It's only February, and we've been busy!
So, what's next for Ann & Sarah?
So much! We have tons of big ideas.

If you enjoy reading our newsletter and other publications, just wait - we're about to kick it up a notch with even more helpful and relevant content covering all sorts of topics. Who knows? You may even see a cooking tip from Ann's kitchen! Just kidding, we might not go that far but it's gonna be good. And fun.

What kind of things do you think we should talk about? Tell us!
Here's what you can find in this month's newsletter:
  • DPM Tip - How to find a job, or relocate, as a podiatrist
  • Exhibitor Tip - Face your fear of email marketing
  • Practice Partner Academy recordings from recent sessions
  • Young Physician Panel Survey - your chance to win
  • DPM Tip - Improve your directory listing online
  • Meeting Planner Tip - Scrimping and saving
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Speak Up, DPMs!
Over the last few years, we have heard many talk about how there are "just too many meetings." More feedback needs to be gathered here to really have it stand on two legs...
so we want to know!

Choose the answers below that resonate with you.
To choose more than one selection, click, hit your back button,
and click again.
Choose which answers ring true to you:
I believe there are too many meetings, overall, in the podiatric profession.
There should be fewer state meetings.
There are not enough "niche" meetings (i.e. derm, sports med., pediatrics).
There are too many online meetings.
There should be more regional meetings (vs. state meetings).
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TRICKS OF THE TRADE - Tips for DPMs
How to find a job - or relocate - as a podiatrist

Quick Tips from Guest Contributor
Christopher Hood, DPM
Looking for a job, and even more so a new job, can be a stressful process. For those coming out of residency, the decision to start looking has been made for you with the impending graduation after PGY-3 (or 4). But for those currently in practice, the decision is entirely of your own discretion.

Regardless of your situation, the process is generally the same.
Personally confirm the need for a (new) job.

  • New resident graduate = “I need a job.”

  • Currently employed = Why do you need a new job? What are you missing in your current employment that you are looking for? Is the change work versus personal/out-of-work related? These questions will guide how you move forward.
Figure out what is most important to you in the new job. Generally, for most of us it comes down to...

  • The “best” job - with the keyword “best” being defined only by you. Is it the…

  • Type of practice (solo vs. group podiatry vs. orthopedic vs. hospital, etc.)

  • Type of pathology (general podiatry, wound care, reconstruction, trauma, etc.)

  • Quality of life in/outside of the practice

  • Highest paying (*note that your starting point does not correlate with your “end-point” down the line).

  • The location
  • Do you desire to live in a certain location; 
  • Are you geographically bound by a particular reason (often spouse or family-directed);
  • Location specifically may/not be related to quality of life factors.
Once you decide on the above, you can start to narrow down the search based on what is out on the market, or what you search out yourself based on your goals.

The first and easiest place to look includes the various websites and listings of jobs found on the internet. This includes...

Dr. Christopher R. Hood Jr., DPM, FACFAS is a foot and ankle surgeon at Hunterdon Podiatric Medicine in Flemington, New Jersey. He is also the owner and operator of PodiatryContractReview.com, a podiatric-specific career services website offering information on securing employment and document review of cover letters, curriculum vitae/resumes, and employment agreements. You can follow him on Instagram and Twitter at @crhoodjrdpm.

Ann + Sarah's Two Cents
How does this DPM Tip apply to meetings?

Industry events and conferences can play a huge part in finding the right job and/or relocation fit for you. Not only do conferences provide you with an opportunity to network and make new connections, if you attend conferences in the area or region you are hoping to settle, you can seek out potential employers or partners while at the meeting.

This is just one more reason why in-person conferences impact every aspect of our career - from continuing education and connections, to business principles and new awakenings.
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TRICKS OF THE TRADE - Tips for Exhibitors
Face Your Fear of Email Marketing
Quick Tips from Ann
We've talked about email marketing before. You know we are big believers in the power of email marketing for many reasons. While we were at SAM 2022, our efforts were rewarded by the feedback we received from attendees while on-site.

During the welcome reception Wednesday night, Sarah and I were making the rounds and saying "hello" to people throughout the evening. I was shocked at the number of times someone told me, "I get your emails!" Even though we had never met most of these people before, they knew who we were and what our business offered. I kept expecting someone to tell me we emailed them too often, but no - not one complaint!

Throughout the week, attendees stopped us in the hall or visited our booth because they recognized us from our emails and wanted to connect. Email marketing works! It's not something to be afraid of.

PRO TIP - do not take it personally when someone unsubscribed from your list. Don't even look at the list of unsubscribed contacts - just delete them and move on. In Orlando, one of our favorite people came up and told me that he was going to unsubscribe one of his email addresses but he didn't want us to be offended, he still reads faithfully from his other email address. What a nice thing to hear!

So, it's time to get over your fear of email marketing. You don't have to be perfect from the beginning, it's a learning process. We are here to offer advice if you would like to reach out to us.

Here are some articles and videos we've published in the past to help with the "how-to" of it all:
Our 2022 Practice Partner Academy webinar series hosted several webinars recently, including:

with Doug Richie, DPM

with Podiatry Content Connection

with Zuckerman Future Technologies

If you missed it, too bad so sad. Just kidding!
You can click the webinar title above to catch the recording.
What's Next, You Ask?
Look for upcoming webinars from:
  • DARCO International
  • Saorsa, the providers of Swift
Click here to sign up to be notified of future
Practice Partner Academy Sessions
HEY! WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU
RATED A MEETING ON OUR WEBSITE?

WE THINK YOU'RE DUE.
Young Physicians Panel
Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!
Congratulations to Timothy Miller from Orlando! He is the winner of a $50 gift card as a THANK YOU for taking the time to complete our survey for young physicians.

Young Physicians - please continue to tell us what you're looking for by taking our super short survey: CLICK HERE

We're still randomly selecting winners!
SPONSORED CONTENT
Podiatry Content Connection:
Multiplying your Visibility
with DPM Optimization

Directory Optimization is about much more than correcting NAP (name, address, phone) mistakes. It is about boosting your visibility in a crowded marketplace. 
The main job of a directory is to alert potential patients to your very existence. Sure, they sometimes get your name, address and phone wrong, but they are not inherently bad. 
WHEN DIRECTORIES ARE BAD
Did you know that random directory publishers continuously scour the Internet to dig up any information from any source from any time, to beef up hundreds of junk professional and local business directories? It’s how they make money.
 
This found information, which your doctors had nothing to do with providing, is often bad --- old, incomplete, inaccurate; and it is copied from directory to directory.

Are you:
 
Dr. Bob L. Smith or Dr. Robert Smith?
On First Street or First Avenue?
Podiatrist or a Pediatrist? (data aggregators often get it wrong!)
What hours are you open? (inaccurate listings may mark you closed!)
 
Confusion can make a searcher move on to another DPM.   
 
Many patients cross-check directories and review sites. If your name, address, and phone number are not listed exactly the same way everywhere, patients can easily assume

  • The listings are not for the same practice
  • The reviews are for different DPMs
  • It’s a scam, marketing a disreputable practice that sets up shop in different configurations
WHEN DIRECTORIES WORK FOR YOU 
Podiatry Content Connection optimizes your visibility in the top 70 most important directories and review sites.

All of our content is SEO friendly, impactful and consistent with your information everywhere.  
 
This includes Google’s directory, Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), which PCC can professionally set up for you. Like any directory listing, your GBP can be claimed and optimized to work for you, or it can be an inaccurate mess that the search engine cobbled together from random sources. 

  • With an optimized Google Business Profile, Google Maps can pin your location on a featured local map.

  • An optimized GBP makes you eligible to be included in an SEO-boosting “map pack” that will attract new patients in your market. According to Google, map pack listings receive 35% more clicks through to your website.

  • You can continually add current photos (outside, in your waiting room, each of the doctors) to your GBP, a feature which has been shown to reassure new patients. Listings featuring photos receive 42% more requests for Google Map driving directions.
NEW FOR 2022: DPM OPTIMIZATION
 
PCC is innovating again with what we jokingly refer to as Super Directory Optimization.
 
You know that we optimize the top 70 important directories and review sites for you. What do you think would happen if we optimized more than 70? 
 
Nothing. Your visibility and your ability to attract new patients would not increase in any significant way.
 
But Appearing Multiple Times At Once in those same top 70 directories would!
 
We know that many patients, especially those following up on a personal recommendation or a doctor referral, will Google a specific doctor by name, rather than that of a practice. What if, in addition to practice entries, we optimized the directory and review site listings for each podiatrist in the practice? You would have multiple listings that link to your practice!
Note: Each DPM needs to be anchored to one location. 
 
Optimizing Directory Listings for Each Podiatrist in your Practice is Especially Smart because: 

You multiply your practice’s Visibility by the number of DPMs in your practice.

  • Each DPM listed correctly in 70+ directories
  • Each DPM has his/her own Google Business Profile
  • Each DPM at your location can be pinned on a local Google Map and included in an SEO-boosting map pack

This is in addition to your practice’s listings.
 
A patient can search for a specific DPM by name and still learn about the entire practice.
 
Each DPM’s listing is off-page SEO optimization of the practice’s listing, promoting Google’s trust and helping the practice be considered for a better search ranking.
We’d like to show you how your practice is currently seen in top directories, and explain how to up your visibility now.
 
To learn more about Podiatry Content Connection’s Directory Optimization programs, or any of our services, call or text
National Director, Randy Rosler at (917) 572-5088
Podiatry Content Connection offers:
  • Customized Website Design
  • Weekly Blogs and Articles
  • Social Media Marketing (Facebook & Twitter)
  • Reputation Management
  • Targeted Reviews
  • Directory Optimization
  • Call-to-Action Spot Campaigns
  • Podiatric Video Library
  • HIPPA-Compliant Digital Intake Form
  • Amazing customer service and support 
Speak Up, Exhibitors!
We're starting to consult with meeting planners and a huge part is making sure they know what you need in terms of exhibit hall traffic and the ways we can attract the types of leads you find valuable.

Medical assistants are sometimes the topic of conversation because, for some, it can be perceived they don't have decision-making power; for others, they know the assistants have plenty of influence over the primary physicians and owners.

So we want to know! Do you find it helpful to spend time with medical assistants in the exhibit hall as a vendor?
Choose the answer that most aligns with your opinion.
I usually get ROI from speaking with assistants at my booth.
I haven't found any ROI talking to assistants at my booth.
It doesn't always turn into a lead, but I still want to see them.
It sometimes turns into a lead, but not enough for me to focus on them.
90-Day Meeting Outlook
Click below to see industry events for the given month.
TRICKS OF THE TRADE- Tips for Meeting Planners
SCRIMPING + SAVING - AND REALLOCATING!
Quick Tips from Ann
Meetings can save money by reevaluating the services they think of as standard – such as food during the break times. This year at the FPMA SAM Conference, there were only drinks set out during the breaks and I didn’t even notice there wasn’t any food until one of the organizers mentioned it. Even a lover of food, such as myself, didn’t notice the absence of snacks during the breaks.

So ask yourself, how many things are you paying for that wouldn’t be greatly missed if they weren’t there?

We saw the APMA National do something similar in Denver. They adjusted the badges to save a little bit and they did not have the printed “daily” publication we’ve seen in the past. While I was not a fan of the new badges and I did kind of miss the daily paper, I’m sure the savings was substantial. Because even if I "kind of" missed a paper or a snack, these are not the elements that make or break a meeting experience for me.

The key here is to reevaluate every aspect of your conference. The days of “rinse and repeat” are gone. Even tiny savings can add up to a lot. Be sure that you reallocate a portion of your savings to new features that will enhance your attendee and exhibitor experience.

PRO TIP: If you do decide to make a change you feel is significant, ask both DPMs and exhibitors (not all; get a trusted group) how they feel about it. You don't want to get too many cooks in the kitchen here, but they may have some insight you didn't think of. They may make you realize cutting something you thought was no big deal, IS a big deal; but maybe they have some ideas of how you can adjust it (vs. eliminate it). They may also give you peace of mind by confirming your thoughts. Often we can get stuck in a vacuum, making it hard to see something outside of our own perspective. Step outside and make sure you're making improvements, not cutting corners.
Need More Credits?
Check out the meeting list below which, according to their official websites, provide 16+ CECH.

The meetings listed below take place from March-May.

NOTE: Details regarding podiatric meetings listed in this newsletter and on PodiatryMeetings.com may not be complete nor are they guaranteed accuracy. Please visit each meeting’s official website or contact each meeting’s organizer for official, complete details and registration rates.
Need Credits Now?
Don't Forget About Your On-Demand Credit Opportunities
PodiatryMeetings.com presents information about upcoming podiatric events, featured podiatry vendors, exhibiting and travel tips, and more!

Contact us by hitting "reply" or email us directly at BeHeard@podiatrymeetings.com