Share Moving Media

3 Ways Medical Distribution Sales Teams Should Use Content

By

While it may seem that content marketing is a siloed marketing activity, it can be a really effective tool for medical sales reps to use with their clients.

Here are 3 ways that medical distribution sales teams should be using content with their customers and prospects.

1: Build relationships

Relationships are the foundation of the medical/surgical sales channel, which is why distribution sales reps should be using content to develop those relationships. Content gives sales reps the ability to nurture leads who aren’t yet sales-ready, instead of ignoring them in favor of a hotter lead. Sales reps can use content to educate leads and help them through the sales process by providing actionable insights and information designed to move them closer to purchase.

2: Inform and educate

Selling in 2023 means that you are selling to an informed buyer. Before they meet with you, the buyer has likely already done all their research to help them make a better decision. The job of the medical sales rep is to supplement that knowledge with the kind of branded content that can give your company an extra dose of credibility. Using content to inform and educate your customers is a great way to show how your products differ from the competition and how your products meet the needs of the user.

By taking the “resource approach”, you can navigate around the current knowledge that your customers may have about your products and answer any further questions they might have. This extra touch will also help to build a relationship and trust between you and the customer.

3: Generate new leads

When you generate content, you generate leads. The greatest payoff of a content strategy is that it adds a new source of leads to your pipeline. As potential customers continue to visit your site, complete forms, and download items so that they can continue reading your content, you are creating a steady flow of potential leads for your sales team. Stay ahead of your pipeline by keeping your content up-to-date and accurate to the changing medical distribution landscape.

Developing content for your sales teams to use can be challenging, but it’s critical to driving engagement with your audience and revenue for your organization. Share Moving Media has developed the tools, resources and expertise to assist. We create content for several of your peers in the medical device world. Contact sadams@sharemovingmedia.com today to learn more about equipping your sales reps with effective content.

Why Best in Class Brands Outsource Content Creation to Niche Publishers

By

Content outsourcing is producing articles, press releases, social media, and any marketing related material outside of an organization. Content generated through content creation is critical to a business’ success and is used for external marketing and search engine optimization (SEO).

Best in class brands often have a consistent brand image maintained across all of their communications, marketing, and content. Having a marketing strategy can set you apart from competitors, increase brand image and awareness, and boost sales.

There is always work to do when maintaining the busy operations of a medical distribution company. Often, businesses lack the time and resources it takes to create and maintain consistent creation of marketing materials. Outsourcing content creation to niche publishers that are experienced in the healthcare industry ensures a consistent brand identity and far-reaching market exposure.

Below are 4 reasons to outsource content creation:

  1. Timesaving:

Written content requires extensive research, time to write, and through editing. This content could take an in-house employee hours, when they could be accomplishing other work tasks. If marketing responsibilities are handled by experienced professionals in the healthcare industry, your business can save time and effort in the workplace.

  1. Cost Effective:

Hiring and paying an in-house marketing employee is expensive. Delegating content creation to niche healthcare industry publishers assures timely, reliable, and affordable content.

  1. Expertise:

Industry publishers are experienced in writing content that resonates with healthcare industry audiences. Niche publishers are a trustworthy source when it comes to creating compelling content and understanding your brand and the industry.

  1. Editorial Calendar:

This is one of the top reasons medical supply companies contact us about their content needs. An editorial team can plan, create, and implement an editorial calendar. Forward-thinking companies recognize that with a myriad of communication and marketing objectives within their own organization, having the expertise of a niche publisher to handle an editorial calendar frees their resources up to be used elsewhere.

At Share Moving Media, our team of professional publishers and writers in the industry will take the stress of marketing off your business’ plate. As publishers of The Journal of Healthcare Contracting and Repertoire Magazine, we are familiar with the medical distribution industry and its stakeholders. For over 30 years, we have partnered with supply chain professionals and distributors to create unique brand content that stands out among competitors. Contact us and we will effectively tell your brand’s story.

Why Podcasts are Perfect for Salespeople

By

Podcasts are a strategic sales tool that will assure your business is a step ahead of competitors. A podcast is a long-form audio series that allows a business to communicate in a more direct, personal, and informative way. Information delivered through podcasts can be leveraged as a marketing and sales tool by salespeople. Read on for five reasons podcasts are beneficial for salespeople.

  1. Accessible and reaches more diverse audiences.

Podcasts can be accessed at any time without the need for a screen or visuals because they are audio content. Users can listen to content at any time, such as in the car, at work, or whenever they are not directly in front of a screen. Salespeople can leverage this aspect of podcasts to reach audiences more effectively and directly.

  1. Build brand awareness.

It is becoming increasingly common for businesses to promote their brand across a multitude of platforms. In a multi-channel marketing environment, utilizing podcasting can set a brand apart. Sales can be initiated through the relationships formed with podcast guests and potential audiences.

  1. Set you apart from your competitors.

Audio marketing can be a strategic way to set a business apart from competitors. Podcasts are gaining increasing popularity among medical distribution industry consumers, and businesses can use this as an opportunity to market products and gain a competitive advantage when podcasts are utilized as a marketing tool.

  1. Interview current clients and strategic partners.

Longer-form media such as podcasts allow ample time for details to be conveyed regarding a business or product. Interviewing clients is a great way to give a detailed explanation about them in relation to your business, which is mutually beneficial and can increase exposure for both parties.

  1. Unique Platform

Podcasts are a unique platform that allow the creator to share information on a topic they have expertise on, without the need for interaction or response. It is a platform where the content created matters and can make a listener feel informed and personally involved. Audiences who experience this are in turn more likely to trust a brand and make purchasing decisions.

With experience specifically working with manufacturers and distributors in the healthcare industry, Share Moving Media produces and edits over 50 podcasts a year for our clients.  If you are interested in doing a podcast, we can help your business create targeted marketing content. Listen to our podcast here and contact us if your business is interested in podcasts for marketing promotion.

A Trusted Voice: Why Reps Can Rely on Repertoire’s 30-Year Record

By

What began as a faxed newsletter to distributor reps in 1993 has grown into a small-but-mighty company dedicated to training suppliers and providers on successful supply chain strategies. Behind that newsletter – now called Repertoire magazine – was Brian Taylor, who, with Chris Kelly, founded Medical Distribution Solutions Inc., or MDSI, publisher of distributor-oriented publications, electronic training tools, databases and more.

“We intended to provide useful selling tips to dealer reps in our area via a fax sheet that included things like CPT codes, reimbursement updates and the like,” Taylor said. “We also knew that our rep business would grow if we created better-trained dealer reps.”

Repertoire, the only publication that serves the healthcare distribution channel, has carried out that mission for three decades by following three key tenants:

History. Think about major events that have affected U.S. healthcare distributors, manufacturers and providers over the last few decades. Managed care. Consolidation. Economic headwinds and tailwinds. Obamacare. Reimbursement changes. The COVID pandemic. Repertoire’s brand has navigated those market changes alongside the distribution industry. Staffed by long-time industry veterans, it is considered required reading for the medical distribution community. Indeed, in the latest reader survey, 71% of respondents said Repertoire was their favorite way to consume industry and manufacturer content.

Perspective. With each content piece, Repertoire writers ask one fundamental question – how does this apply to the day-to-day role of a distributor rep? Repertoire uses several industry experts for columns targeted at high-value segments of the market, including the Physician Office Lab, Hospital/Surgery Center, Long-Term Care and Infection Prevention Sales. Each feature story examines a major topic from the angle of how it affects distribution and the physician customers who you call on. And, our Rep Corner stories highlight the important work and contributions individual reps are making to their families, communities and organizations.

Trust. Repertoire’s primary readers are the 5,400 sales reps, management, purchasing/operations and executives from distribution. Thus the magazine’s agenda is simple – to educate and inform distributor sales teams. The print and digital publications provide helpful, non-invasive content that Repertoire readers can take their time to digest and use in customer conversations. In the process, we align with manufacturer partners who are invested in your success as well. When asked whether they would share manufacturer sponsored content that focuses on timely issues your customers are facing, 96% of recent Repertoire survey respondents said yes. And, 73% percent of survey respondents said they have sold a product or service after reading an ad in Repertoire.

“At 30 years old, almost every rep in the industry today has grown up with Repertoire being their bible,” said publisher Scott Adams. “Reps tell me all the time how valuable the content in the magazine is to their careers and ultimately their end-users.”

Indeed, Repertoire remains the trusted source to tell the stories of today’s distributor sales reps, as well as the best place to reach those reps.

Share Moving Media helps build relationships between manufacturers and distributors through its publications and content. Please contact us at Sadams@sharemovingmedia.com to learn how we can help you gain market share through distribution.

The Power of Omni Channel Marketing

By

Technology is integrated into our everyday lives, especially in the fast-paced global healthcare industry. Medical suppliers can use technology to their advantage to create an engaging and sales-boosting marketing strategy with other supply chain stakeholders. 

Omni channel marketing is a brand’s presence across multiple channels. Online channels include websites, apps, social media, and email. This form of marketing exposure also includes face-to-face interaction through traditional brick-and-mortar stores and company events.

Medical suppliers increase their exposure through creation of a consistent brand experience. Omni channel marketing is a customer-centric form of brand promotion, meaning customers can interact with a business on their own terms, resulting in a better overall experience. 

Here are 3 preliminary steps to creating a seamless brand experience:

  1. Start with a website and social media accounts.

Websites are often the primary place a customer checks for relevant information. Websites can outline information, highlight products, and address customer questions. Additionally, posting consistently to social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc., increases customer engagement. 

  1. Use the same message across channels.

Brand messaging should be consistent across platforms. The key is to create a concise message while considering the differences between each platform. For instance, LinkedIn is often more professional and concise, while Instagram is more visual and creative.

  1. Create an app presence.

Evaluate your industry and product. Could a mobile device application increase a customer’s positive brand experience? Apps can increase a customer’s engagement and provide a more user-friendly experience. Apps can be developed directly or through hiring a freelance developer.

RepConnect is an example of a user-friendly app with tools, resources, and news that reps can utilize for important health industry information.

Numerous companies have developed a successful campaign through omni-channel marketing, and it has been proven to maintain brand consistency and increase user engagement.

Creating an omni channel marketing strategy assists medical suppliers in providing a consistent brand message. Developing a message across multiple channels can take time and patience, and Share Moving Media, the creators of RepConnect, have the expertise to assist you in gaining more visibility in the medical distribution industry. If you’d like to stay front of mind with over 5000 distribution reps and can market share please contact https://sharemovingmedia.com/.