Marketing & Promoting Your Program
The key to a successful Schwartz Rounds® launch is getting the word out, including educating your colleagues and building anticipation. We suggest that you allot at least two months from the time you complete training until your first Schwartz Rounds to allow time for a robust marketing and outreach campaign.
When conducting outreach, remember that Schwartz Rounds is for everyone. Ensure that your communications target a wide range of roles and are accessible to the audiences you wish to reach.
There are countless ways to promote Schwartz Rounds. Be sure to engage with your communications or marketing colleagues to help you understand how to take full advantage of your organization’s communications tools and platforms.
Please make sure that all marketing materials clearly state that Schwartz Rounds sessions are for staff only.
Some ideas for marketing and outreach:
- The employee intranet can provide a reminder of upcoming Schwartz Rounds sessions. Before your first Schwartz Rounds, the intranet can be particularly useful to garner attention and anticipation with clever and catchy titles. You may consider sending save-the-date reminders.
- Flyers can generate interest with thought-provoking titles and graphics. Consider posting them in places where only staff members will see them. Include information about food and continuing education, if relevant.
- Like flyers, posters can be produced with the same design as flyers, but on a larger scale. You can use the signs repeatedly if the information is standardized.
- Enlist your marketing or communications department to write an article for your organization’s newsletter or intranet about the upcoming Schwartz Rounds or a piece after they occur. A letter or article from senior leaders might encourage additional staff members to attend. Video is also a great tool for educating staff about Schwartz Rounds.
- Use email to invite staff members to join. Ensure all department managers are aware of Schwartz Rounds via email so as many staff may attend as possible. Use calendar reminders to get the date on staff calendars if you can.
- Encourage members of your Planning Committee to wear “Ask Me About Schwartz Rounds” buttons as conversation starters.
- If there are town hall meetings at your organization, devote time to discussing Schwartz Rounds, their goals, and their purpose, especially as you prepare to launch. Enlist your leadership in this effort if possible.
- Ensure everyone new to the organization, whether a staff member, a physician, or resident, knows about Schwartz Rounds when they join. Have a member (or a video of a member) from the Planning Committee talk about Schwartz Rounds at new employee (physician, nurse, house staff, etc.) orientation.
- The PA system may announce when Schwartz Rounds will be occurring as a last-minute reminder.
Consider:
- Where do the staff in our organization look for updates?
- How can we reach people across multiple disciplines and units?
- Who do we have on our team to support our marketing efforts?