Learn this simple pharmacy marketing trick to have more loyal patients.
As an independent pharmacy owner, you may have realized that patients can’t always recognize the valuable difference between your pharmacy and the competition. As a pharmacy owner, it’s up to you to help them see the difference. You can share your awesomeness through your pharmacy marketing.
One simple way to stand out is to use a fun monthly marketing trick I implemented over a decade ago.
It’s cheap.
It’s effective.
Your employees can do it without you.
And it sounds a little hokey… it’s decorating your pharmacy each month.
I’ve taught this strategy to hundreds of pharmacy owners who remind me, when I run into them again, that it’s not only helped them become more memorable to their patients but has also added an element of fun for their team members.
This strategy stems from the FISH Culture Program I underwent with my pharmacy many, many years ago. It has nothing to do with fishing but originates with the Seattle Fish Market, Pikes Place, known worldwide for making fish fly. The power of this iconic landmark isn’t in the fun of the throw; it’s in the lasting impact it makes for those who visit.
When you go through the FISH program, one of the tenets is Make Their Day. During a Sunday afternoon workshop with the whole staff, we brainstormed different ways we could make our patients’ day. And from there the themed monthly decorating program began.
How Can Decorating Be Pharmacy Marketing?
Monthly decor for your pharmacy significantly impacts patient satisfaction and overall pharmacy success.
Creating experiences for patients makes you memorable because it goes beyond simply providing a product or service. When you focus on making unique and meaningful experiences, you tap into the emotions and senses of your customers. These experiences leave a lasting impression and increase positive feelings and associations with your store.
By going the extra mile to surprise and delight patients, you show that you value their patronage and care about their satisfaction. Memorable experiences help generate word-of-mouth marketing as patients eagerly share their positive encounters at your pharmacy with their friends, family, and even on social media. You’d agree this is the best kind of marketing!
How to create loyal patients through monthly decorating.
1. Encourage participation and interaction from the community and your team members
I recommend that you take pictures of your decorated pharmacy and share them on social media. Ask your followers to give you their ideas and feedback. People love to share their opinions. Create polls, short reels, and other video content, an easy way to create buzz-worthy content.
2. Engage employees to help you execute the decoration
At the end of every month, team members will have last month’s decor to take down and will look forward to the new month’s theme. Employees enjoy the process, and it’s a great way to add fun to your pharmacy.
3. Create the perfect theme without breaking the bank
Decorations don’t need to cost a fortune. Ask your team members to go to the dollar store and buy decorations. Remember, you can easily keep these decorations tucked away for future use. Scents and music add to the fun, so don’t forget those.
4. Do it consistently
To make decorating your pharmacy rise to the level of pharmacy marketing, you must do it consistently every month. After business, on the last day of the month, down comes the old, and up goes the new. We scheduled the cashiers purposely around this important task. Our patients were so excited to come in and see what the new theme looked like.
Become the talk of your town with creative pharmacy decorating themes.
Decorating your pharmacy space may seem like a lot at first, especially if you don’t consider yourself a creative genius. Keep it simple and follow a monthly calendar theme.
- Whether it’s a cozy autumnal display in October or a tropical paradise in February, with January, you can capitalize on New Year’s resolutions and the Super Bowl while also honoring MLK Day.
- Come February, the focus shifts to love and friendship with Valentine’s Day.
- March offers the opportunity to go green for St. Patrick’s Day, while April and May bring the beauty of spring.
Whatever your style, there’s a monthly theme to suit it; subtle changes can greatly impact your store’s overall atmosphere and help make your pharmacy feel welcoming and fun for all your visitors.
Emotions Create Patient Loyalty
Memorable experiences set you apart, build patient loyalty, and build a culture that meets employees’ needs and motivates them to contribute their talents.
Our store research proves that patients who visit your location aren’t always doing so because of convenience. While it might seem trivial to think that a pharmacy marketing trick as simple as monthly pharmacy decor can impact your store, it’s a fun and different way to interact with your patients and team members.
A monthly decorating theme builds a strong emotional connection with your patients and creates happiness that triggers the brain and makes them love you even more than your normal awesomeness.
If you are looking to boost your pharmacy marketing or increase your cash flow, then I invite you to join Pharmacy Badass University. As a member, you’ll discover everything that makes pharmacies successful, from innovative revenue streams to the crucial work of fixing your key performance indicators.
