Healthcare Marketing Plans: Five Essentials

While healthcare marketing is unique and can be challenging, the key strategies organizations should consider in their healthcare marketing plans are much like other industries and there are several basics that all healthcare organizations should incorporate.

Conduct your research.

With an increase in competition and cost paired with the desire for good customer experience, consumers are shopping around for healthcare. Healthcare organizations cannot afford to skip this step. While it can be expensive and time intensive, to operate strategically, organizations must perform market research to gain insight about their patients. Understanding their wants and needs will help organizations develop better brand messages, acquisition, and retention strategies. This can help identify what tactics are best for which audiences.

Focus on relationships

Value is a popular term in the healthcare industry – as it should be. Patients are looking for more than simply being “seen” at an appointment. They want convenience, communication, and collaboration. Sound customer experience strategies considering everything from booking appointments to wait times and communication with clinicians to patient feedback will be essential to achieving this goal.

Enhance your brand.

A strong brand presence gives your organization a competitive advantage and a strong brand builds trust and helps you develop a relationship with consumers by connecting with them in various ways. A brand is more than just your logo – it’s the who, what, why and how of your organization. It’s your vision and how you message that to your consumers.

Incorporate content.

A content strategy is essential for healthcare organizations. Whether its blog content on various topics your organization specializes in or patient stories that share details on experience and results, content must be a part of your plan. If done right, content also has a long shelf life and can be leveraged through multiple mediums. For example, you can use a patient story to develop a longer video or commercial. You can also break it down into bite size pieces to share on social media.

Build a social strategy.

More people than ever are taking to the Internet to research healthcare providers and that includes social media. Social platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are a great way for healthcare organizations to educate followers, promote health resources, share content (e.g. blogs and patient stories) and engage and interact with patients. Creating a yearly or quarterly social media calendar will help your organization be proactive and stand out above the rest.  

Incorporating a few essential strategies into your healthcare marketing plan will help deliver more value to your organization. If you need support, contact Chartwell Agency. We specialize in healthcare marketing and can help your organization get off to a great start.