With the state of healthcare in the United States in such turmoil, building a strong brand is a key way to differentiate yourself from the competition. Here are some key steps toward achieving that goal.

Understand yourself: Performing targeted research about your community and your potential customers can help you discover, not just what they hope for in a healthcare provider, but also how you are perceived. When trying to find out which direction to take, it’s important to know both where you are and where you’d like to be.

Know your strengths: What is it about your services that make you stand out? How do you stack up to the competition? Playing to your strengths can help you to distinguish yourself in the marketplace.

Buy in: If you have an idea of how you want to market yourself, don’t just test it on potential customers. Why not start by asking your employees? If your staff approves of this new direction it will help them to communicate it to others, while also increasing morale.

Measure, measure, measure: The more you measure, the more you can control. Find out if your communications strategies are paying off.  Has the number of customers increased? If so, how and when? Have B2B relationships improved? How has this affected revenue? You should have a clear idea of what your goals are, and why, and measure them objectively.

And remember: It isn’t enough to just “get the word out.” You need to have something worthwhile to say – and make sure that someone is listening.