As healthcare providers look to remain competitive and attract new patients in 2019, leveraging new digital marketing strategies will be essential to maximize marketing spend and generate higher rates of return. By studying the most successful trends of 2018 and applying innovative healthcare marketing principles to revamp marketing initiatives in the new year, health and wellness vendors will be able to better position their service offerings in front of eager consumers.
According to healthcare marketing strategy experts at Response Mine Health, these are the top five strategies to begin implementing now – to cash in through next year.
Generate Educational Content.
Patients have more access to information than ever before and this shapes how they interact with advertisements. In fact, a Nielsen study found that consumers are more likely to trust referrals from loved ones and educational content produced by reputable sources over paid advertisements. For healthcare providers, using informational blogs or articles posted on social media sites can be an effective way to stay in front of new patients. In addition, infusing targeted keyword into the content can add marketing boost and help your company rank higher on search engine queries.
Make Analytics a Top Priority.
To ensure that your marketing is producing the returns you expect to reach revenue and patient acquisition goals, implementing robust analytics tools will be critical. Whether you partner with an experienced healthcare marketing firm or purchase a suite of in-house software, the key is to use it to measure the success (or failure) of all of your healthcare marketing strategies. With data in hand, you will be better able to make meaningful and proven adjustments to your marketing to generate more patient leads and higher rates of return on marketing spend.
Invest in Targeted Marketing Strategies.
The days of using generic “one size fits all” marketing are numbered. For your marketing to be effective, you will need to segment your target audience and create tailored marketing messages that will immediately resonant. Successful healthcare providers will invest time and resources into understanding their various marketing segments and identifying which digital platforms can be used to stay in front of prospective patients.
Enhance the User Experience.
With medical costs on the rise, patients are actively seeking alternatives to medical treatment. When surveyed, 80% of patients said they choose a new healthcare provider based on online reviews. Patients expect to have a convenient and seamless experience. That includes having access to the information they need to make informed decisions and having their questions answered through both online and over the phone. In fact, recent research found that 25% of consumers reported that they would wait less than one minute when placed on hold and over 75% of consumers will immediately call another medical group or hospital if forced to leave a message.
Innovate to Stay Ahead of the Curve.
This is likely to be an important healthcare marketing trend for 2019 and well into the future as the pace of technology quickens. How your customers’ search will continue to evolve and will influence how you structure your healthcare marketing strategies to stay competitive. Health and wellness marketing experts are forecasting that by 2020, more than 50% of all online searches will be done using voice search capabilities. With the popularity of voice-activated products like Alexa, finding ways to stay on top of this trend can be an effective way to carve out an unshakable competitive advantage.
These are just a five of the healthcare marketing strategies experienced digital marketers at Response Mine Health are recommending to implement for 2019. To explore a more comprehensive list of proven approaches or to schedule a complimentary digital marketing consultation, contact our healthcare marketing team.