Campaign Toolkit

Patient Education: Level 1

Develop in-office marketing materials

Develop a set of in-office marketing materials tailored to your patient population by identifying priority audiences, customizing messaging and content, and determining the format and channel(s) that will most effectively reach your patients. Strategically distribute the materials, monitor your efforts, and modify the content or approach as appropriate.

In-office marketing materials are a simple but effective way to increase patient education and awareness around adult immunizations. Consider your organizational goals around immunizations, which vaccines you want to market (e.g., influenza, pneumococcal, Td/Tdap, zoster, RSV, COVID-19, and/or hepatitis B), and how in-office materials can support those efforts. For example, if you want to increase influenza vaccinations among adults receiving their COVID-19 shots, you may develop resources focused on coadministration.

To develop in-office marketing materials to support your immunization efforts, follow the steps below. Don’t forget to enlist help from your marketing department to explore how these materials can be integrated into your overall immunization program.

Step 1:

Determine priority audiences for marketing materials

Identify what segment of your patient population you are trying to reach. You may consider looking at gaps in care within your organization and targeting priority patient groups and/or vaccinations. You may also find value in targeting employees of your healthcare organization who can in turn make a strong vaccine recommendation to their patients.

Step 2:

Tailor messages and content to your audience

When creating your messaging and content, consider common barriers to vaccination among your target audience. Surveying providers and staff as well as patients can help you better understand why patients decline or hesitate to receive a vaccine (e.g., concern over the side effects of a shingles vaccine) or what obstacles specific patient groups are facing (e.g., time constraints of “the sandwich generation” or single parents). Develop simple, compelling content that addresses these concerns and combats any myths or misinformation. Ensure the content is culturally appropriate and accommodates the literacy level and language of your target audience.

Step 3:

Identify material format and location

Think carefully about the format and location of your materials and how to best reach your target audience. For inspiration, look at existing resources and points of care within your organization, such as:

Step 4:

Deploy, evaluate, and modify

Ensure there are metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing materials once they have been deployed. Consider post-vaccination surveys (e.g., “How did you hear about our vaccination program?”), web metrics for electronic materials (e.g., unique monthly visitors), or small focus groups. Remember to refine materials as needed based on your findings.

Step 5:

Leverage special events and other timing-based opportunities

Increase patient education and awareness by pairing marketing with national observations like Shingles Awareness Month or days of action such as World Pneumonia Day. You may also time marketing efforts to coincide with events like the beginning of flu season or the release of new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).