HEALS podcast sheds light on how PR supports healthcare marketing

Public relations is a key piece to an overall marketing strategy in many industries, but that may come as a surprise to those who market healthcare enterprises.

 Diego Trujillo, CEO of Las Vegas HEALS, whose mission is to form strategic alliances and tackle legislative issues to improve healthcare, admits that he was skeptical of the need for PR in healthcare marketing, at first. 

“I think a lot of companies don’t understand and really undervalue what a publicist can do and how they can help you grow,” Trujillo admitted, “because there’s the difficulty in narrowing down the ROI.”

Trujillo hosted Ruth Furman on his HEALS podcast in an episode titled: “Unveiling the Importance of Public Relations in Healthcare,” where Furman and Trujillo shared more about how PR can help healthcare organizations grow their brand and overall visibility.

The value of being a resource to the media

Furman started by saying that the healthcare industry is one of her favorites because it’s an industry where “I’m able to change people’s lives by amplifying some of these voices,” she said.

However, setting themselves apart is one key struggle many healthcare organizations face, she explained. Internal marketing departments are also under a tremendous amount of pressure, and it can be challenging to be patient with marketing and PR efforts. And when it comes to PR specifically, you need to be willing and ready (often on short notice) to talk about what is important to audiences, not just your company, both Trujillo and Furman emphasized.  

“I think it’s really about being ready to comment on the topics that you are an expert in but that the news media’s readers or listeners are interested in,” Furman said.

Trujillo revealed that making himself available to the media, coupled with learning how to speak publicly, have helped him promote his organization. That prompted Furman to offer a quick tip for any healthcare expert who wants to use their expertise in the media to grow their business.

“The biggest tip I have for anyone in healthcare who has never done this before is to speak in layman’s terms, not clinical terms,” Furman added.

PR is magic for SEO

Furman started a new division in her company late last year called SEO PR. The move was the result of companies who provide SEO services reaching out to her for help. They recognized the power and value in the digital assets she creates when placing her clients in TV, radio or other media interviews. When clients then share that content and link it to other sites, their website builds domain authority, and SEO rankings improve.

Often times companies are not sure about when to reach out to a public relations professional, Trujillo said. 

Furman offered: “I think any time is the right time to reach out. I will also say one thing: in order to work with me, you have to have a website. It’s needed in order to be considered valid and legit to the news media. You also need a budget. If you have those things, I’m willing to talk.”