New book is must-have for healthcare marketers
A new book by healthcare marketing consultant David Marlowe should be required reading for anyone with any connection to marketing in healthcare provider organizations. The book, A Marketer’s Guide to Measuring ROI, does a fantastic job of outlining how and when to measure return on investment for marketing efforts, specific to hospitals, health systems and other providers. Perhaps more importantly, it explains when ROI is not applicable or possible (such as in branding efforts), and why the obstacles for measuring ROI often fall outside of the marketing department (such as having the technology that allows for tracking patients from point of entry downstream through various care points, then tying them back to marketing efforts). For those reasons, it should be required reading for all leaders of provider organizations (especially, perhaps, CFO’s!).
The one downside is the price. At $129, one would expect a text-book sized tome, not a small, paperback light on text and heavy on margins. The lighter feel does make for an easier read, however. And buying just one copy for a marketing department will more than likely provide a healthy ROI for readers in building more success and value for their marketing efforts.
(FYI – this was not a paid endorsement, though I’d love a cut of future copies sold given that sticker price…)