Medical Association Marketing: How medical associations should write their value proposition.

According to Deepak Chopra in his bestselling book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, “How can I help?” is the only question that truly matters. “It coaxes and expands your awareness out toward the service and care of others.”

Many medical associations struggle with articulating an effective value proposition that helps their members expand awareness and services. Establishing this in clear and compelling manner is an essential step if you want to communicate how your organization can provide the keys to your members’ success.

There are some important steps you must take before embarking upon creating your medical association’s value proposition. It all begins and ends with research.

So where do you start? Here’s a brief 3-step plan.

1. Refine your target audience

First and foremost, you need to determine who your “key” target audience is. You can’t be “all things” to “all people.” Many have tried, and failed. But by clearly defining and refining your true core audience, you can be all the right things to the right people.

It’d be easy for a medical association to assume that their target audience is “anyone in a certain specialty and/or those who use those particular services.” But having such a wide audience would make it nearly impossible to tailor its strategy to specific types of individuals for specific purposes. The key to success here is knowing who to target, and why. The increased focus and definition will result in a much more effective strategy.

2. Be the go-to organization for the value you provide in the industry you serve

When thinking about the opportunity you provide to that core audience, start by asking, “How can we help?”

The number one reason that people don’t join, or renew their memberships in professional organizations, is because of cost and perceived lack of value from their membership.

• What is it that your medical association provides to your members that they can’t get anywhere else?
• What is the problem you solve for them, and why are you distinctly better than the alternatives?

It is imperative that association’s position themselves as the number one resource for education, support, advocacy, information, or whatever it is that your members want and need from your organization.

3. Translate the value proposition to key benefits of membership

Members pay dues and join an organization because of the perceived value and benefits that come with the membership.

• What benefit do you provide to them and how do you do it uniquely well?
• What can you do better, or what services or resources can you provide to meet the needs that aren’t already being met?

You must be the first place your members think of when they are looking for help…their “go-to” source for what they need to be successful.

If you do your homework up front, coming up with 2 or 3 potential value propositions for consideration will be much easier. Using the information you uncover during your research, you can use the following template as a starting point to begin crafting your statement.

For   ___________________________          (target audience)

who ___________________________         (statement of the need or opportunity)

_______________________________         (Association name)

is the   ______” Go to” _____________

that ____________________________        (benefit/solution)

Once you have an option or two, it’s a good idea to go back to the beginning, and test them with your target audience.

Developing your value proposition can be a tricky endeavor, but if you start with “How can we help?” it can be an easier endeavor. Springboard Brand & Creative Strategy is here if you need help.

After all, what good are the best programs you have to offer, if no one knows they exist? But that’s a subject for another blog. Stay tuned!