Healthcare Marketing & Branding: Guide to Drive Sales

By Marisa Hochberg : https://www.vogue.com/article/the-sanctuary-the-surf-lodge-new-wellness-venue

Whether it’s a new product introduction or brand refresh, marketers face a constant challenge: how to set expectations with patients and target the right audiences for different communications strategies. To drive sales and increase your brand’s relevancy in the eyes of your target market, you need an integrated marketing strategy that includes a thorough understanding of 3 components: Cultivating an enduring brand image that patients trust and associate with your organization. Developing creative brand messaging to communicate the benefits of your products and services in a way that is relevant to consumers. Implementing effective brand identity strategies that include visual branding elements as well as digital marketing channels. If you read on, you’ll discover 6 essential insights about creating successful healthcare marketing campaigns so you can jump start customer engagement at every stage of the buying cycle:

Create an enduring brand image

A brand image is the collective perception your customers have of your organization. This isn’t just a logo and a slogan—it’s how your customers see your organization as a whole. In order to develop a strong brand image, you need to understand what your customers think of your organization, and what they associate with it. How do you do this? You can use qualitative research, quantitative research, or a combination of both qualitative and quantitative research. You can also use customer satisfaction surveys. Next, you need to evaluate the image that your brand is currently associated with. If you have recently launched a product or service, you can also use a brand image assessment to determine the current perception of your brand.

Develop creative brand messaging

Your brand messaging is the actual words and phrases used in your brand’s communications. It could be the name of your organization, the name of your products or services, or a slogan that represents your brand’s core values. As with your brand image, you need to understand what your patients think of your brand messaging and what associations they have with it. You can do this with qualitative research, quantitative research, or a combination of both qualitative and quantitative research. You can also use customer satisfaction surveys. Next, you need to look at your brand messaging and determine if it aligns with the image your customers have of your organization. If not, you need to change it.

Implement effective consumer experience strategies

Your company’s front door is the foundation of all of your marketing activities. It’s through the front door that patients interact with your brand. If they don’t feel welcome, they’ll go somewhere else. If your organization’s front door is cluttered with disorganized, outdated material, patients will have a negative perception of your brand, and they’ll go somewhere else. Remember that you’re not just marketing products or services; you’re also marketing your organization. You need to make sure that your front door is welcoming and positive. Patients will want to step through it, and when they do, they should feel welcomed.

Jumpstart conversations at the earliest stage of the buying cycle

When a potential customer is researching their options and analyzing the pros and cons of their options, you need to jump start the conversation and get their attention. How do you do this? To engage patients at the earliest stage of the buying cycle, you need to understand their needs and find ways to address them. It’s important to note that these are the needs that are directly related to your products or services. There are a few ways to engage patients at the earliest stage of the buying cycle. You can create a patient advisory board or partner with an organization that has a large patient base. You can also create a patient-focused website or blog, or partner with an influencer who has a large following on social media.

Leverage social media to build awareness and demand

Social media is still the most effective platform for driving brand awareness and demand, even in the face of growing competition. Unfortunately, many marketers have focused only on acquiring followers, but this is the wrong approach. What you need to do is build a loyal audience. To build an audience on social media, you need to create engaging content that satisfies two requirements: It needs to be interesting and relevant to your target audience. Once you’ve figured out these requirements, you can publish content on social media. When you publish content, use the right social media channels. You want to use the channels that are the most relevant to your target audience.

Infuse your brand with user-generated content

The best way to incorporate user-generated content into your brand’s identity is to create your own content and post it online. This not only helps you integrate user-generated content into your brand’s identity, but it can also help you gain a better understanding of your customers as they work through the buying cycle. When considering content for your brand, think about how you want it to be perceived by your target audience. You want to create content that is engaging, relevant, and aesthetic.

Wrapping Up

The healthcare industry is a major market for branded products and services, and data shows that the majority of consumers look to healthcare brands for information and advice. This means that healthcare marketers need to develop strong brand images and use creative brand messaging to connect with patients, while jump starting conversations at the earliest stage of the buying cycle, and using social media to drive brand awareness.

Star Micro Solutions

Healthcare Marketing and Branding: The Ultimate Guide to Drive Sales