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Archive for the ‘Medical / Health’ Category

Licensed Professionals Mailing Lists

February 5th, 2009

Considering mailing to licensed professionals in the medical field?  Before you do, there are couple things you should know.

Where do the names and addresses come from?
Many mailing list providers draw their licensed professionals mailing list data from one or more sources.  But there’s truly only a few places this type of data can be drawn from.  Since many professionals must renew their license with the state in which they practice, the state is a obvious first place to look.  Each state releases information about who is licensed in a particular field.  Data of this type can also be drawn from organizations that capture memberships in a particular field such as the AMA (American Medical Association).  The AMA does directly sell their list of members (and non-members) to direct mail marketers.  There are only a few licensed agents of the AMA file and the cost for such a file is considerably more expensive than state licensed data.  It should be also noted that the AMA will not release a mailing list of ONLY AMA members.  They instead, blend their members with non-members.

There are many other “managed” mailing list properties, i.e., magazine subscribers, smaller industry specific organizations, etc.  But most of these other “managed” sources are considerable smaller in size and therefore not ideal for small geo markets.

What exactly does updating mean?
Updating is a term used loosely in the mailing list industry.  Since the mailing list brokers themselves are not required to hold a license, there’s little regulation or standard for how to define “updating”.  When you are told the list is updated monthly or quarterly, one might assume that the list has been completely recreated.  This may be true for many kinds of data but highly unlikely with the Licensed Professional File.  More often than not, the Licensed Professionals Database is “updated” monthly meaning that the names and addresses have been processed through the NCOA (National Change Of Address).  This process only corrects the location of an individual or business if they’ve submitted a change of address with the USPS (United States Post Office).  More often than not, professionals are added to or removed from the database only once a year.  Some “providers” make claim that the database they compile is newer than it really is.  In fact, some files may not be “re-built” for several years.

Once a licensed professional always a licensed professional
The main reason “providers” will go so long is because, over time, very few changes actually take place on this type of database.  The cost of re-building a database such as this exceeds the benefit, thus, a little data hygiene is all that is applied.

If you’re in the market for a mailing list and aren’t sure when it makes sense to pay extra for a better list, give BB Direct a call at (866) 501-6273, or visit us on the web.  We’ll be happy to help you with your direct mail data strategy.

For one, not all licensed mailing lists are the same.  When shopping for a licensed professionals mailing list, ask about how often the list is updated.  And not just, when, but how do they define updating.

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Medical Mailing Lists

December 10th, 2008

To better understand the types of medical mailing lists available on the market today, you must first understand how the mailing list is compiled.  Medical Mailing Lists can be categorized in two ways; consumer’s mailing lists of people suffering from an ailment, or a licensed professional’s mailing list of people employed in a medical profession.

Ailment, OTC Drug, and Rx Mailing List Compilation
This mailing list includes self-reported information on a variety ailments, OTC (Over the counter) drugs used for the treatment of ailments, and prescription drugs used for these ailments.  All mailing list information on the mainstream market is HIPPA compliant as the only information that can be captured and resold for direct mail marketing purposes are those that are self-reported by the sufferer themselves.  So you can imagine that for every ailment sufferer that willingly self-reports their illness or prescription usage, there are a much larger database of sufferers that never make it onto a mailing list that’s found within the direct marketing industry.

Licensed Professionals Mailing List Compilation
This mailing list includes those licensed professionals who register themselves with the state in order to hold a license and practice their profession.  Therefore, the licensed professionals mailing list is only as good as the state reports.  Should someone change professions, this change in profession doesn’t register with the state until time of renewal.  The assumption is made that the vast majority of doctors, nurses, and medical professionals who get into the practice, usually stay in this profession until retirement.  Each year, most states require most professionals to renew their license making it easy to identify and omit those professionals getting who are no longer practicing.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that when someone on the mailing list relocates to a new address, so long as this person fills out a National Change Of Address and the mailing list owner passes their mailing list against the NCOA database, the new address field would be corrected and accurate.

Dentist Mailing List
One of the more popular mailing lists is Dentists from the ADA.  This mailing list includes who are members and non-members of the ADA.  The selects on this mailing list include the type of practice, demographic information such as age and income, and some education information such as the dental school and graduation year.  The mailing list also includes the preferred mailing address of the dentist.  The ADA requires a sample mail piece before using the list.

DO’s from the AOA is a good source for hospitals targeting specific professionals within the hospital, HMO and PPO decision makers, nursing home management decision makers, group medical practice by group size, and pharmacies and pharmacists.  This is certainly not all but gives you an ideal of the mailing list data available from the AOA.

Other popular health professionals are audiologists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, counselors, dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental radiographers, dieticians, massage therapists, midwives, nursing assistants, nursing home administrators, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists and assistants, opticians/optometrists, paramedics, pharmacists, physician assistants, physical therapists and assistants, practical nurses, RN’s and LPN’s, social workers, speech/language therapists, and veterinarians.

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Ailment Target Marketing

December 9th, 2008

Great improvements have been made to not only identifying a better direct mail ailment audience but also how this mailing list data is now utilized. This site contains information about ailment direct marketing is designed for the direct mail marketer. It’s written to help build a baseline education on the various types of mailing lists available on the market and how they are compiled. It also offers some insight as to how the savvy direct mail marketers utilize ailment data to better communicate to their desired target audience. The goal is to not only build a better mailing list, but to also make the mailing list data work better for the direct mail campaign and business in general. Mailing list data can be used to not only get the direct mail message to the right people but also to help in measuring response from various campaigns done in the past. The more today’s direct mail marketer can test and measure their direct marketing campaigns, the more able they will be to achieving a higher return on their investment.

The medical marketing industry encompasses more than just the pharmaceutical industry. This industry also includes rehabilitation, diet and lifestyle products. Direct mail is becoming more and more successful at pinpointing a better direct mail marketing audience by using enhanced mailing list techniques. Direct mail is also becoming more advanced in qualifying the most ideal audience for a particular product or service. This is due to both the advances in mailing list compilation, but also improvements to medical related products and services. The better these ailment sufferers are understood and cared for, the more effective the result is to delivering treatment and enhanced lifestyle. A proper direct mail campaign is more than just a good mailing list. A proper direct mail campaign includes measuring direct mail piece versioning against various mailing lists. The more advanced today’s direct mail marketer can accomplish this measurement, the more successful they will become.

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Better Ailment Targeting, Better Response

December 9th, 2008

Ailment target marketing is on the rise with advances in technology that helps to create a more targeted mailing list.  Because direct mail marketers are becoming more and more sophisticated with their ability to identify and utilize the available mailing list data available to them, both response rates are increasing and more quality responders are on the rise.  And also because as more and more drug therapy solutions are developed, more and more opportunities to target the ailment suffer audience also increase.

So how are mailing lists getting better in this category of direct marketing?
Well, to answer this question we much review the ways this kind of mailing list data is captured, and then enhanced.  Ailment mailing lists are created by collecting self-reported information from a variety of survey based means.  Be it the internet, direct mail surveys, questionnaires related to other products or services, self-reported drug prescriptions, auxiliary products related to a disease, seminar attendee’s, or information requested about a product or service that would directly identify the sufferer, large databases of ailment sufferers are very available for specific direct mail campaign uses.

These mailing list databases are continually added to as more self-reported data is captured.  Traditionally, this has been the extent of the compilation. You want diabetics, you got diabetics, you want obesity, and you got obesity.  As of late, these mailing lists are improved, such as making the distinction of Type I or Type II Diabetics.  Further, the ailment database is bumped up against more mainstream consumer mailing list that already includes data elements such as age, income, and interest elements.  Where there is a name and address match between the to mailing lists, specific demographic and psychographic elements are transferred to the ailment mailing list to create an enhanced database of ailment sufferers selectable by more than just the ailment and geography.

With this new, more robust targeting capability, marketers are now able to draw conclusions on what these ailment sufferers actually look like.  From running counts on variety of elements now available, the direct mail marketer can now pinpoint “clusters” of people that look alike.  As an example, if we found that male diabetics are more apt to follow a more regimented diet than female diabetics, the direct mail marketer could version the mail piece to speak more appealing to each gender.  Lifestyle and diet information can tell us more about various ailment sufferers, hence creating better direct mail piece versioning.

In addition to the direct mail piece versioning, direct mail campaign measurement is also enhanced.  The direct mail marketer might test various offers and versions to various test audiences, measure the direct mail response, and conclude to mail more or less to a specific audience thus increasing return on investment.

Internal Database Enhancement
Most savvy marketers will develop and maintain their own prospect or customer mailing list or database.  This database of prospects and customers is a great resource to better understanding what their customers, prospects, and responders “look like”.  For those marketers who utilize print, radio, television, web, event, as well as direct mail, their internal database of prospects become large over time.  By using nothing more than the mailing list information (name and address), the marketer can enhance their internal database with demographic and psychographic information and measure the effectiveness of their mediums ability to target the right audience.  The direct mail marketer can also measure difference in responses between other mediums to again evaluate the most profitable ROI.  This information is extremely helpful in continuing with this effort to design more responsive campaign planning to target more qualified prospects.

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Dentistry for the Diabetic served best with Direct Mail Marketing

December 9th, 2008

The most common oral manifestation of diabetes is periodontal disease.  A disease treatable by the well prepared dental practitioner.  As the business of dentistry evolves, its focus more on niches within the practice proves to be more profitable.  This trend is evidenced by the growth in the areas of cosmetic and implant dentistry.  With progress made in the medical and pharmaceutical areas, the ability to better serve diabetics continues to grow.  Add to this growing industry the ability to target diabetics using direct mail and you’ve got prescription for dental business success.

Direct mail is a powerful tool when the audience or recipient group is clearly identified.  In the past, creating such a mailing list of diabetics would be cumbersome and costly but could be done by perhaps contacting the local chapter of a diabetes society and requesting this information, or building a mailing list over time by compiling a database of previous patients who disclosed they’re a diabetic.  And doing so would not always yield only a portion of the diabetic population.

However, with today’s technology and data capture techniques, identifying consumers with diabetes is easily accomplished.  A diabetic mailing list would fall under the category of ailment mailing list data.  The ailment mailing list category includes various types of self-reported ailments compiled and sold specifically for the purpose of bringing new products and services to this special needs cluster of the population.  One of the more effective mediums to reaching these ailment sufferers is by using direct mail.  The primary reason it’s so effective is because the ailment marketer is able to both deliver a concise message to the target audience with precision targeting.

Direct mail is a powerful tool when the audience or recipient group is clearly identified.  Using direct mail enables the marketer the ability to send a clear message to its target audience regarding a special promotional offer or specific call to action.  Within dentistry, a bundle of services can be offered that cater specifically to the diabetic.  It is recommended that you develop a series of mailings to build brand with your direct mail audience.

The initial direct mail piece should include a compassionate and persuasive letter or brochure that clearly explains the importance of oral care for patients with diabetes.  This first mail piece should also include why they should choose this dental office, i.e, location proximity, available hours, and a staff that understands the unique needs of the diabetic patient.  The main purpose of this initial direct mail piece is to communicate the message that the services of this office are specifically designed for them, the diabetic.  The message should also include a call to action of some sort, i.e., free consultation in the month of xxx, discounts available for diabetics, or free informative packet of information about proper oral hygiene.

Effective direct mail campaigns involve multiple exposures to the message which is why a series direct mail campaign is so effective.  Consider your direct mail as more than marketing, but also a type of public relations tool.  It is one that positions one dentist office over others within the area.  It’s also one that caters to the diabetic.  Bear in mind that direct mail works over time and requires multiple exposures to reinforce the message that the dentist office is here and here to stay.

Another potential target direct mail audience is physician groups, diabetic centers, diabetic support groups and related organizations, and hospital departments focused on patients with diabetes.  These business organizations are best reached with ongoing direct mail and phone call follow up or representative visitations.  By contacting these groups regularly and including information about the dental practices and its services, the dentist increases recognition thus increases referrals.

Developing a dental practice niche for patients with diabetes can be viewed as a tremendous benefit to the diabetic community. Dentists who develop proper systems to accommodate these patients and create awareness in the medical and local community that these services exist will significantly increase the potential of their practice to expand services to patients with diabetes.

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Hospital Recruitment Direct Mail

December 9th, 2008

Specialty Mailing Lists

It’s easy to make assumptions about the job of a hospital human resource department.  One imagines like any business, there’s a long list of candidates who’ve submitted their resume and are available for employment should a job opening become available.  The fact is that good health care professionals don’t stay unemployed for long as there are many openings available both in and out of market.  The only way to know if the candidate is “good” or “not so good” is to interview them.  So the key is to have a steady stream of qualified health care professions flowing into your hospital HR Department.

Direct mail is an excellent way to do just this.  By mailing to licensed health care professionals, you can effectively increase the flow of potential candidates for interview.  So why does direct mail work so well?

Direct mail works well in recruiting for hospital health care professionals for several reasons.  For one, consider advertising in your local newspaper or job placement office.  The only people reading the want ads are those who are miserable in their current employment, suspect that their current job is in jeopardy, or are currently unemployed.  In either case, the quality of this potential recruit is questionable.  Are they a difficult employee, are they insubordinate, or were they fired from their previous employment for insubordination?  Certainly there are licensed health care professionals who are qualified and have the skills you’re looking for that respond to “want ads”, but the ideal candidates are those that are currently employed and may not be so eager to change employers.

In the case of using direct mail, mailing to licensed health care professionals at their home address with the right message is your best option for finding new qualified candidates.  Though there are mailing lists of reaching them at their work address, for obvious reasons, it’s better to reach them at home.

The message you may want to express to these prospects may vary but the theme is that you will want to talk not to those who are desperately seeking a new employer, but those who don’t necessarily need to change but may want to consider it if the conditions were right.  If you consider all the best employee’s who’ve come and gone through your hospital, it’s perfectly natural for those people to change jobs throughout their career.  It’s better to focus on the potential for job change without desperation in mind.

It’s also smart to consider pulsing this audience multiple times throughout the year as people will remember your hospital as a “brand” if positioned correctly.  Develop a theme that distinguishes your hospital and employment opportunities from the other choices in the community, i.e., employee benefits, work environment, new cutting edge facility, challenging opportunities, location, etc…

Identifying your target audience of health care professionals is done by utilizing a quality mailing list provider.  Health care professionals can be filtered by the license they hold with the state.  So if your recruitment piece is geared to nurses at home address, you can further filter by the type of nurse, i.e., Nursing Assistant, Licensed Practical Nurse, Registered Nurse, or other specialty considerations.

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