The Impact Marketing can have on Healthcare
Healthcare professionals have always strived to provide their current and future patients with the best care possible.
Today, patients are more involved in their health journey than ever before, making decisions that they may have formerly left to a doctor.
Why Marketing in Healthcare?
As we enter a world where the average patient is more tech-savvy and searches for health solutions online, the healthcare space has become crowded with competition and ambiguity.
Healthcare is still a very old fashioned industry and, as such, has been a bit too reluctant in investing in proper marketing. Many view it as cost centre. But more and more professionals see the value in using marketing to showcase their expertise and position their organisation as the leaders in the market.
https://keyreply.com/blog/healthcare-marketing/
Uniqueness of Marketing in Healthcare
The healthcare industry faces a unique challenge when it comes to marketing. Some medical issues affect only a fraction of the population, leaving a small pool of patients to market to.
That's why it's important to know your target audience and adjust your marketing strategies.
Textbook marketing basics are still applicable to the healthcare, although with slight changes:
1. Analyze patient needs/problems
2. Provide medical services that solve those issues
3. Market them through sources/content that targets your audience
By having this information, we can focus on strategies that bring the most value and maximise ROI.
Reviews Matter
Health is a very personal subject. Potential patients want to have complete trust in their healthcare providers and expect maximum transparency.
Having a good reputation in the healthcare industry is more important than ever, as it has become even easier to sort out badly reviewed organisations.
That’s why it’s very important to take good care of your patient, both in and out of office. This can help you keep old customers and also attract new potential ones.
https://www.keonahealth.com/resources/top-patient-experience-metrics-ranked
We recommend to ask your patients to leave honest feedback online and by word-of-mouth. Even offer promotions or discounts in return.
Patient Interaction
Engaging with your patients in all stages of their healthcare journey is key. Not only does it build brand loyalty and reputation, but it can also increase revenue by up to 20%.
An omnichannel approach works best. We should utilise both direct (contact) or indirect (content) type of patient interaction:
1. Chat
2. E-mail
3. Blogs
4. Social Media
5. Virtual Care Platforms
https://www.ooma.com/blog/business/tips-to-improve-healthcare-phone-calls/
Virtual Care Platforms are a new addition, that has been gaining traction in the past few years. They function as CRM systems that allow both the patients and doctors to have access to patient data. This allows for maximum transparency and further establishes trust.
The effectiveness of each channel will vary by age, demographic, tech savviness (ex. older patients may prefer e-mail to social media messages). So, it's very important to do market research and know your target patient.
Edge over the Competition
Healthcare is a very competitive and saturated field. There are private clinics popping up on, what seems like, a daily basis. As such, there are many businesses that are fighting over a small pool of potential customers.
Competition analysis provides insights into the strategies and practices that other organizations use. While some competitors may employ similar business tactics, they might implement them in unique ways. Others may offer services not currently provided by your own organization.
https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/starting-a-business/conduct-competitive-analysis/
Then, you can refine your business model or develop a strategic marketing approach to effectively showcase your unique value proposition.
Alternatively, your organisation can use analytics to gather key patient metrics and use them to improve your services and provide better patient care.
It’s good to be careful with patient data, as there is a growing need for better privacy in healthcare.
So be sure to opt for privacy oriented analytics, such as analyzee.io, to make sure your healthcare organisation is compliant with all the privacy laws.
Summary
Healthcare marketing can be time-consuming, but we consider it necessary. There are many proven strategies that work in other fields that work in healthcare, too. The most important thing is to focus on your patient - who are they, what do they need, how can I help them. By answering these questions, you are already half way to a marketing strategy that's tailored to your business.
#healthcare #analytics #marketing #privacy #hipaa
