In this increasingly connected, consumer-driven world, even the healthcare industry is changing to keep up. Individuals who seek healthcare information have more resources and options at their disposal than ever before.
According to a survey involving 839 respondents, 75 percent of the participants use the Internet first when looking for a new doctor. The same survey showed that 70 percent agree that a positive online reputation is important when considering a healthcare provider.
Nowadays, it is no longer enough for companies and providers in the healthcare industry to rely on word-of-mouth marketing and referrals. In this consumer-driven age, it is often the organization’s online reputation that is the deciding factor.
Thus, whether you are a healthcare provider, a medical equipment supplier, or a healthcare technology company, you need to boost your online presence to garner a larger target audience.
Here are some marketing strategies you should consider to keep potential and current customers and patients engaged.
#1 Concentrate On Your Field of Expertise
To be considered a reliable expert in the world of healthcare, your organization has to establish a reputation of being a reliable source of information. Your credibility lies in the contents posted and shared on your website and social media pages.
Customers, patients, and even guests expect your content to be specific and well researched. Readers presume that they are reading insights from a source with deep knowledge and firsthand experience about a topic.
When generating content, such as articles, blog posts, and videos, ensure that they are relevant to their respective branches in the healthcare industry.
Keep in mind that establishing your company as an expert in the field is not about inundating your readers with a lot of complicated data. Being a true authority in the field, you should be able to explain information clearly and enthusiastically.
#2 Learn More about Your Target Audience
Another crucial aspect of healthcare marketing is understanding what truly matters to most of your buyers. By knowing their many nuances, you can easily develop a marketing strategy and craft messages that will suit their needs.
For instance, when your company produces medical equipment for dental clinics, your marketing focus should be on dental professionals and their staff, not on their patients.
One thing healthcare businesses can do to understand their audience fully and to place themselves as a customer-centric organization is to ask for customer insights. In fact, a lot of organizations thrive because they listen to their customers’ comments and suggestions. You can even enlist the help of healthcare marketing experts like Care Marketing to form a stronger engagement with your audience.
#3 Answer Health Questions People Care About
More than half of Internet users worldwide look for information about their health problems through online searches. 75 percent of caregivers, women, and other people with serious health conditions consult the Internet first when seeking medical attention.
If you anticipate the questions that your readers want to know the answer to, addressing these through your website would boost traffic and increase your page ranking and establish you as a trusted authority.
#4 Utilize Social Media
The majority of adults use social media, making it one of the most popular marketing channels. Recent statistics show that 4 out of 5 individuals between the ages of 30 and 49 have social media accounts. Also, around two-thirds of older adults between the ages of 50 and 64 regularly use SNS sites like Twitter and Facebook.
One advantage of using social media for your marketing strategy is its ability to reach an audience on a more intimate level. Humorous anecdotes, insightful bits, and memes allow your organization to show off its approachable side.
#5 Be Interactive, Be Human
One of the challenges that organizations in the healthcare industry face is the ability to connect on a human level. Though professionalism is important, your audience, customers, and patients need to feel that they are also speaking with another human being.
You can make your content more engaging by adding colorful pictures to give life to your words. You can also add humor to capture the attention of your audience. As for your social media accounts, try to be interactive by responding to comments and direct messages.
#6 Ensure You Are HIPAA-Compliant
As the world becomes more interconnected, data privacy and security have been a growing concern. Although keeping your clients engaged is important, ensuring their information is secure is crucial as well.
When sharing content about your customers’ or patients’ stories, make sure you have their full consent before publishing them. Remove any identifiers, such as names, addresses, photos, and other details.
Your organization must comply with HIPAA guidelines. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) protects the privacy and security of sensitive health information. Therefore, healthcare providers need to ensure that they are adhering to these rules to ensure ethical practices.
Businesses in the healthcare industry need to keep abreast of the latest developments in marketing to stay relevant. Therefore, organizations need to develop their online presence and become credible sources of information to attract and retain their audiences.
