How to make your mark with marketing: Part 2

For some pharmacists, marketing is almost a dirty word. They want to focus on professional clinical services, not social media or outreach tactics to woo more customers to their drugstore. Besides, many pharmacists identify as introverts—they’d much rather toil behind the counter than “shamelessly” seek attention. And yet, in order to be successful, their communities need to understand who they are and the type of expert services they can provide. Here’s how three pharmacists have seen their practices flourish by stepping into the spotlight. A reluctant video star: Harnessing the power of YouTube Lindsay Dixon will tell you she’s shy. Like a lot of pharmacists, she’s an introvert and has always tended to avoid the limelight. People will tell you she’s humble. So exactly how did she become a sensation as Canada’s most popular pharmacist on YouTube with almost 35,000 subscribers (and more than 3.2 million views) who tune in to her weekly “Friendly Pharmacy 5” videos? It was all because of COVID-19. Increasingly frustrated by the rampant misinformation that began to emerge at the start of the pandemic (i.e., the supposed ivermectin “miracle cure” and conspiracy theories about the long-term effects of vaccinations), she wanted to counteract the outlandish claims that were being bandied about. She decided YouTube was the best forum in which to do that. “In the beginning the videos were PowerPoints with my voiceover because I didn’t want to be on camera,” she says. As the videos began to gather a following they also caught the attention of Heart Pharmacy, an independent chain of six pharmacies on Vancouver Island. She was hired by the company, which now sponsors the videos, as a continuing education lead and public health advocate. She gained on-air training, learned how to use a teleprompter and became an expert in using a variety of social media tools to produce her polished videos (see sidebar: Digital marketing tips from a pro). Dixon has produced more than 165 videos (which take between 5 and 20 hours to create) and, thanks to her large following, she earns more than $10,000 a year through the platform’s monetization program. The videos cover the gamut of healthcare topics, educate viewers on healthcare research and innovation, medications and supplements, and the healthy lifestyle choices that can lead to living a longer life. She’s also conducted interviews with dozens of healthcare experts and regularly promotes the profession of pharmacy by highlighting the wide-ranging services and expertise of pharmacists. “You couldn’t have convinced me five years ago that I would ever do something like this,” says Dixon. “Having the ability to communicate with a global audience about the value pharmacists bring to the table and how we can help our patients…it’s changed my life.” Her YouTube status has resulted in frequent media appearances, consulting opportunities for start-ups, speaking engagements and guest spots on podcasts (she is currently planning to launch a podcast of her own). She’s giving back to her peers with CreateRX, an online design hub for healthcare professionals to share ideas in digital innovation. (Last year her efforts were recognized with a Raise Your Voice Award from this magazine.) “The world is digital—and the opportunities for pharmacists are truly limitless,” says Dixon. “Begin with writing something on LinkedIn, or start a blog or post about a health topic on Instagram. Start expressing yourself.” “More pharmacists need to realise we are not just a degree and a licence number,” she says. “We are highly skilled, creative and unique individuals who have so much to offer.” Partner with influencers to amplify your message When Lee Tuan opened his All About Health RemedysRx drugstore in Woodstock, Ontario, 13 years ago, he mostly relied on traditional advertising to attract new customers—including spending about $15,000 a year on ads in the local paper. Today he’ll tell you his marketing budget is “absolutely nothing”—and yet his outreach efforts are more effective than ever before. He credits social media for a great deal of the growth of his business, which has become a destination for natural health and sports nutrition products. With 1,500 followers on Instagram and another 1,000 followers on Facebook, Tuan regularly posts health tips, contests and product information. Most significantly, he’s been able to expand his online reach through collaborations with about 10 local fitness influencers (including athletes and trainers) who serve as content creators and ambassadors for his pharmacy by promoting his drugstore’s products online to their followers. He created an incentive program for these influencers who receive sports products (he negotiated an arrangement for them to receive free merchandise from his suppliers) in return for their promotional services. He’s also partnered with local gyms whose members receive a discount on the pharmacy’s regularly priced items. “This kind of collaboration helps you reach more potential customers,” he says. “These influencers have helped drive a lot more business.” The biggest marketing mistake pharmacists make? In his view it’s not utilizing social media. “It’s the most effective and inexpensive marketing method and yet so many pharmacists aren’t doing it. They think it’s too time consuming and complicated, but it doesn’t have to be.” They also don’t realize how profitable it can be, he says. “Out of all the content we post, pretty much all product-related posts have generated sales.” Tuan says he spends only about 10 minutes a day on the pharmacy’s social media channels. “I just make time to do this. I’ll steal a couple of minutes here and there to post something.” His advice to pharmacists: “Be genuine. Post at least three times a week. Make it relatable and personal, not generic.” The posts he creates are as simple as a photo of a new shipment of products that have come into the drugstore, a selfie of him on the treadmill or saluting his staff for a job well done. In a post that featured a photo of him packing capsules in the compounding area of the pharmacy, he noted that he has been compounding for more than two decades. “It was our most liked post on Instagram—and it helped people see what we can do.” “We are in a pivot point in independent pharmacy. We are all looking for ways to gain ground to compete with big chains,” he says. “Social media is free and it’s the best way to market ourselves. It’s time to jump in if you haven’t already. Don’t wait.” Read: Digital marketing tips from the frontlines. Know your demographics and build relationships Anna Patrizio took only one pharmacy marketing course 20 years ago as a Canadian international pharmacy student from the Philippines. After becoming co-owner of Schomberg Village Pharmacy, located in a small town in Ontario, four years ago, she says, “I wish I had paid more attention in class.” Her marketing know-how is a combination of “seminars, trial-and-error experience, reading articles, learning from mentors, and being aware of market trends.” Most important is understanding that “data is king,” she says, explaining that she carefully considered the patient needs in her town by tapping into demographic information provided by the local Chamber of Commerce, Business Improvement Association, the local paper’s circulation lists and Canada Post’s postal code targeting. “I encourage every pharmacist to be obsessed with data. Know how many seniors are in your community, how many young families. The data should drive your marketing strategies,” she says. “It’s by really knowing your market that you can tailor your offerings and advertising. It’s outdated to just cast a wide net and hope for the best.” Her research helped identify gaps in service, including compounding, addiction treatment and weight-loss management programs, all of which were added to the pharmacy’s offerings. As a new pharmacy in town Patrizio looked for other ways to stand out from the competition, which included community involvement (participating in health information fairs, sponsoring a minor hockey team and a horticultural association, and having a booth at community events and a float in the annual holiday parade, for example). She also reached out to the local community newspaper by writing articles and providing expert input on pharmacy issues such as minor ailment prescribing. “This strengthened credibility for our brand and doesn’t cost us any money.” Most significantly, the pharmacy established itself as a community leader early in the pandemic with a successful mass vaccination drive, rapid testing, early procurement of PPE supplies, sourcing continuous supplies of sanitizers and masks and managing prescription drug supply shortages. These efforts resulted in high-profile recognition, including an “Excellence in COVID Community Support” award from the local Chamber of Commerce, as well as being selected as one of four Filipino-Canadian trailblazers who received the “Most Influential Filipina Woman in the World” award, coordinated by the Filipina Leadership Global Summit in recognition of the positive impact she made in her community in navigating the challenges of the pandemic. “I’ve come to realize that as a pharmacist, my work and my name is a brand. As soon as I understood this, I became more comfortable being the face of the pharmacy,” she says. “I am very much an introvert, but I realize that it’s the people behind the pharmacy who make for good pharmacy business.” Read Part 1 in this series on Marketing your Pharmacy

How to make your mark with marketing: Part 2

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