Raising awareness about your healthcare facility, especially with little or no budget, can be a daunting task. New competitors, a lack of prior marketing, a bad reputation in the past, and a lack of funds are all reasons your facility may be experiencing a decline in patients or a lack of growth.

While it is a difficult task for any business, raising awareness about a healthcare facility can be especially overwhelming because there is so much competition. Here are some inexpensive ways to let people know that you are out there and what you stand for.

1. Write articles or provide advice to local homeowners associations.

2. Provide educational information for community small businesses by contributing to your local chamber of commerce. Think about workplace safety, workers compensation, etc.

3. Publish cheap articles or infomercials in your local community newspaper.

4. Partner with real estate agents in the area and look for new families to move into the community. Make sure they know where you are, help them find a local PCP, etc. Be a source of referrals. This can be as easy as creating a brochure that new families are given when they buy a home.

5. Similar to how you partner with real estate agents to introduce yourself to new families in the area, you can also do a joint venture with apartment complexes and building management companies. Both residential and commercial management companies provide welcome packages for new tenants. Why not include information about your facilities and how to find it? And the great thing about this approach is that once it’s done, you don’t have to worry about doing it again. It is an easy system to implement for ongoing marketing.

6. In addition to welcome packs, you can also post “health tips” articles in building association newsletters. Both residential and commercial complexes often publish a newsletter for their tenants and are always looking for ways to add value to the publication. They are always looking for content. Help them!

7. Work with your local newspaper to add a “health” section to the newspaper’s website. Make sure the newspaper knows that you are available for interviews or questions on any health care related topics that arise. You can also post a calendar of events, etc.

8. Offer free or low-cost seminars to educate the public. Participating physicians can perform them.

9. Can you do a joint venture with someone from the community? Be creative. For example, maybe the local children’s sports team. You can be the official sponsor and provide free tips in your newsletter or have staff at the games for parents to ask questions.

10. Remember, people like free stuff. What can you give away for free? A free report or a free consultation? A free blood pressure check? Give this thing away for free on all your communication pieces.