healthcare marketing

Great Healthcare Stories Meet These 3 Rules: Do Yours?

Published

11 years ago

June 20, 2013

Several weeks ago a client asked me to write an educational article about – of all things – Oculoplastic surgery.

If you’re like me, you’d have been sweating bullets because I’d never heard of the term before nor did I know what it meant. How in the world was I supposed to write an article about something that sounded so completely uninspiring…like plastic?

Tired and bored businessman sleeping at the presentation

But as I started to research the topic, I discovered that this was really quite a fascinating subject.

It’s a specialized form of eye surgery that corrects terrible injuries, deformities or other problems that involve the eye area.

Usually it involves some type of re-construction of the tissue around the eye. But still. The challenge remained. How would I make it interesting enough for people to want to read.

Around the same time, I was reading a book called ‘Tell to Win” by Peter Guber.

It talks about the importance of story-telling in the business world – basically a story about story-telling.

Peter Guber is a film executive who personally produced movies such as Rainman, Batman, The Color Purple, Soul Surfer and many more. I figured that if anyone could tell me how to write a story about Oculoplastic surgery it would have to be him.

I came to a section in the book titled, “How to build your story,” and I leaned in. Here’s what it said:

Table of Contents

#1. Get your audience’s attention with a challenge

To write an interesting article about Oculoplastic surgery I had to find a story with a challenge that would electrify my audience immediately. So I started looking for real-life stories on the Internet that had anything to do with the subject.

fairy story narration (opening phrase) – words in vintage wooden letterpress printing blocks, isolated on white

After a really, really long time my research paid off. Here’s the opening line of a story I found, and later used in my article:

“An 86-year-old man showed up at the hospital with the handle of a pair of pruning shears stuck in his eye socket…”

What is the key challenge your patients or customers are facing right now? Is it obesity? Or perhaps difficulty understanding Obamacare? Is it the fear that medical bills will kill them?

Whatever the challenge, find a story that will resonate with your audience. In that story they will be able to identify with the character because they themselves are going through the same experience.

#2. Give your audience an emotional experience by narrating the struggle to overcome that challenge

I was certain I had got their attention. But now I had to keep them leaning in through the rest of the story. I knew there would be parts that wouldn’t be that exciting, like where I’d have to explain the actual medical procedure.

The only way to keep the audience plugged in was to get them excited about the struggle.

So I continued to narrate the story…

“The Arizona man had been working in his yard July 30 when the accident happened. He wasn’t sure if he had dropped a pair of pruning shears and fallen face-first onto the handle when he went to retrieve them. The handle drove into his eye socket and down into his neck. By the time he was taken to the trauma center, even the surgeons had no idea how much of his eyeball had been damaged. They couldn’t even open his eyelid.”

At this point in my article, I felt I could take a break from the narrative without losing the audience’s attention. I figured that by now they were too emotionally invested in the story to leave without finding out what happened to the man from Arizona.

So I went on to explain the medical procedure with a little more detail and then gave examples of situations that might require this type of surgery. I had to be careful not to get too wordy here, otherwise the audience might just skip the middle and go straight to the end. It’s a delicate balance between story-telling and teaching.

#3. Galvanize your audience’s response with an eye-opening resolution that calls them to action

It was looking good. I felt that my audience would put up with the technicalities of Oculoplastic surgery just to find out what happened to the man from Arizona. So I gave it to them:

“When they cut into the wall, the surgeons could clearly see the handle. The surgeon-in-charge was able to loosen it with his finger and a tong-like instrument called Kocher forceps. Once the handle was loose, doctors could remove the entire handle from the face. It turned out that the handle had compressed the eyeball in and pushed it up in the socket (think about squeezing a rubber ball), but it remained attached. Luckily enough, the eyeball was not ruptured or lacerated.”

I finished off the article by inviting the audience to listen to a podcast on this subject. I don’t know how many people will end up listening to it, but I do know they will never forget what Oculoplastic surgery is – even if they can’t spell it.

In Other Words…

Always stick to this three-part story structure that audiences expect. This is the secret sauce not just for award-winning movies but for award-winning healthcare stories.

Remember that your audience is not going to be interested if they don’t sense some kind of compelling challenge right from the beginning. They will not connect if they’re not excited by the middle of the struggle. And they certainly won’t remember the story if they don’t feel stirred or inspired by the final resolution.

The reason why this structure works perfectly for healthcare is because the industry is full of meaningful stories. It is after all, the business of life and death. Whether the story is posted on your blog, an infographic or captured on YouTube, stick with this model and yours will be a winning story.

Join Me

On September 11th, 2013, I will be speaking about this very subject at Content Marketing World, in Cleveland Ohio. If you’re a healthcare marketer and are planning to attend the conference, please consider joining my session titled, “A Step-by-step Eye-opening Method for Telling Compelling Healthcare Stories.” Go here to grab your ticket now.

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healthcare marketing

The Top 10 Healthcare Marketing Strategies

Published

2 years ago

November 8, 2022

Patricia Redsicker

The healthcare industry is ever-changing, and so is healthcare marketing. What worked last year may not work this year, and what works this year may not work next year. That’s why it’s important to stay on top of the latest healthcare marketing trends and strategies.

To help you do that, we’ve put together a list of the top 10 healthcare marketing strategies of 2020.

Table of Contents

1. Personalized Marketing

One of the biggest healthcare marketing trends of 2020 is personalized marketing. Thanks to advances in technology, it’s now possible to personalize your marketing messages and content to a much greater degree than ever before.

2. Account-Based Marketing

Another big healthcare marketing trend of 2020 is account-based marketing (ABM). ABM is a targeted marketing approach that focuses on key accounts that are most likely to convert into customers.

3. Patient Engagement

One of the most important aspects of healthcare marketing is patient engagement. In 2020, there will be a greater focus on engaging patients through digital channels such as social media, email, and text messaging.

4. Content Marketing

Content marketing will continue to be an important healthcare marketing strategy in 2020. The key is to create high-quality, informative, and engaging content that will help you attract and retain patients.

5. Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) will continue to be an important healthcare marketing strategy in 2020. The key to success is to create keyword-rich content that is optimized for the search engines.

6. Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing will continue to be a powerful healthcare marketing tool in 2020. The key is to use social media to build relationships with patients and create a community around your brand.

7. Email Marketing

Email marketing is another important healthcare marketing strategy that will continue to be effective in 2020. The key is to create email campaigns that are targeted, relevant, and engaging.

8. Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising will continue to be an effective healthcare marketing strategy in 2020. The key is to create ads that are targeted and relevant to your audience.

9. Referral Marketing

Referral marketing is a powerful healthcare marketing strategy that can be very effective in 2020. The key is to create a system that incentivizes patients to refer others to your practice.

10. Traditional Marketing

While digital marketing is taking over, traditional marketing techniques such as print advertising, direct mail, and television advertising will still be effective in 2020. The key is to use these techniques in a way that complements your digital marketing efforts.

Keep these healthcare marketing strategies in mind as you plan your marketing efforts for 2020. If you need help getting started, contact a healthcare marketing agency.

healthcare marketing

The Importance Of Marketing In The Healthcare Industry

Published

2 years ago

November 8, 2022

Patricia Redsicker

The Importance Of Marketing In The Healthcare Industry

There’s no question that marketing plays a vital role in the success of any business, and the healthcare industry is no different. In fact, given the highly competitive nature of the healthcare industry, effective marketing can mean the difference between success and failure.

The first step in any successful marketing campaign is to identify your target market. Who are you trying to reach with your marketing efforts? Once you’ve answered this question, you can begin to develop a marketing strategy that will resonates with your target audience.

The next step is to create a strong branding strategy. Your brand is what sets you apart from your competitors, so it’s important to make sure that your branding is on point.Your branding should reflect the values of your organization, and it should be consistent across all of your marketing materials.

Once you have your target market and branding strategy in place, you can begin to develop your marketing mix. This mix will include the various marketing channels that you’ll use to reach your target market. Some common marketing channels in the healthcare industry include online advertising, direct mail, public relations, and events.

Finally, once you have your marketing mix in place, you need to make sure that you’re tracking your results. This will help you to see what’s working and what’s not, and it will allow you to make necessary adjustments to your campaign.

Marketing is essential to the success of any healthcare organization. By taking the time to develop a strong marketing strategy, you can ensure that your organization is on the path to success.

The healthcare industry is one of the most important industries in the world. It is responsible for the health and wellbeing of billions of people. Marketing plays a vital role in the healthcare industry. It helps to raise awareness of the importance of health and wellbeing and encourages people to take action to improve their health.

Healthcare marketing can take many different forms. It can be used to promote healthy lifestyle choices, to raise awareness of health risks, to encourage people to get vaccinated or to take up screening tests. It can also be used to promote the work of healthcare professionals and to encourage people to use particular healthcare services.

Healthcare marketing is a complex and challenging task. It requires a deep understanding of the needs and motivations of different groups of people. It also needs to be sensitive to the often sensitive nature of health issues.

healthcare marketing

The Impact Of Marketing In The Healthcare Industry

Published

2 years ago

November 8, 2022

Patricia Redsicker

The Impact Of Marketing In The Healthcare Industry

In a world where the average person is bombarded with over 5,000 marketing messages each day, it’s no wonder that healthcare marketers have to work hard to cut through the noise and reach their target audiences. But what exactly is healthcare marketing, and how does it differ from traditional marketing?

Healthcare marketing is the process of creating and executing a plan to promote a healthcare product or service. This can include everything from developing a new marketing strategy to creating and placement of advertising, public relations, and social media campaigns.

While the goals of healthcare marketing may be similar to other industries (increasing awareness, generating leads, boosting sales), the strategies used to achieve these goals are often very different. This is because the healthcare industry is heavily regulated, which means that healthcare marketers have to be very careful about the claims they make and the messages they send.

In addition, the healthcare industry is complex, with a wide range of stakeholders, including patients, doctors, insurance companies, and government agencies. This complexity means that healthcare marketers have to be very strategic in their approach, carefully crafting messages that will resonate with each of these different groups.

Despite the challenges, healthcare marketing can be extremely effective. When done well, it can help healthcare organizations to achieve their business goals, while also making a positive impact on the lives of patients.

If you’re interested in learning more about healthcare marketing, we’ve put together a list of resources that can help.

The healthcare industry is one of the most important and largest industries in the world. It is also one of the most complex and rapidly changing industries. This complexity is due to the many different types of products and services that are offered, the numerous regulations that govern the industry, and the constantly evolving technology.

The healthcare industry is also one of the most competitive industries. There are many different types of healthcare providers, from large hospital systems to small clinics, and each one is competing for patients. Marketing is a critical tool that healthcare providers use to reach and engage potential patients.

Healthcare marketing has evolved significantly in recent years, thanks to the growth of digital marketing and the rise of social media. These changes have made it possible for healthcare providers to reach a larger audience and to better target their marketing efforts.

Digital marketing in healthcare has a number of advantages. It is more cost-effective than traditional marketing methods, it is more targeted, and it provides healthcare providers with a way to track and measure results.

Social media is also playing a big role in healthcare marketing. It provides a way for healthcare providers to connect with potential patients and to build relationships. Social media can also be used to promote health awareness and to educate patients about healthy living.

The impact of marketing in healthcare is evident in the way that it is changing the way that healthcare providers reach and engage with potential patients. Marketing is no longer a one-way street; it is a two-way conversation. Healthcare providers who embrace digital marketing and social media will be well-positioned to succeed in the new healthcare landscape.