For pharmacies, clinics, medical associations and other providers of healthcare information and services, the holidays represent both one of the greatest opportunities and the greatest challenges for marketing. During this season, potential patients are likely to eat less healthily, suffer from more stress, and spend more time in close contact with others. All of these factors make them more likely to become ill, increasing their demand for medications and health services. But because the holidays keep them so busy, they have little time to read or watch your public relations materials. This makes it difficult for you to raise awareness of holiday health problems and establish your ability to solve them.

Radio offers an elegant solution to this public relations dilemma. Audio content is easy for consumers to listen to while shopping, cooking, or otherwise preparing for the holidays. Raising awareness of the season’s’ most common health concerns through audio news releases, a radio media tour with a health expert or even a Public Service Announcement, are great ways to build the public’s trust in you as a reliable source.

Creating Effective Holiday Radio Content

Health and wellness radio content is most effective if, instead of focusing on promoting your product or service, you offer practical ways of addressing common health concerns. This emphasizes to consumers that you are a provider of expert information that they can trust in the future. During the holidays, common health concerns include:

• The Flu– Given that many holidays coincide with the height of flu season, one of the most important areas to focus on is flu prevention.  For example, you can offer guidance on how to determine if your symptoms indicate allergies, a cold or the flu, in order to prevent spreading a virus at holiday parties. You could also mention tips for avoiding the flu, such as frequently washing your hands, keeping your hands away from your mouth, nose, and eyes, and most importantly, getting a flu shot.
• Dietary Changes– During the holidays, ever-present snacks, treats and desserts make it easy for party guests to increase their fat, sugar, alcohol and salt intakes. You can alert listeners to the risks of these dietary shifts while providing “eat this, not that” kinds of tips to make healthier choices during the holidays. If you serve patients with chronic diseases, talk about the importance of monitoring blood pressure, blood sugar, and other health factors throughout the season, and what tools or apps are available to help them track these numbers.
• Stress & Sleep Changes– The holidays can be a stressful time for many people, causing them to lose sleep and harming their health in subtle but significant ways. Through radio content, you can illuminate the negative health effects of stress and sleep loss while offering tips on how to keep both under control.

Radio listeners who might “tune out” commercials or typical hard-sell content will pay more attention to health experts and spokespersons who are offering relevant, timely information. Once you have their attention, you can always Include your website at the end of the message as a place where listeners can find more information.

For more information on producing quality radio content during the holidays and throughout the year, contact MediaTracks today.