What if healthcare's biggest marketing problem isn't budget or distribution, but a fundamental refusal to earn attention? Steve Pratt, author of "Earn It: Unconventional Strategies for Brave Marketers," reveals how healthcare organizations must abandon interruption-based marketing and embrace creative bravery (making content worth recommending even if you weren't involved) to compete with misinformation.
Drawing from years helping major brands create successful health podcasts, Steve demonstrates why exceptional episodes beat constant mediocre content and why marketing deserves equal resources to production. He challenges healthcare communicators to use the same storytelling techniques that make misinformation compelling, arguing that storytelling is "the sugar that makes the medicine go down."
This episode features a recording from the 2025 Health Podcast Summit. Get free access to all 37 sessions here: healthpodcastsummit.com
Chapters
00:00 - Intro
03:55 - Health, Podcasts, and Purpose
06:58 - Jobs-to-Be-Done in Podcasting
12:23 - Be Authentic, Own Your Format
14:21 - Crafting Engaging Podcast Openings
20:04 - Podcast Strategy Essentials
22:33 - Podcast Strategy Beyond Ads
26:33 - Starting Small with Podcasts
29:12 - Podcasting Builds Deep Engagement
32:04 - Identifying Your Podcast Audience
34:39 - Maximize Podcast Audience Reach
37:49 - Medical Media vs Misinformation
41:24 - Earn It: Steve's Journey
Resources Mentioned
- Connect with Steve Pratt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveprattca/
- Book: "Earn It: Unconventional Strategies for Brave Marketers" by Steve Pratt
- Download or listen to the first chapter of Earn It: https://www.stevepratt.com/earnit-email
- Website: stevepratt.com
- The Midlife Field Guide - New experimental project
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