Marketing is a must for any company that not only wants to keep its head above water but wants to thrive in any economy.
But like the economy, marketing best practices don’t remain static. There is ebb and flow, depending on:
- The age of your target market
- World events
- The goals of your customers
To ensure you get the growth you want and avoid wasting time and money on ineffective marketing techniques, we’re sharing six tips in healthcare marketing. These tips will help you stay at the top of your customer’s minds and attract new ideal customers.
6 Up-to-Date Tips in Healthcare Marketing
The advertising and marketing tactics of the 1950s and 1960s are not as effective in the 21st century. But even the tactics of the past few years can prove to be ineffective and make your company seem outdated, which is why it’s vital to stay up to date on the latest marketing trends.
Here are some of the best tips in healthcare marketing for 2021.
1. Focus on Quality Rather Than Quantity
Yes, posting often is helpful. It can move your content up the Google chain and help put your content in front of your audience more often on social media.
However, if you post sub-par content just to post often, you risk your reputation. Potential customers might think that if healthcare suppliers are not willing to post quality content, why would they make quality physician office supplies, equipment, or PPE products?
Taking care to create quality blog posts, videos, and social media posts that are educational, informative, and appeal to your customer’s wants and needs can make your content stand out.
2. Address the Changes/Advances in the Healthcare System
Each year, we hear of incredible innovations like AI assisting (or completely performing) with certain medical procedures, as well as technology that helps doctors and their teams educate patients in-office. Or next-generation applications like Infervision, which utilizes AI to help radiologists/doctors diagnose lung conditions faster, including cancer and COVID-19. Downloads of apps like this are expected to reach nearly 300 billion by 2023.
Source: Cisco – Next-generation application downloads are expected to rise. Use this knowledge to improve your healthcare marketing efforts.
Your customers are interested in this technology. They know that utilizing it in their practices or hospitals can help them improve patient care and even see more patients each day.
Blogs, videos, or social media posts about the advancements in healthcare can help you attract attention. Plus, you can impress your customers by providing useful, educational information about the technology they’re interested in, especially if it’s in easily digestible increments.
3. Utilize Videos
According to Hubspot.com, 97% of marketers state that video posts help them explain their products in a way that’s easier for their audience to understand.
Another benefit of video is that many people are visual learners. Reading blogs is helpful but when they see videos, they’re more likely to retain the information.
Video is also a fast way to show the benefits or superiority of your products.
4. Incorporate Multi-Channel Marketing Initiatives
Your customers are omnichannel. They shop from their desktop computer, tablets, and phones. The more initiatives you can provide, the better. Options include:
- Contact forms
- Your phone number prominently displayed
- Text messaging
- Chatbots
All these options help create a unique user experience and promote engagement. You appeal to people who love to do things the old-fashioned way (telephone calls), as well as those who love to reach out to their favorite brands on various social media platforms.
5. Regularly Refer to Your Brand Pyramid
A brand pyramid answers questions about your brand and audience. The visual can be shared with your entire marketing team or organization to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Referring to your pyramid regularly during your content strategy sessions can help:
- You come up with content ideas
- Make sure your posts are on-brand
If your messaging is consistent, you’re more likely to build a loyal following – individuals and companies who are more likely to invest in your products.
Your pyramid will include five levels:
- Functional benefits: What are your customer’s problems or pain points? Why would a potential customer be interested in your product? How does it help them? What kind of results can they expect?
- Emotional benefits: How will your customer feel after using the product?
- Brand/product persona: If your brand was a person, what values would be important to them? How can these core values be expressed in your marketing materials?
- Brand idea: This is why your customers care about your brand. It’s the DNA of your brand – what you stand for and what sets you apart from similar companies.
6. Manage Your Online Reputation
It’s estimated nine out of 10 consumers check online reviews before making a purchase. If you don’t have a good online reputation, you can bet that you’re losing out on some sales.
Thankfully, you can remedy this situation by managing your online reputation. One way to do this is to respond to comments on social media or review websites. If the feedback was negative, make sure to be gracious. Thank the person for their honest feedback. Show that you’re willing to discuss the matter further in private, either to offer them a refund or otherwise help them.
You can also answer customer questions on social media platforms. Again, if you receive a negative comment, thank them for their feedback, apologize for any inconvenience, and try to work out a solution. Not only will this improve their opinion of you and build trust, but it will also impress others who are watching the conversation unfold. Customer service is incredibly important to your reputation and ultimately, to your bottom line.
How to Cut Through the Noise with the Latest Marketing Best Practices
Have you done a Google search lately? If so, you might’ve found it a bit disconcerting. For just about every search, it seems there are thousands (if not millions of options). You might feel even more discouraged knowing that a lot of people won’t take the time to scroll past the first page of results.
Keeping yourself and your marketing team up to date on the latest marketing practices can help improve your visibility. Implementing modern tips in healthcare marketing – like incorporating voice search or click-to-call options – can make you more attractive to your target audience, too.
It will take some time and effort to learn the latest best practices – but ultimately, it will be worth it!
Interested in boosting your visibility? Share Moving Media is a full-service media company that works with medical and healthcare suppliers. Contact us to receive your free visibility analysis and see how Share Media Media can take your marketing to the next level!