Is the healthcare industry behind the current marketing trends? If so, why is healthcare late to the digital marketing game?
This report from Marketo, a leading marketing automation firm, suggests 5 ways for healthcare to leverage digital marketing. If you are marketing IT solutions to healthcare organizations, these are also 5 elements to include in your marketing efforts.
Digital technology has changed the face of marketing. Yet, the healthcare industry, according to market research, lags two years behind other industries in adopting digital technology in marketing.
Patient information security and incompatible data systems are the two main barriers to entry for healthcare organizations in adopting digital marketing technology. As an healthcare IT vendor, you no doubt face this challenge every day when attempting to deliver and implement IT solutions with healthcare organizations.
Here’s your big marketing opportunity. You can lead by example when you adopt an effective digital marketing approach for your business. Follow these 5 steps to more effectively market your digital health services and teach your healthcare organization prospects and clients how to use digital technologies in the process.
1. Hands On Customer Market Research- Today with social media, businesses can interact with prospects and clients real time. Customers are comfortable sharing opinions and feedback in online surveys, or through social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. Rather than traditional focus groups and market research, put your IT solutions in the hands of customers and encourage real time feedback.
2. Build an SEO and Mobile Friendly Website- Do the homework to find out what search phrases your healthcare prospects use to find solutions to IT problems. Since many healthcare professionals use mobile devices, make sure your site is mobile friendly.
3. Create Demand for Your IT Solutions- Your healthcare prospects’ IT systems are sick. They don’t talk to each other. They are cumbersome to use. They get in the way of front line medical clinicians delivering effective healthcare. Understand that your prospects are looking to buy information technology. They are looking for ways to make doctors and nurses jobs easier. They want better communications and access to patient information when it’s needed. They are interested in providing better care to patients at lower costs. Find out what your customers really want. How you talk about what they want becomes your brand experience and positioning, and creates demand for your solutions.
4. Engage Your Prospects and Clients on Social Media- Use social media to engage with doctors and nurses, front line users of your IT products and services. Engage with healthcare IT leaders and decision makers. Social media is your platform to amplify the message and conversation about the solutions you offer, and showcase your understanding of the problems and challenges healthcare organizations face.
5. Determine ROI with Marketing Automation- Marketo is one marketing automation solution that provides the metrics of what’s happening with your social media engagements and visits to your website. Other marketing automation solutions such as Hubspot,and KISSmetrics give you the numbers you need to determine your ROI for your marketing efforts and investments.
While healthcare adoption of digital technology lags, it creates a tremendous opportunity for you the healthcare IT marketer. How you use digital technology becomes your brand experience and positioning of your business. What you DO speaks much louder than what you say.
Do you need help using digital technology to create a brand experience and position your digital health firm as a player in the healthcare industry?
If so, let’s talk and see if we can help you develop a digital media strategy that matches your Big Vision.
Reserve your No-Cost Digital Health Marketing Consultation Today.
photo credit: infocux Technologies via photopin cc
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