HOW TO LEVERAGE DIGITAL MARKETING IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "HOW TO LEVERAGE DIGITAL MARKETING IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY"

Transcription

1 HOW TO LEVERAGE DIGITAL MARKETING IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY

2 The widespread distribution of digital technology has changed the nature of marketing. Businesses are now moving away from the distribution of massive, shotgun-style campaigns and implementing targeted efforts aimed at getting in touch with more focused demographics. The healthcare industry historically has not been keeping pace with these developments. In fact, comparative research done by MarketingProfs shows it is about two years behind other industries. Healthcare marketing is falling behind in just about every aspect studied, using far more outdated techniques than other industries.

3 Healthcare Content Marketing Usage 47% OF HEALTHCARE MARKETERS 35% of all marketers use print magazines 71% OF HEALTHCARE MARKETERS 63% of all marketers use YouTube 58% OF HEALTHCARE MARKETERS 74% of all marketers use blogs On average, 35% of all marketers use print magazines, but 47% of healthcare marketers use them. 28% of marketers use print newsletters compared to 43% of healthcare marketers, and 26% of marketers use print for annual reporting compared to 36% in healthcare. When it comes to using blogs, 74% of all marketers use blogs compared to only 58% in the healthcare industry. The situation is similar for social networks, with an interesting exception 71% of healthcare marketers make use of YouTube, more than the average of 63%. This is likely because healthcare professionals use YouTube to televise procedures and interview doctors. ARTICLES ON YOUR WEBSITE SOCIAL MEDIA - OTHER THAN BLOGS ENEWSLETTERS VIDEOS IN-PERSON EVENTS ARTICLES ON OTHER WEBSITES BLOGS CASE STUDIES WHITEPAPERS WEBINARS/WEBCASTS PRINT MAGAZINES BRANDED CONTENT TOOLS RESEARCH REPORTS PRINT NEWSLETTERS MICROSITES INFOGRAPHICS ANNUAL REPORTS DIGITAL MAGAZINES MOBILE CONTENT BOOKS MOBILE APPS LICENSED/SYNDICATED CONTENT EBOOKS PODCASTS VIRTUAL CONFERENCES GAMES/GAMIFICATION 86% 81% 78% 75% 75% 64% 58% 53% 52% 48% 47% 46% 45% 43% 40% 36% 36% 32% 31% 31% 31% 25% 24% 23% 21% 9%

4 Barriers to Entry for Digital Marketing in Healthcare There are a number of reasons why healthcare is lagging behind other industries when it comes to digital marketing. Healthcare professionals, who deal with matters of life and death, face unique challenges. Patient confidentiality is very important, and potentially hackable electronic systems raise concerns over a possible loss of privacy. Workers who handle that data are understandably uneasy about uploading it into distributed networks. A survey conducted earlier this year through IDC Canada found that: OF THE IT PROFESSIONALS IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY And yet another issue is currently being played out in Colorado where a new computerized registry has been put 51% 36% 31% in place to keep track of child vaccinations. The problem is that the new central registry is not compatible with the systems that most doctors are using in the state, so they are primarily concerned with data security when it comes to cloud technology, a major player in today s digital marketing. were worried about how well the new systems would perform. were worried about being able to integrate the new technologies into their existing systems. must input data into both systems. Doctors have found that this is just too much extra work, and are not updating the state database.

5 Online Marketing Strategy for Healthcare Despite these drawbacks, digital marketing technologies offer the most effective means for the healthcare industry to modernize. Marketing automation tools in particular provide ways to organize and streamline marketing tasks, and help workers feel secure with new systems. Healthcare marketers can update their operations and join other industries in the digital world by following this five-part online marketing strategy.

6 1 UNDERSTANDING YOUR MARKET Times have changed, and few businesses today acquire knowledge about their customers through traditional methods of outreach. Instead, market research for many companies is conducted online leveraging social networks to get their data. Today s consumers would rather have an actual conversation through online channels than just be given snippets of information from a faceless business. Social networks are one avenue that helps healthcare companies understand the concerns of their customers. By creating an online profile, people can share and interact with a company as if it were one of their friends. People are more likely to open up and express themselves through social media, and companies can collect and analyze that data to better understand what their customers expect from a healthcare service. In the offline world, healthcare marketers believe that qualitative, in-person Regardless of how you gain the information needed to understand your market, it is crucial to have knowledge of how your consumers buy and how they want to interact with your business in order to be successful with digital marketing. research is the preferred way to get in touch with the needs of customers. Qualitative research, like comprehensive individual interviews and focus groups, are the best ways to uncover how people truly feel about healthcare. Interactions like these reveal more personal and meaningful information than can be gained through a simple survey online.

7 OPTIMIZING YOUR SITE THROUGH SEO & MOBILE 2 Optimizing a website can be the difference between an irritated STEM CELL CURE ILLNESS visitor and a successful conversion. It can also determine whether or not the site is found in the first place. A search engine optimization (SEO) program increases a site s ranking and visibility in Google and other search engines. It also encourages easy web browsing. HOSPITAL TREATMENT In most cases, healthcare companies need to hire a medical optimization service to ensure that SEO procedures are implemented intelligently. This service should thoroughly understand medical terminology and the needs of potential patients. The best SEO services do their own market research to provide the most effective keywords, metadata, site maps, and targeted content for a particular company. Continuous monitoring and modifying of SEO tactics is needed to compete with other sites and stay on top of the rankings.

8 A major part of site optimization today includes being prepared for mobile access. Gartner has forecast that 2013 will see more people accessing the web through mobile phones than PCs, so there is precious time left to become mobile-ready. Companies without mobile-optimized sites will soon be behind the times, forcing their customers to struggle with their web content on small mobile screens. Mobile optimization generally consists of resizing and reformatting a site so that it can be comfortably used on small screens. Drop-down menus and input forms usually need to be re-thought. In some cases, a website may need to be completely redesigned to be mobile-friendly.

9 3 CREATING DEMAND Creating demand in the healthcare industry doesn t require more people to be sick, instead, it means encouraging those people who are already ill or injured to seek out the care they need. It also means positioning yourself to be the provider of choice when a patient does become ill.

10 In order to create demand, a company must first understand why their target customers are not seeking healthcare for their symptoms or what their customers look for when choosing a healthcare provider. After defining a priority group, such as people with a particular condition, a company should examine the following aspects of the way they deliver healthcare: 1 HOW AFFORDABLE IS THE TREATMENT? HOW ACCEPTABLE HOW ACCESSIBLE IS THE FACILITY CAN ANYONE COME? IS TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED? IS THE QUALITY OF CARE AND THE COMPANY S ATTITUDE TOWARDS PATIENTS? WHAT IS THE COMPANY DOING TO SET THEMSELVES APART FROM OTHER FACILITIES OR PROVIDERS? Furthermore, research must be done on how patients feel about their condition and what they think of the available treatments. Once these questions are answered, a company can go about planning a healthcare delivery strategy that takes into account the perceptions of potential patients. It can make provisions to help transport patients, make their care more affordable, or change the way it deals with patients. The final step is to continually monitor how satisfied patients are with their care and the way they utilize healthcare services.

11 ENGAGING YOUR AUDIENCE THROUGH SOCIAL CHANNELS 4 ENGAGING YOUR AUDIENCE THROUGH SOCIAL CHANN Social media provides a great way for healthcare companies to engage their audience with interesting and meaningful content. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter let patients have conversations with real doctors and healthcare workers, and the ability to share such conversations help spark interest and get more people involved. People love to share their opinions and win competitions, and healthcare companies can take advantage of this by creating surveys and contests to be deployed through social media. The best hospital ever. Amazing staff and amazing hospital.

12 In fact, many healthcare companies are starting to become more involved in social media. Take a look at what platforms healthcare marketers are using most often to distribute content. FACEBOOK YOUTUBE TWITTER 75% 71% 63% 70% 78% 82% Percentage of Healthcare Marketers Using Social Media LINKEDIN GOOGLE+ PINTEREST 23% 22% 22% 39% 56% 74% SLIDESHARE 7% 19% HEALTHCARE ALL VIMEO 7% 12% FOURSQUARE 6% 9% INSTAGRAM 3% 8% STUMBLEUPON 4% 9% FLICKR QUORA 3% 12% 3% 5% TUMBLER 2% 7%

13 The Lexington Medical Center made great use of the 2012 Pink Glove Dance Video Competition to attract attention to itself, engaging practically the entire state of South Carolina. They used social media, content marketing, and YouTube to ramp up their efforts and get the community involved. This is also a great example of a healthcare facility going outside of the box and having some fun with their marketing.

14 Social networks give businesses a place to be innovative. Take, for example, the fascinating idea of using Twitter to share live broadcasts of surgical procedures. The first was a tumor removal operation that took place in 2009 at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, and many have followed. These live broadcasts fascinate audiences and can showcase the facilities and level of care given by a healthcare facility. And once you have this great content, whether it is a video or maybe an infographic Social networks give business a place to be innovative. that details healthcare statistics, you can not only use it for engagement through social channels, but you can also leverage it in your marketing campaigns.

15 5 MEASURING RESULTS THROUGH MARKETING AUTOMATION Sophisticated analytics programs offered by many marketing automation platforms are designed to track each step of a digital marketing campaign, from lead generation to conversions to customer retention. Only by properly measuring and analyzing the individual costs and benefits of a campaign can the overall effect on ROI be determined. Automated marketing tools provide the easiest way to collect data and make conclusions. Besides taking most of the hassle and personal effort out of analytics, marketing automation tools can also compare the relative successes of different marketing tactics to help you make adjustments so you can increase the effectiveness of poorly performing content. The most difficult aspect of measuring results in healthcare is determining a time-frame by which to judge whether a positive return has been made. The only solution to this challenge is a comprehensive tracking system that takes into account all expenses and revenue.

16 CONCLUSION Although healthcare has been historically behind when it comes to digital marketing, it is clear that they are starting to catch up. Through leveraging social media, content marketing, and marketing automation, healthcare professionals can engage consumers on a much deeper level, positioning themselves to be the provider of choice. By following the five-stop process illustrated in the ebook and continuously testing and evolving your tactics, you can fine-tune your marketing campaigns and be innovators in your industry.

17 About Marketo Marketing Software. Easy, Powerful, Complete. Marketo (NASDAQ: MKTO) provides the leading cloud-based marketing software platform for companies of all sizes to build and sustain engaging customer relationships. Spanning today s digital, social, mobile and offline channels, the Marketo solution includes a complete suite of applications that help organizations acquire new customers more efficiently, maximize customer loyalty and lifetime value, improve sales effectiveness, and provide analytical insight into marketing s contribution to revenue growth. Marketo s applications are known for their breakthrough ease-of-use, and are complemented by the Marketing Nation, a thriving network of more than 150 LaunchPoint ecosystem partners and over 30,000 marketers who share and learn from each other to grow their collective marketing expertise. The result for modern marketers is unprecedented agility and superior results. blog.marketo.com