Social Media: Do’s and Don’ts

It’s become pretty clear to businesses across the board—social media is here to stay. Now that you know you need to have a social media presence, let’s examine some best practices we’ve found work best for us and our clients.

1. Do participate. You might currently be what we in the social media business call “a lurker.” Maybe you have a Facebook profile, you check it once or twice a week, but you rarely provide your own status update. Social media is about two-way communication—don’t be afraid to test the waters. Share a funny article or quote your favorite author and show you are ready to engage with your friends. You will be rewarded with their feedback.

2. Don’t do it all at once. You’ve identified the need for a social media presence, but it can be overwhelming to launch everything at once without a clear plan. A good way to start is to launch a blog and post on at least a weekly basis and keep a schedule of what you’re going to post and when. Once the blog is launched, it gives you a solid foundation for future tweets and updates for your Facebook and LinkedIn walls.

3. Do maximize your time by using apps or tools that update across multiple platforms. HootSuite and TweetDeck are good examples of this—whatever your 140-character comment is for the day can be updated on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. all at once. You can even schedule posts throughout the day. This is especially important for businesses who want to keep a consistent message across all platforms.

4. Don’t be afraid to try new things! Social media changes every day and the most used platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn make updates to their inferface, policy changes and new privacy rules very frequently. Stay flexible with social media—it takes time to develop a following and is self-policing. Only the most consistent participants are rewarded with followers, fans and group members. Change it up to keep those folks engaged long-term.

Keep in mind, social media is growing and changing, AND best of all, open to new and frequent innovations! While there’s no charge to use these sites, often the biggest investment is time. Let us know if you’re ready to jump in and we’ll work with you to develop an organized schedule and customized approach to a successful social media campaign.

Kaitlin Friedmann

PR Manager

kfriedmann@cmasolutions.com

The Complex World of Healthcare Marketing

There are many different companies in the healthcare marketplace: pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, medical practices, device manufacturers, dental practices, mental health facilities and radiology companies among others—each with its own unique set of messages and goals. Knowing how to market these various companies is a challenge and an experienced marketing partner is needed to successfully navigate the market. What can CMA do for your healthcare company?

First, it is important to note that healthcare marketing is very complex and not “one size fits all.” It is important to help each company find the right mix to reach their target audience. CMA measures these efforts so as to leverage each firm’s unique products or services with a strategic eye for market research and other essential preliminary steps that will help healthcare companies secure more customers and grow a positive reputation.

Here are some other key ways CMA can help healthcare clients achieve marketing goals:

Define your market.

Pinpoint your core market through audits and market research.

Develop a strategic plan.

Create a plan that incorporates the vision and goals of your business or practice, and how to achieve them. CMA’s Marketecture^TM process has helped create a strategic blueprint for many healthcare companies over our 24 year history.

Create a budget.

Lay out what you want to accomplish and create a budget that best optimizes your dollars.

Implement your plan.

Roll out a program that is unique and specific to your company’s goals.

Manage your program.

CMA account executives revisit your plan frequently to help keep it on track.

With stiff competition in all fields of medicine, it is important to promote your brand in such a way to capitalize on your strengths and communicate your expertise to your markets in as many ways as possible. This is an ongoing challenge and one that requires a certain amount of sophistication and market savvy. Many companies have entire in-house staffs that handle all their marketing and communications needs while others seek outside help. 

CMA has developed specialized marketing expertise and industry knowledge over the years to implement strategic branding and marketing programs for clients ranging from healthcare manufacturing to healthcare providers and service businesses. When you are thinking of healthcare marketing, think of CMA. Give us a call to see what our strategic marketing team can do for you.

Jeffrey Barnhart

President and CEO

jbarnhart@cmasolutions.com

CMA Staff Recognizes Jennifer Thayer

CMA is proud to recognize Jennifer Thayer as being the company’s first Crew Star program winner for 2011! The Crew Star program recognizes a CMA employee every quarter for exemplifying CMA’s core values and going above and beyond.

Jen is responsible for event planning and promotions, member services and providing direct strategic and tactical support both on and off-site for CMA association clients. A driven leader, Jen has been responsible for brainstorming and implementing critical member benefit enhancements. A resident of Freehold, NJ and a graduate of Boston College, Jen has been with CMA for three years.

Jen was selected by her peers for her exceptional response to client needs, positive energy, passion for her work and ability to overcome challenges. As 2011’s first quarter Crew Star, Jen will enjoy perks such as a prime parking spot, lunch with the executive team and her picture on the wall in the CMA reception area.

Congratulations Jen!

CMA Creative Vision Earns Recognition for Electrical Industry Client

CMA is pleased to announce its creative vision and rebranding efforts have earned recognition for client, IMARK Groups’ quarterly publication, IMARK Now. The magazine received a Bronze Award in Association TRENDS’IMARK Now was one of more than 470 entries in the publication’s contest. All-Media Contest.

Our team redesigned IMARK Group’s magazine, altering its brand identity and giving the publication a new feel. CMA changed the publication’s name from MarketFocus to IMARK Now to convey article timeliness. The magazine’s appearance included a new cover masthead, bold new cover design, contemporary, varied page layouts and complete overhaul with print execution. Additionally, IMARK Now’s editorial format was revamped to cover more industry hot topics and include ongoing content sections such as Management Strategies and Sustainability Scene.

“IMARK Group’s publication was always excellent, but CMA helped take it to the next level by recreating the publication’s look and feel, and providing new and relevant content,” said Jeffrey Barnhart, President and CEO of CMA.

Jeff Barnhart Honored by Rider University

On Tuesday night, Rider University's Communications Honor Society, Lambda Pi Eta, honored CMA President & CEO, Jeff Barnhart, with their prestigious Alumni Achievement Award. Barnhart addressed the audience of 350 about the importance of excellence, using various examples from his own career.

“It is certainly an honor to receive this award from my alma mater. Not only is the experience very humbling, but it also provides me with the great opportunity to inspire young people from Rider to achieve their goals,” said Barnhart.



Nicole Lawrence, President of Rider University's Communications Honor Society, Lambda Pi Eta, presents Jeff Barnhart with the 2011 Alumni Achievement Award.



CMA Welcomes New Staff Members

CMA announced the addition of four new staff members: Melanie Kotsonis, Office Manager; Cynthia Prisco, Association Manager; Kristin Couch, Association Coordinator and Lydia Wianecki, Association Coordinator.

Melanie acts as a liaison for contractors and vendors and also handles operational responsibilities for the firm including human resources, building maintenance and other administrative duties.

Cynthia oversees the day-to-day management of association clients, including general communications, member services and managing contract compliance.

Kristin is responsible for member services for association clients. 

 
 Lydia coordinates and manages membership for an international client.

“These four women are wonderful new additions to the CMA team and fit in very well in our environment,” said Jeffrey Barnhart, President and CEO of CMA. “As CMA continues to expand, it is imperative we have strong individuals like these women on our team.”