Adam Lueken
November has been designated as National Healthy Skin Month by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). This is a time to raise awareness and educate everyone on the importance of skin health. As we approach the holiday season, the cool, dry winter air will start to affect people in many parts of the country. So it’s a great time to get people thinking about their skin care.
But beyond that, it’s also a great opportunity to promote skin care in general. Changes in skin can be a sign of more serious issues that people may not be thinking about, like infection, an autoimmune disease or skin cancer.
With that in mind, what can you do to help spread the word about National Healthy Skin Month in your practice to help existing patients and reach prospective patients? Here are a few ideas:
Incorporate into Your Existing Marketing and Social Efforts
The easiest way to advocate for National Healthy Skin Month is to simply make it a part of your set marketing and social plans. If you do direct mail or email marketing, include a message about the month with a call to action that encourages skin screenings and checkups. “November is National Healthy Skin Month” could even be your full theme for that mail piece or email. The same goes for your website. Add some messaging that creates awareness and encourages action, whether it’s a banner on your homepage or an additional page. Don’t forget about social either. There are plenty of opportunities to create a series of posts, infographics and/or videos aimed at educating and encouraging checkups, whether you’re on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. You can also link back to AAD resources for more information on National Healthy Skin Month.
Take Additional Steps to Educate
In addition to building on your existing marketing materials, look for other ways to educate and create awareness. Perhaps you could add more in-office educational materials, like flyers, brochures, posters, etc. if you don’t have them currently? These could highlight general information and tips on skin care, or the importance of screenings. You can use verbiage around National Healthy Skin Month to call attention to these materials in your practice. For example, you could say, “As part of National Healthy Skin Month, here are resources to keep your skin healthy,” and have it direct them to flyers, brochures or other materials. And in those materials, be sure to have calls to action that encourage checkups. You can also look at opportunities to visit local schools and/or businesses to educate on skin care. However, with COVID-19 restrictions still taking place, that may not be possible.
Pitch to Your Local Media
Your local media outlets can also be good ways to spread the word about skin care. You can try submitting a formal press release about your actions around National Healthy Skin Month, however many outlets may ask you to take out an ad instead, as it may be more of an advertorial. However, if your local newspapers and news websites have feature sections about community health, etc., these could be great ways to share your message at no cost. Check with your news outlets to see if they would be open to receiving feature stories on National Healthy Skin Month.
National Healthy Skin Month is an important way to recognize the importance of skin care, something that many still neglect or don’t know enough about. So whether it’s adding to your current activities or taking a few extra steps to promote, let your patients (and prospective patients) know about it. It will provide important information, show your commitment to the health of your community and further establish your knowledge and qualifications.
Need additional support with your promotional activities? We’re always a phone call or click away to help. Schedule a consultation with one of our practice management experts today!