Much like fashion or food, the healthcare industry also uses marketing trends and techniques to reach its target audience. There are a few medicines that are quite similar, so the marketing has to be effective to help each one stand out. Because of the nature of the products, this can be a very delicate process. Healthcare marketing must address the sensitive issues of illness without seeming too frightening or, worse, too ineffective. With the impact of technology and potential customers being able to do their research into a drug or treatment, simply claiming to be backed by science isn’t enough anymore.
Healthcare marketers know how to approach potential customers with both intelligence and friendliness. Here are ten healthcare marketing trends that you should be aware of that will help you make informed decisions before committing to a product.
What region you’re living in will be a major factor in what is sold to you. For example, residents in dry and hot Arizona would not be a great market for snow tires. In this same way, healthcare marketers collect data of a specific region and offer them products based on consumer preferences.
Telemedicine is the process of getting medical care or consultation without having to actually go into a doctor’s office or hospital. As these convenient on-call services become more popular, there has been a movement to charge for them. Patients are willing to pay to contact a doctor by email, phone, or even text to get information on treatment options.
There was a point where getting medical treatment meant going and waiting in a doctor’s office, perhaps for even hours at a time. Nowadays, however, with the accessibility of medical care professionals, the patients’ time is just as valuable as the doctor’s own. Healthcare has become patient-centric, which prioritizes the patient’s need for treatment. Waiting is no longer a mandatory factor in seeking healthcare and marketing agents know how to push this.
There are tons of options for streaming videos, sometimes in real-time, for almost any subject you might want. This includes healthcare. Video has proven to be more effective in communicating with its audiences than long passages of medical jargon. Healthcare marketers can use videos to not only introduce the care or drugs being sold but also to share the success stories of those who use it.
Marketing is usually based on a two-step process: repeat the message and find the audience it resonates with. But with the average consumer becoming more skilled in digital research, there has to be more substance. Generally, if there is little digital content or other information that cannot be verified, consumers will not trust the marketers. More skillful marketers know that establishing a personal foundation with consumers will build not only trust but help develop business.
Customer interaction has always been one of the best ways to market medicine. Speaking to patients directly helps create a relationship and build trust. With the rise of social media, customers have a chance to ask questions and speak directly with healthcare representatives the same way they can speak to their friends. Having this direct contact is also a great way in healthcare marketing being faster and more efficient.
Rather than wait to hear what’s making them ill, the modern trend is to simply type your symptoms into a search bar and get your own results. Sometimes, patients will become their own second opinion and question what they’ve been told. Healthcare is no longer one-sided but viewed as a collaboration between a patient and a doctor.
Marketing allows companies in all industries to make connections with their audience. However, it's important for consumers to understand the messages they're seeing. Keep these marketing trends in mind as you navigate your healthcare.
