Marketing Strategy Tips for Targeting When It Seems Impossible
What do you do when you don’t have any good targeting options? I’ve encountered this scenario repeatedly with clients, and it’s surprisingly common.
Most medical billing companies that approach me for growth strategies rarely have a concentrated client base. While I do have a few clients focused on one specialty, most aren’t so specialized, even after achieving some scale.
Typically, I hear something like: “We have three radiologists, two anesthesiologists, four OBGYNs, five family practitioners, two hospitalists…” The list continues, showing breadth without depth. Usually, you can identify at least one attractive target segment from this mix, using marketing strategy tips for targeting we’ve discussed in previous articles about medical billing marketing strategy.
But sometimes, there genuinely aren’t good options. Maybe you have six general practitioners, but do you really want to target that market? It’s high-volume, low-dollar business—not particularly attractive. Or perhaps you have one practitioner each in orthopedics, neurology, and other specialties, but what meaningful targeting can you do with just one client?
The Reference Client Challenge
It gets worse when you consider the reference client problem. Let’s say you decide to target neurology based on your one neurologist client. But what if they’re not a good reference? What if your team lacks deep knowledge about neurology billing?
Do you forge ahead anyway without references? Do you target less attractive specialties like general practice? We’ve discussed alternative marketing strategy tips for targeting, like geographical targeting—focusing on providers within your local area regardless of specialty—but this isn’t ideal either.
The EHR System Approach
One targeting strategy that has worked for some of my clients is focusing on practices using specific EHR systems. For example, targeting providers using eClinicalWorks or Kareo. If you understand the system well and know its common problems, you can market directly to users with solutions to their specific pain points. When you tell them, “We understand you have problem X,” they’ll immediately respond, “Yes, we do!” and want to hear your solution.
According to Forbes’ healthcare marketing insights, businesses that align their marketing with specific technology pain points see 38% higher engagement rates than those using general messaging.
The Temporary Market Strategy
But what if you don’t have deep knowledge in a particular system? Or what if the systems you know well don’t have enough market share to create a viable target market? This is where I suggest a “temporary market” approach as one of my key marketing strategy tips for targeting.
Since most billing companies need to grow and achieve economies of scale, consider marketing for about a year in a less desirable but more accessible segment. This temporary focus allows you to reach a scale where you develop larger concentrations in one or more attractive specialties—then you can pivot.
For example:
- Start by marketing to a local geography where providers value in-person meetings
- Be open to various specialties: radiology, urology, dermatology, OBGYN, etc.
- Focus on relatively small clients ($30K-$70K/year) that won’t make or break your business
- After a year of this approach, you might have 3-4 OBGYN clients instead of just one
- Identify the specialty where you’ve gained concentration and pivot your strategy
- Rebrand and retarget to that specialty nationwide (for example, OBGYNs across the country)
A Strategic Pause Before the Real Growth
This approach acknowledges you’re in a tough position with limited options. Your success rates won’t be as high with this less-targeted approach in the short term, but it’s better than having no strategy at all.
Think of it as a strategic pause—12 months of controlled growth while you:
- Build stability
- Refine your implementation and onboarding processes
- Implement better technology and software
- Develop expertise in specific specialties
- Create medical billing KPIs tailored to different practice types
Then, when you’ve developed sufficient concentration in a particular specialty, you can pivot to targeting the really attractive segments with a focused approach.
Sometimes the best marketing strategy tips for targeting aren’t about immediately going after your ideal target—they’re about creating the conditions that will allow you to do so successfully in the future.
