Got this from a friend or colleague? Why not subscribe?

Hey Practice Builders — it's Steve with Healthcare Marketing Vitals!

Last week, we explored the power of networking using Benjamin Franklin's 300-year-old method.

This week, we're tackling a modern challenge: rising ad costs and the feeling that you're shouting into the void on a single platform.

If your practice's marketing feels like it's all in one basket (like Facebook ads or Google), we're going to borrow a strategy from the most successful experience-builder on the planet: The Walt Disney Company.

Spotlight Preview

Most practices market on one or two channels. But patients live on a dozen.

They see a Facebook ad, watch a YouTube video (with ads/sponsors), search Google for reviews, and drive past a billboard—all in the same day.

Are you putting up billboards? Probably not.

But a multichannel approach isn't just for mega-corporations; it's the key to building trust and staying top-of-mind.

And any practice can (and should) engage in multichannel marketing.

In This Week’s Email:

• [30 sec] Worth Your Time: Tools and talks on creating a seamless patient journey

• [5 sec] 💥 Join the Discord Group: It’s here! Discord Group (Free Community) Update

• [3 min] Spotlight: The "Disney Effect": A 3-Step Multichannel Marketing Plan

• [30 sec] By the Numbers: Why a multichannel strategy wins

• [30 sec] Quote for the Week: Being everywhere your patient is

TOGETHER WITH SEMRUSH

You know how marketing agencies are expensive?

Well, SEMRush gives you powerful tools to run your own marketing—content marketing, SEO, paid ads, and even analytics—without needing an agency.

I’ve personally used their tools to help with SEO for clients and they’re excellent for reporting, keyword research, and even coming up with a content plan.

Use SEMRush to market your practice faster and more effectively on your own, without paying 10x as much for an agency.

Try it free for 7 days.

3 Key Multichannel Marketing Insights

✅ Be Where Your Patients Are: A successful marketing strategy meets patients at multiple touchpoints—online and offline. Relying on a single channel (like only social media or only referrals or only SEO) leaves massive gaps in the patient journey and makes your practice invisible to large segments of your community.

✅ Consistency Creates Trust: The "Disney Effect" works because every interaction, from a theme park to a movie to a toy, feels consistent with the brand. For your practice, this means your message, tone, and branding must be seamless across your website, your front desk, your emails, and your social media.

✅ Start with a "Keystone" Channel: You don't need to be everywhere at once. A powerful multichannel strategy starts by mastering one primary channel (your "keystone") and then strategically expanding to others, ensuring each new channel supports and enhances the others.

WORTH YOUR TIME

Multichannel Marketing + Discord Group

💥 [Join] Our Free Discord Group is Here! 💥 - The feedback was positive, though a few of you had some questions, so I created the group. If you’re not sure what a Discord Group (or Server) is, check out this explainer video. I’m sure it will take some time to get going, but you can already Join Fellow Practice Owners →

👀 [Watch] How to Build a Business That Lasts 100 Years - In this talk, strategist Martin Reeves uses an analogy that might resonate with you to explain why successful systems (e.g. businesses, marketing plans) must embrace diversity and adaptation—the core principles of a multichannel approach. Build a Lasting Practice →

📖 [Read] Options for Local Multichannel Marketing: Here is some more insight into differences between local marketing and national marketing, and how to choose your approach. Marketing for Local Businesses →

📄 [Article] A Lesson for Healthcare from a Disney Experience: This article tells a personal anecdote about a trip to Disney World and connects touchpoints directly to the key moments that define a patient's experience in healthcare. It's a short read on what "patient-centric" truly means Read the Story →

BY THE WAY

I’m opening up three slots in my agency. If you’d like someone to run your patient acquisition, apply here.

I run 90-day “sprints” as well as longer retainers. We work best with practices that are currently under 90% appointment fill rate.

SPOTLIGHT

The "Disney Effect" - A 3-Step Multichannel Plan for Your Practice

4 min. read

Tell me when this sounds familiar: You're spending a significant amount on Google Ads, but your appointment book isn't full.

Or you're posting consistently on a social media platform, but the engagement feels low and it's not translating to new patients.

Sound like you yet?

This is the classic trap of single-channel marketing and it’s easy to fall into.

You're placing a bet on one platform, hoping your ideal patient happens to be there at the exact moment they need you.

The solution to disappointment when that doesn’t pan out comes from the undisputed master of customer experience: Disney.

So how do they do it and—more importantly—what can you apply to your healthcare practice?

Disney's "Magic Band"

Let’s focus in one just one aspect of Disney’s approach, their MagicBand.

It's not just a wristband.

It's your park ticket, your hotel room key, and your credit card.

It connects the physical experience (the park) with the digital experience (the app) and the commercial experience (buying merchandise).

Disney doesn't see these as separate channels. They see one single, seamless customer journey.

This is the "Disney Effect": creating a consistent, reinforcing experience across every single touchpoint.

Your practice can do the same.

Multichannel marketing isn't about shouting on ten different platforms. It's about creating a seamless patient journey on a select few where each channel supports and enhances the others.

Be Selective: Your 3-Step Multichannel Marketing Plan

You don't need a Disney-sized budget to achieve this. Here’s how to apply the "Disney Effect" to your practice in a manageable, HIPAA-compliant way.

I recommend conservative timelines, but you can move more quickly than this—just remember to follow the steps in order!

Step 1: Master Your "Keystone" Channel (This Month)

Your foundation must be solid. For 99% of practices, this is your website and your Google Business Profile.

The Goal: Create and propagate a clear, consistent message about your practice throughout and ensure you make it easy to book with you.

• Your Action: Conduct a simple audit. Does your website clearly explain who you are? Is it easy to book an appointment? Is your Google Business Profile fully filled out with up-to-date photos, hours, products, and services? Before you spend a dollar on ads, make sure your foundation is solid.

Step 2: Add Your First "Reinforcing" Channel (This Quarter)

Once your keystone is solid, add a second channel that directly supports it.

The Goal: Use this new channel to drive traffic and trust back to your website.

• Your Action: Choose ONE of these to focus on for the quarter:

  • Email Marketing: Start a simple newsletter offering valuable health tips to your existing patient list. This builds a direct relationship and consistently drives them back to your website.

  • Local SEO: Focus on getting listed in the top 10-15 healthcare directories (WebMD, Vitals, Healthgrades). This reinforces your legitimacy to Google and creates new "front doors" to your website.

  • Paid Advertising (The Safe Way): Use a platform like Facebook or Instagram to run ads based on broad interests if you are using a HIPAA-compliant CDP like Ours Privacy. Or use Google Ads, focusing on high intent keywords like “therapist near me” or “optometrist new brunswick”.

Step 3: Create the "Seamless Loop" (This Year)

Now, connect the channels to create a reinforcing loop. The goal is for a patient's experience to be consistent and connected, no matter how they interact with you.

• Your Action: Implement simple, compliant "loops":

  • Offline to Online: Add a QR code on a flyer at your front desk that links to your newsletter signup page. This allows consenting patients to opt-in to your digital communications.

  • Online to In-Office: Mention a new blog post or service from your website in your in-office waiting room video loop.

  • Social to Community: Use your social media channels to promote a free, public health webinar you are hosting. This uses a broad platform for general health education, not for targeting specific patient data. Record the webinar and you can keep it on your website to showcase your expertise as well.

Why Selective Multichannel Marketing Works

You don't need to be everywhere. You just need to be consistent and connected where it matters most.

By starting small with a solid foundation and thoughtfully adding channels that support each other, you move beyond just "doing marketing."

You begin to architect a complete patient experience—one that, like Disney's, feels seamless, trustworthy, and even (dare I say) a little bit magical.

Join the HMV Discord Community

A few weeks ago I put out a poll about starting a free Discord group so everyone could have a mini-mastermind.

The results were positive and so I went ahead and created the group.

It’s a free place for you to talk to other practice owners, managers, or providers and help one another grow.

I’ll be available to answer questions and I’ll add resources there as well. So check it out!

BY THE NUMBERS

Multichannel Marketing Stats

• 500%: The improvement in ROI of multichannel marketing when compared to only utilizing a single channel.

• 9.1%: The percentage of total revenue CMOs say they spend on marketing each year. It’s almost evenly split across 4 items: paid media, marketing technology, labor, and agencies

• 24%: The additional percentage of patients who convert if viewing marketing content across multiple platforms

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

When You’re Ready, Here are 2 Ways I Can Help

1. Reply to this email: What's your single biggest challenge with marketing your practice? I read every response and use your questions to shape future newsletters.

2. Under 90-95% appointment fill rates consistently? - Maybe it’s time for a 3-month growth sprint. Apply below 👇

*Some links in this email may be affiliate links. They support this free email at no cost to you. Your support of our sponsors means a great deal to me and goes a long way.

That’s All for Now

Have a great week—and remember to be where your patients are.

See You Next Week,

Steve