a nod to their coverage, but such relatively higher-priced giveaways should be reserved for attendees who take time to learn about the company’s policies.

Do attend sessions. If your reps have time, it’s always advisable to attend a session or two, particularly a keynote. Attendees are engaged in content, and to be able to reference their main reason for attending the conference helps build dialogue. For example, consider this conversation starter: “I saw you in this morning’s keynote. Wasn’t that comment on the babies in the river startling?” (This is in reference to an actual panelist’s comment during an addiction treatment conference last week.)

Don’t focus only on friends. For reps on the road frequently, it can be comforting to fall into a habit of hanging out with friends in an exhibit hall, having dinner together, etc. Networking and relationship nurturing is certainly good business, but it’s always important to be finding “new friends” at conferences. A rep’s time might be better spent answering e-mails over takeout in the evening in his hotel room rather than hanging out with peers for the fourth time this year, if dinner with “new friends” isn’t an option.

Do use social media. Many conferences do not release a pre-event attendee list, but that doesn’t mean prospecting can’t begin until a rep is onsite. If a conference has a Twitter hash tag, keeping an eye on who is attending and who is “making noise” can lead to onsite meetings. Many larger conferences have Twitter display boards, and a few quick tweets can provide you free advertising at the show.  Outreach through LinkedIn to prospects in the area provides a rep a “good excuse” for stopping by while in the area—and hopefully the targets will be at the show. If not, why not offer them a pass on you?

These are just a few dos and don’ts I’ve noticed over the years. I’d be delighted to read your own in the comments section.

'Reciprocal referral relationships': Why this term raises red flags

Every so often I will see a LinkedIn post from a treatment marketer seeking to build “reciprocal referral relationships.” Such language, although usually well meaning, makes me cringe.

Treatment marketing is a business—but it is a business involving health, wellness, and matters of life and death. “Reciprocal” has an “I’ll scratch your back if you’ll scratch mine” undertone, which might be fine in other industries but is jarringly out of place in a discipline that prides itself on individualized care. Of course, treatment marketers will develop referral relationships with professionals and centers they trust, which have demonstrated an outstanding level of care and impressive outcomes. Yet at the end of the day, the decision to refer should be based on a client’s individual needs, not on fulfilling a “reciprocal referral relationship.” 

Imagine the uproar, and subsequent investigations, if a primary care provider shared on social media that he was looking for “reciprocal referral relationships” with hospitals or specialists.

Similarly, if I were a family member investigating treatment options, claims of “reciprocal referral relationships” would likely give me pause. And if I were in South Florida, where government officials are increasing their scrutiny of treatment operators, I definitely would remove it from my vocabulary.

Some might argue that there is no inherent problem with seeking such "reciprocal" relationships if no money is exchanged, but from a public relations perspective announcing an intention to form such alliances could likely create headaches--legal and otherwise--down the road.

Treatment marketing involves relationship building, as an ethical organization recognizes it cannot serve the needs of all clients and refers those who are inappropriate to others. Yet the decision needs to be based on the client’s own needs, not “reciprocal” relationships. Treatment marketers definitely should build networks of trusted professionals for clients, but announcing the intention to build “reciprocal” relationships immediately raises red flags.

'Tis the season of meaningless e-blasts

'Tis the season of meaningless e-blasts.

Last week treatment center after treatment center deployed e-blasts with just one message: Happy Thanksgiving. While I certainly appreciate the sentiment, these organizations are actually doing themselves a disservice. I’m a firm believer that whenever you engage your list, you should provide meaningful content and messaging. “Happy holidays” and similar messages clutter in-boxes and lead to quick deletes, no matter how cute or clever the graphic. They can irritate e-mail oversaturated list subscribers, increasing the possibility of a higher unsubscribe rate or the risk that recipients will ignore your message next time when you have something truly meaningful to say.

This does not mean, however, that you shouldn’t wish your valued referral sources, customers, etc., holiday warm wishes. If you truly want to stand out, send a card the old-fashioned way—through the mail. Sending a generic card with no signature or personal message, however, is a no-no. At a minimum, the card should have a signature from a team member that closely works with the recipient, and a brief “Wishing you a warm holiday season” or similar language demonstrates you actually do care. Everyone knows that sending holiday cards is time consuming and a lost art—which makes receiving personalized cards all the more memorable and important.

Remember the holiday spirit—it’s not the packaging or gift that matters, but the thought behind it that truly counts. Honor and acknowledge your best relationships with an authentic message, not a meaningless e-blast.  

Crowdsourcing logo selection

Logo design can be a painstakingly slow process. Graphic designers and branding consultants might kick off the process, followed by weeks of internal debate. At least in my experience, oftentimes the community to which the logo is supposed to appeal, whether that be consumers, businesses, the media, etc., is left out of the process. The result is that a company’s most recognizable branding element is created in a vacuum, which is hardly ideal considering the investments in treasure and time these decisions require.

With that in mind, I was absolutely delighted to come across the booth for LaVia Detox and Treatment Center at the Moments of Change conference this past week. CEO Sarah Sacks had solicited online a new logo design, but wanted insight on which of the finalists she should select. She produced a sign featuring her top five logo choices, inviting attendees to drop their business cards in numbered cups corresponding to their favorite. Post-show she will e-mail participants the results.

Sacks’ strategy is brilliant on several levels. First, her crowdsourcing strategy provides valuable input into this important branding decision. By inviting community feedback, she also provided attendees with a reason to linger at her booth, talk with her, and learn more about LaVia. Inviting attendees to submit their business cards to vote for their favorite design was a savvy lead-generation technique as well. 

In the past 14 years I have attended many conferences (My tally at the end of next week will be 4 in 14 days), and this is the first time I have come across such an amazingly simple yet effective marketing strategy. For those struggling with new logo selection I would encourage you to emulate Sacks' method.

PS UPDATE, OCTOBER 15
Here is the winning logo.

Smoking in treatment settings--the marketer's dilemma

Smoking is often called one of the most difficult addictions to overcome. Permitting the use of nicotine at treatment centers has been controversial—made even more so now by the proliferation of e-cigarettes. I have been particularly intrigued by treatment centers’ marketing around nicotine use.

For example, a prominent sober home for men in New England features clients smoking cigars on the front of its brochure. Executives at a residential setting in the Southwest I recently visited mentioned that they are lucky to be able to still offer designated smoking areas on campus—after all, marketing a tobacco-free campus to a prospective client can be a tough sell. A consumer-oriented magazine for people in recovery has an ad for an e-cigarette establishment on its back cover. Industry conferences have featured e-cigarette exhibitors, with seemingly enthusiastic attendee responses. In fact, one event actually offers a cigar-rolling sponsorship. On the other hand, a well-known New Jersey facility decided to publicize its decision to go smoke-free months before a state law required it to do so.

Nicotine use is generally frowned upon by society these days, with regulations restricting its advertising and most healthcare organizations adopting smoke-free campuses—and even zero-tolerance policies for employee tobacco use. Thus, it is surprising that as addiction treatment attempts to integrate into overall healthcare that marketers use smoking, overtly and subtly, to market their services. I’m no expert on whether smoking should be permitted in rehab settings, but one has to wonder how the public perceives treatment environments and affiliated field resources that permit smoking and even actively promote it.

Yet it is important to acknowledge that for a family in crisis looking to place a treatment-resistant loved one, a center permitting smoking may be desirable, given that nicotine seems to be the substance many are most reluctant to quit and, I suspect, an excuse for not going to treatment. If permitting smoking encourages more "hard-core" drug users to enter treatment, then one can argue that nicotine use, while not desirable, should be permissible.

I am not taking a position on one side or the other, as I can certainly understand the arguments for smoke-free campuses as well as empathize with the marketer who finds that a nonsmoking environment immediately turns off prospective clients who, many clinicians and marketers note, have "bigger" issues to tackle while in treatment. I suspect that overall societal headwinds will eventually snuff out smoking at all addiction settings, but in the meantime some facilities will find a competitive advantage to permitting smoking—and perhaps even promote this “benefit.” Whether there is value in promoting a smoke-free or smoke-friendly environment is certainly an interesting discussion that marketers should be having with clinical and executive staff, particularly as e-cigarette use becomes more pervasive.  

Are you wearing a black hat?

Millions of people are living with addiction and behavioral health disorders, so it would seem there are plenty of patients for providers of all different types. Yet marketing in this field can be cutthroat, leading some to go down an ethically murky path when attempting to attract new clients.

The folly of employing so-called “black hat” tactics in online marketing was a major discussion point during a panel I moderated at the recent National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers’ annual conference in Charlotte. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, I like the concise definition Jason Wurz of the marketing firm Evaero shared in a recent blog post: "Performing any activity with the sole intent of boosting your website’s search engine rankings." Jason points out that although boosting search rankings certainly is a goal for many marketers, many tactics used to do this are ethically questionable and ultimately counterproductive to the goal of increased search visibility. 

Organizations may use black hat tactics to confuse consumers and families on where they are located, what services they provide, what organization they actually are, and ultimately to try to gain an admission by misleading families in crisis. One of the panelists, Ramona Cruz-Peters of Austin Recovery, shared how a competitor used her facility’s name to its own benefit, and Google is cracking down on such tactics.

Certainly the field has unscrupulous marketers who employ black hat tactics to their own gain, but I also suspect that many might not realize they are engaging in these practices. After all, before the NAATP panel an audience member asked us to define a hash tag. The level of marketing sophistication in the addiction treatment field is not on par with other industries, and well-intentioned executives may employ black-hat tactics or hire firms that utilize them without recognizing the error of their ways.

With all of this in mind, I would recommend marketers invest in strong online marketing support. Search engine optimization, search engine marketing, and other online strategies—including avoiding and combating the ever-evolving threat of black hat tactics—requires constant vigilance as, after all, Internet search terms and rankings can literally change at the speed of light. During the past few years, firms devoted to ethical practices in addiction treatment Internet marketing have emerged, and they are providing much-needed education to marketers and executives of all stripes. 

The Internet is vital to treatment centers' financial success. With any large revenue source, the temptation to game the system certainly attracts some. A field devoted to helping others can do better than relying on black hat tactics to be successful, and ongoing dialogue on this topic will benefit all.

Avoid these LinkedIn no-nos

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for marketers in the behavioral healthcare field. Clinicians are particularly active in LinkedIn discussions, and multiple times I’ve seen professionals request referral suggestions for their clients. At the other end of the spectrum, executives’ profiles are ideal prospecting territory. Plus, LinkedIn is an ideal venue to share your organization’s educational content and demonstrate thought leadership.

Yet over the years I’ve seen some marketers develop several bad habits on LinkedIn. Thankfully, they’re all easily correctable. Below are some of my pet peeves:

Posting inspirational quotes and photos. This has become an epidemic on LinkedIn. I’m delighted people have found words of wisdom to live by, but so have thousands of others. My LinkedIn update river is choked with photos of sunsets, rainbows, forests, and other picturesque settings with accompanying motivational thoughts. Facebook really is a more appropriate venue for these messages. And my heart goes out to the troops serving overseas and kids with cancer, but posting their photos and asking for likes seems more self-serving than supporting to me. Sharing an article, with some relevant and interesting personal commentary, on these topics would be a much more effective way to demonstrate concern.

Using inappropriate photos. LinkedIn is a professional networking site and, as such, in many ways it’s an online resume. No one would clip a selfie to a hard copy resume when applying for a job, so I’m baffled as to why some think that is appropriate for LinkedIn. The same applies to wedding photos, vacation shots, pictures with kids, and so on. Of course, we all have priorities outside of our work lives, as we should, but on LinkedIn photos should reflect our professional profiles. After all, would you be more inclined to accept a meeting from someone whose profile shows him on the beach (How important will my concerns be to him?) or from someone whose professional head shot conveys a warm appearance and the demeanor that she’s ready to do business?

Focusing on sales. LinkedIn is a networking community. When people network in the physical world, it’s about building relationships, not scoring quick sales. Yet some marketers believe that by posting their latest special, discount, and so on, they’ll generate easy revenue. Unfortunately, they’re more likely to be ignored—or even banned from groups. I've fallen into this trap myself. In building long-term sales relationships, I want to demonstrate that I'm a valuable, consultative resource, but using LinkedIn as a megaphone for "Buy This!" won't do that.

Each of these no-nos diminishes a marketer’s reputation and professional appearance on LinkedIn. The true value of this community is in building and maintaining relationships. I routinely peruse LinkedIn to see who has gone where, read interesting articles my network is sharing, set up meetings when I travel, start a conversation, and announce when my brands have something educational to share. Focusing on our professional lives, viewing LinkedIn as a virtual resume, and remembering that this is a public forum will help any marketer quickly improve his LinkedIn--and overall online--reputation.