Health fairs, community fairs, and expos can be a great way for a medical practice to engage with the local employers and the community. This can build your brand and potentially be a source for finding new patients. Having a booth isn’t good enough. In fact, just having a booth alone is a waste of time. Participants need a reason to stop at your booth. Set up an appealing booth, bring charismatic staff, and offer something to participants.
Having a great booth or table that is consistent with your brand is key to attracting attention. Most venues offer chairs and tables. Some offer electricity. Take them up on these freebies. Buy a nice table cloth with your logo on it and purchase accessories that match your brand. Go spend $100 at Hobby Lobby or Michael’s to build up a nice set of accessories that you can use for all events.
Bring your staff and providers (if you have them) to interact with people. You want participants to build a relationship with your doctors, NPs, PAs, chiropractors, massage therapists, acupuncturists, and any other team members. This is an opportunity to showcase your team and let people see they are friendly and approachable. Don’t bring someone that doesn’t want to be there; that will only hurt your brand. And, pay your staff to be there; don’t ask them to volunteer.
The more interactive your table is, the more traffic you’ll get. Offer cholesterol and glucose screenings. Body Mass Index, blood pressure, are color blindnesses are easy and free. Your practice could team up with someone like a local hospital doing screenings and do the patient education side. Don’t stop with the screening. Once you have the results, have participants interact with one of your providers by having them explain the results. This is a great way to engage! And, let them take the results home on a beautiful form that fits with your brand and just happens to have your website, address, and phone number.
If you can’t do a screening, quizzes are another option. Sleep quality, stress level, and allergies are common examples. Come up with a quiz participants can take and then have your staff talk to them about the results.
Free stuff is always a good draw. Candy, water (with your label), trinkets, printed tips…always a good way to bring people in. Find left-overs from employee events or anything with your logo on it. Or, buy candy that matches your colors. Keep it in line with your brand and have your information on it, but don’t let it be too salesy.
Drawings are an excellent way to get contact information at these
events. Drop-in a business card to win a fabulous basket of stuff that compliments your business. Supply your own goodies or ask local vendors to chip in – free yoga class, free smoothie, free cryotherapy session, etc. And, then follow up with everyone that you get contact information for. Thank them for attending and share some information about your business.
Not getting a ton of people taking advantage of all these great things? Have someone get out from behind the table and go talk to people! Tell them about your screenings/quizzes and bring them to your table. Take your freebies and walk around handing them out.
The key to these events is not just standing behind a table. Be engaging and give people a reason to stop at your booth!