touch point podcast

Today’s health system marketing department often work with a number of vendors and partners to support digital efforts. Hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss the nuances of being a vendor versus a partner, and the differences between agencies and consultancies. They are joined by Cynthia Newton and Jessica Walker who share best practices in developing unity among multiple partnerships.  Mention...

As health system social media strategies evolve and change due to internal and external factors, the need to understand the right social media structure and approach becomes important to engage with the empowered digital consumer. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith share their own unique research on the state of social media, and then share a framework to help hospitals assist with...

In many health systems, the role of the digital marketing is sometimes seen as the antithesis of population health initiatives. However, as with many other departments in health systems, these roles are starting to converge. In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss population health management in the digital age, and how consumerism is driving a new era of digital health. They are...

Imagine if Facebook was no longer part of your social media strategy...this is the scenario hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss in this week’s episode. Inspired by a recent debate at a social media conference, they discuss the difficulties social media platforms face when they grow too large, and share some of the advances Facebook is making (controversial or otherwise) in the space of health...

Recorded in Orlando, Florida at the 23rd Annual Healthcare Internet Conference, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss themes coming from this year’s event, including digital transformation, the total customer experience and how to address not only consumers but physicians as a key audience. They are joined in the conversation by experts Jane Crosby (VP, Strategy and Business Development at True...

Recorded before a live audience, this week’s episode features hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer moderating a discussion at the Mayo Clinic Social Media Network Annual Conference in Rochester, MN. They are joined by guest panelists from Mayo Clinic’s social media team: Margaret Shepard, Stacy Theobald and Audrey Laine Seymour as they discuss how they approach and manage the social media platforms fo...

Influencer marketing, while not a new strategy, is constantly evolving and changing. But how often do hospitals and health systems utilize this strategy in their digital efforts? In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss latest trends and approaches to digital strategies and how it differs from patient testimonials and thought-leadership approaches. They are joined by influencer ma...

A not uncommon topic for the podcast, in this episode hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss digital transformation and why it’s so difficult for hospitals and health systems. They explore whether it’s just because the industry is bad at transformation, or if the focus in on solving the right goals. They are joined by John Benrdt, president of TBG, where he shares his perspective on digital tran...

The digital space in healthcare is under constant change and evolution. Yet professionals in the industry are compelled to stay on top of the most current trends. How do stay relevant? In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss the theory of adult learning, share ways in which digital marketers can keep abreast of new trends in our space and also share what they’ve learned in over t...

In hospitals and health systems, it is often a struggle for a digital technologist to remain strategic. Perhaps this is why 70% of all digital transformation efforts don’t reach their goals. In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss the challenges of being strategic, common reasons why digital projects fail and steps digital professionals can’t skip when launching digital projects....

The technology stack is the hidden workhorse of a modern marketing team. Yet, to many, the concept of a synchronous martech stack is deemed “too techy” (and often relegated to IT). In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer bust down the myths of the modern technology stack, outline a simple framework for health systems to use when assessing the tools they have available, and even discuss s...

A common mantra organizations hear when transforming themselves to become digital first is to “act more like a start-up.” But what does that actually mean? In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss the characteristics that larger organizations should embrace to become more like a start-up, including cultural and workplace design efforts. They also discuss challenges that start-ups...

With the rise of consumerism and the introduction of a whole suite of technology to support marketing efforts, it’s natural that healthcare marketing organizations must evolve. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss the way hospitals and health systems are changing their marketing departments and how important the role of the digital technologist plays in new digital teams. Rach...

In this very special episode of touch point, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer feature a recent panel discussion that discusses best practices for online reputation and listing management. Hosted by Aaron Clifford of Binary Fountain, panel guests include Reed, John Musser of Sport Clips and Krystal Taing of RIO SEO. They cover a variety of topics including how SEO’s impact on listing ranking, how o...

Whether we like it or not, Facebook is still the most dominant social media platform - across all age ranges. Hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss the latest stats of Facebook’s usage in the United States as well as some of the latest changes being made to the platform and how hospitals and health systems can take advantage of this powerful social platform. They are joined by Jenn Thai, Social...

It seems natural that philanthropy is a significant component of non-profit health systems - but how does digital play a part? In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss how digital is impacting the way donors interact with hospital foundations, from the psychological shift to crowdfunding to the digital tools used in modern fundraising efforts. They are joined by Jean Hitchcock, pr...

While digital tools and technologies has become an essential part of our lives in society, do different generations use and value them equally? In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith attempt to define the generational gap between Baby Boomers, GenX and Millennials and discuss the digital methods in which they access care. They are joined by Rob Rosenberg, president of SpringBoard Creati...

We often hear that healthcare is local. In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss how this concept extends into the digital space. From hyper-local marketing to geo-fencing and geo-targeting, they discuss the origination of “local marketing” and how health systems can embrace a localized approach to their digital efforts. They are joined by expert Mike Vujovich, Director of Digital...

Just what does it mean to “nurture” digital customers? In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss lead nurturing and how digital marketers in health systems can use marketing automation, email and other digital touchpoints to develop effective ways to nurture customers on their journey. They are joined by Greg Gossett, CEO of HealthAware, in which he discusses how online health risk...

When it comes to brand differentiation, most hospitals and health systems struggle to define their uniqueness in the market. In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer explore how organizations and brands can understand their unique differentiators, how to infuse differentiation into their organization’s DNA and what we can learn from orange juice. They are joined by Cassie Benowitz, princi...

The concept of marketing campaigns is slowly becoming a thing of the past. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss a newer approach to marketing that hospitals and health systems are embracing - “always on” marketing. From key activities, important features to describing the three phases, they attempt to define always-on and how organizations can evolve their efforts to embrace t...

Consumerism is driving significant changes within health systems, so much so that organizations are rethinking their business models to ensure they are meeting the needs of the communities they serve. In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss four types of business models found in provider systems and unique digital strategies that can support each model. They are joined by Jeff Ca...

As digital channels evolve, more and more online users are turning to video as a medium in which to research, learn and make decisions. But how do hospitals and health systems develop videos that are both aligned with their strategies and also unique to social media and websites? In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith share various tips on how to develop videos, including choosing the r...

We live in a data-rich world, and any of us that spend time online already know that our data footprint is being tracked and analyzed for a multiple of reasons...including marketing. But what is the ultimate value of health records that are being kept within health systems? In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss why health records command such a high price on the dark web, how d...

In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer review three digital studies - the 2019 Mary Meeker Internet Trends Study, The 2019 Social Habit Study (by Edison) and the 2019 Healthcare Digital Marketing Study. From the rise of mobile, the on-demand economy, trends in social media usage and health system and agency digital marketing team size and structure, the hosts share their takeaways on ho...