“Reaching the right people at the right time” has probably never been more important than when it comes to healthcare and those who are in dire need of medical attention. We all have friends and relatives asking us about the best doctor whenever they have any health concerns. And we have all given our bits as per our best knowledge.
However, what if you are not available when someone needs immediate assistance? Where do they go? Could they call someone? Could they browse a site? Inbound marketing answers all these questions. When applied in the healthcare sector, it makes sure that you, as a healthcare professional or organisation, reach the right audience at the right time, without making it look like a targeted advertisement. According to MD connect, 73% of consumers look for treatments online and 83% go through a hospital’s website before booking an appointment. Since your online presence is the first impression that helps them make a decision, it is an effective way to make them feel that you really understand their concerns and have solutions for them.
Incorporating Inbound Marketing Into The Healthcare Industry
Your Website - Establishing Trust and Safety
Quality is probably the most preferred asset when it comes to healthcare. A well put together a website that has all the information your audience is looking for reflects that very same quality. Prospective clients are more likely to choose your healthcare organisation if they find your content relevant and trustworthy. 41% of all consumers agree that website or social media content impacts their preference while choosing a treatment centre or a hospital.
Since it’s your window to making them feel ‘safe’ and ‘care for’, information about various symptoms and diseases, your achievements, awards, referrals, and specialities all contribute to better user experience. Knowing that you are well-connected to professionals from different sectors to provide holistic services, you will attract more prospective clients. According to a HubSpot’s case study, Conversant Bio, a pharmaceutical research organisation, increased marketing qualified leads seven-folds every month by employing inbound marketing strategies.
SEO – Helping You Save Their Precious Time
Using targeted phrases or keywords help in increasing your online visibility and getting you ranked higher, even appear on the first page of search engine result pages (SERPs). Since SEO is inherent to inbound marketing strategies, it really allows you to enhance what you are already providing - quality health services. Your SEO equipped online content offers more than simple information to those seeking some of the healthcare services. Locally targeted SEO in the form of geotags helps in letting the prospects know about your location and attracting those already in your vicinity, making sure they are not losing any precious time.
Social Media – Medical Marketer’s Communication Wand
There are a lot of healthcare organisations and physicians that use social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to share medical content, connect to other physicians, and answer general patient queries. The data on the kind of responders and visitors you get on social media could be used to leverage content that engages prospects and helps them understand you better as a quality and economical health service provider.
However, there are still many medical marketers who shy away from using social media to broaden their visibility. In fact, only 26% of the hospitals in the United States have created a social media profile that is active. Using social media doesn’t have to be an afterthought; it could be the very wand you are looking for to provide the right information to those who are seeking every second.
Video Marketing: Doctor Mike is Stealing Hearts
Using videos as part of your inbound strategy has become one of the fastest-growing trends in the world of marketing. We all know about Dr Mike, don’t we? He has taken marketing to the next level altogether through his YouTube channel. Marketers vouch for the effectiveness of videos because of their ability to get easily noticed, connect with the viewers at a fundamental level, and effectively engage viewers through educational content.
Video marketing is a boom for medical marketers who can use them to introduce viewers to their best-in-class services and staff, explain the procedures and their possible outcomes, inform about preventive therapies and management of various illnesses, explain how the healthcare industry is making strides with new technology and tools, and much more. Videos can also be used to record testimonials who are social proof of how effective your health services or products are, thereby helping you instil faith in your patients.
Conversational Marketing – Worth A Try
Nowadays, a lot of healthcare websites, including those that produce medical content have a section where anyone can sign up or take the desired call to action to directly message and talk to a doctor. Answering patients’ queries is at the heart of any kind of marketing today and need to be done effectively. The more prompt you are in replying to those queries, the higher the chances that they will keep you in mind the next time they are in need of a medical professional. Adding a review section and encouraging your happy clients or patients to rate your hospitals and doctors also helps establish that trust.
Conversations don’t have to be limited to prospect messages; replying to their reviews is equally effective and shows your seriousness towards your profession and delivery of quality services. According to a survey, 48% of consumers would spend on services out of their insurance coverage if the online reviews for a provider are favourable.
Using Forms – Without interfering The Users
If someone is visiting your site, chances are that they are in dire need of a medical professional or have a medical emergency of some sorts. In such cases, if your website suddenly gives a pop-up and ask them to fill a form, they are most likely to bounce.
However, you can get the form filled around the unmet needs of the prospect. For example, if a person is looking for a remedy for joint pain, you may ask him to fill a pain assessment form to rate the severity of pain. This would engage him more than anything else because it will send a message that you know what he is going through. Once he fills up the pain assessment form, you can identify if he qualifies as your lead and take him into the loop for next steps.
However, care should be taken not to overlook the legislation rules and laws. Once you receive the prospect’s information, follow-up with them by making a phone call. According to Forrester, prospects followed-up through an inbound phone call convert 30% faster as compared to web leads.
Quick Refresher
Inbound marketing is a door that has been opened for a long time for the healthcare industry. However, not many healthcare organisations and professionals have taken that path for the lack of examples and the reluctance to try new methods. But those who did, are succeeding incredibly in offering their products and services to the right people, exactly at the time when they need it.
When it comes to society, any approach that informs, educates, and instils an attitude of maintaining good health is worth it. For inbound marketing, we vouch for its effectiveness in helping the noble reach out to more people in need and create a healthy world.
Looking for a medico-marketer to help you through inbound marketing? Or need a free assessment of your healthcare organisation in terms of marketing efforts? Click anywhere below and we’ll get in touch with you!
