Is television the right medium for you?
Lights! Camera! Action!
While making radio programs part of your practice’s community outreach and promotion efforts is relatively cheap and easy, getting your doctors on television can be more difficult.
But Julie Lusk, MEd, LPC, director of health management at the Lewis Gale Clinic in Salem, VA, has found a way. She has developed a close relationship with one of the local television stations and has one of her physicians featured monthly in a health news spot without having to purchase any sponsorship time.
"Most people don’t realize that television stations often require you to purchase advertising if they are going to use you in a story," she says. "We have avoided that by developing the kind of relationship with the reporter that allows him to come to us for comment on various topics."
That relationship began when one reporter needed sources for a monthly health spot. Over time, Lusk says her ability to provide sources for other timely health related stories and also to help give the reporter good story ideas proved key to getting her clinic mentioned on the air.
In addition to acting as experts for such stories, Lusk says events at her clinic are often mentioned in passing during the interviews. For instance, classes they have on healthy cooking might be promoted at the end of an interview about the latest diet pill controversy.
"This gets our name out there, and best of all, it’s free," she says.
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