Marketing trends, especially in spaces like durable medical equipment or pharmacies – are constantly changing, and it can be difficult for healthcare marketers to keep up with the latest in the healthcare marketing world. Staying on top of these trends is so important to make sure that you are developing innovating marketing programs and communicating with your audience in the most effective way possible.
At the halfway point of the year – we are going to review three of the biggest trends that have emerged in healthcare marketing:
Shift to mHealth
We have discussed mHealth (short for mobile health) on this blog many times, but the shift to mHealth continues to be an emerging trend across the healthcare industry. While there are a number of legislative concerns around privacy and security that have kept mHealth practices from really “blowing up,” healthcare marketers are still positioning their products and services for the seemingly inevitable shift to the day our society manages our healthcare from our mobile devices.
What does this look like? Primarily, healthcare marketers are investing in their existing mobile platforms, making them as accessible as possible for their existing customers. Throughout 2018, we have seen online healthcare portals become much more robust in their service offerings, while also being simpler to use for the end user. More and more doctors are shifting their appointment scheduling, patient communication, and treatment information online – a move that creates convenience for the patient while often providing better care overall.
This investment in a better online experience with regard to healthcare is widely understood as a trend focused on building a strong foundation for future investments in mobile health.
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Direct Interaction on Social Media
Beyond the actual portals and platforms in which we interact with the healthcare system online, 2018 has also brought an increase in the interactivity with medical professionals online. This increase has come mainly in the form of social media interactions between patients and healthcare professionals. Not only are we seeing more and more patients take to their social networks to ask for advice or information about their symptoms, condition, or treatment; but we are also seeing more healthcare companies and professionals answer that call.
This has led to an increase dialogue online between healthcare companies (like durable medical equipment providers) and professionals and the patients that they work with. Tools like Facebook’s messenger or Google’s chat functionality are both popular options for doctors and other healthcare professionals to directly interact with their patients – providing advice, feedback, and care through online channels.
Great Content is Still Trendy
Healthcare marketers are still relying heavily on quality content to drive their marketing campaigns in 2018. Content is a double-edged sword in the sense that there is so much content out there that it can be difficult to know what and who to trust – especially when it comes to your health.
That is why it is more important than ever for healthcare companies to build a strong foundation of credible, high quality content that is not only easy to understand, but that provides the answers they are looking for. If your product is supporting individuals with diabetes – you need to become an authority on that subject through your content. That means posting regular, relevant content, bringing in industry leaders to share their insights (both local and national), and making an emotional connection. More than anything, your content strategy should be about showcasing that you understand what your potential customers are going through, and recognize your product or service can impact their health and ultimately change their life.
With half of the year still to go, 2018 is shaping up to be a big year for healthcare marketers. The space is becoming increasingly competitive from a content perspective, and the shift to online and mobile channels continues to be a top priority from those seen as innovators in the market. If you would like to get ahead of these trends, but are not sure where to start – the Prizm Media team can help. Our team of marketing professionals is dedicated to ensuring that your healthcare marketing strategy is optimized for your company and is well-positioned to see some incredible results. Contact the Prizm team today at [email protected] or by phone at (604) 326-0096 – you’ll be glad you did!
