Today is an exciting period for the healthcare industry. Especially when you take into consideration the millennial wave that’s propelling an information technology wave and policy changes. Tendencies and priorities of those in this industry are transforming, and brands need to engage with their audience in a meaningful manner to achieve success.
In order to remain relevant in the current environment, hospitals and healthcare marketers need to strive to connect with their customers online. Below are three healthcare marketing trends that will help you grow your hospital, facility, or treatment center.
Reliance on Mobile Devices
Your patients are always on the move with their smartphones, and a huge percentage use the device to contact medical practitioners. Before reaching medical professionals, patients search the internet for healthcare information. Furthermore, people use search engines with “Near Me” phrases to find practitioners within their locality.
If you are wondering just how your patients use their smartphones for health purposes, here’s a great example. An allergy sufferer will check on every day’s pollen forecast for their location, look to check their prescription refill status, and reference health records. This offers you the perfect opportunity to place your ad front and center in front of this person, in the process creating a stronger relationship with your patient/customer.
Using SEO
One of the most critical medical marketing trends is placing yourself directly in front of your potential customers through Search Engine Optimization (SEO). When you consider that 89 percent of individuals use a search engine to find healthcare answers, you will realize the important role SEO plays in the medical industry.
In order to get the traffic in, consider ranking higher in local SEO and Local Pack. The latter is an area that highlights four to five different establishments above organic results. The information listed in the Local Pack is pulled from your My Business page on Google.
To be ranked higher in the Local Pack, make sure that the My Business page is classified in the right category, contains a primary phone number, and carries a clear description of what you do. You also need to ensure that you include correct hours of business, your physical and service area, as well as any reviews you have.
Using Social Media
One of the latest medical marketing trends revolves around the use of social media, according to medical marketing specialists. Unlike a couple of years ago, your patients are turning towards social media as a source of information as they make decisions that revolve around their health. In addition, social media is the place most people will look for reviews in relation to healthcare services and providers.
As a healthcare marketer, you can make use of Twitter and Facebook, since they are the most popular social media platforms. However, other social media apps like Snapchat have a huge following, and you can use them to create even stronger relationships with your clients.
Another way of getting the word out there through social media is via video marketing. This form of marketing is fast becoming a popular medical industry trend, and it is generating huge levels of engagement. Did you know that more than 82 percent of Twitter users prefer videos?
Since healthcare is already an attention-grabbing topic, using video marketing only makes it more useful for you. The videos you create help build your trust and credibility.
Conclusion
Overall, today’s healthcare marketing trends require you to create connections with your clients online and focus on what they want. Then provide it using a media that is most accessible to them.
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