healthcare marketing

How to Blog for Patients and Families

Published

12 years ago

May 16, 2013

One of the common problems that many new physician and healthcare bloggers have is ‘shaky blog syndrome’. That means writing the kind of blog post that never gets read or does anything to benefit your organization.

If the purpose of your blog is to attract new patients and families here are some things you should include in all your blog posts.

Table of Contents

#1. It starts with questions

In order to have a successful blog you have to help solve your readers’ problems by answering their most pressing questions. These would be the typical questions they ask during a routine check up such as, ‘How do I know if my cough is serious’ or ‘How do I know what my blood pressure readings mean.’

At first you might hesitate to write about a topic that sounds so basic and familiar to you. But remember that not everyone understands the basics of your trade. I should know because even at my age I still have to ask what my blood pressure readings mean each time I see my doctor. So find out what your patients’ basic questions are and blog about that. The results may surprise you.

#2. Attention grabbing headline

Your headline gets more attention than anything else you write on your website. That’s why it serves one, and only one goal: To grab your reader’s attention and persuade him or her to read the next part of the article.

Some of the best headlines I’ve seen on medical websites are so simple and refreshing they just beg to be read! I’m thinking of Kevin Pho’s blog with headlines such as: ‘Should families witness CPR?’ or ‘How to deliver bad news to patients’ or ‘How to know if your toddler has autism.’ The trick is to keep it simple and interesting.

#3. Great opening

If you can get people to read the first three or four lines of your article, there’s a good chance they will read the rest of it. Take a look at this compelling opening from a Boston Children’s Hospital blog post:

“It’s a common belief among female runners that the lighter you are, the faster you are.”

The purpose of your opening sentence is to get people curious about the rest of your content. Take the above sentence for example. My reaction when I first read it was, “Why, isn’t it true?” At that point I needed to know whether my beliefs about female runners were true or false. And for that reason I was compelled to read the rest of the article in order to find out.

#4. Stunning image

Words are great but images help to dress up your article, providing eye candy to your readers and encouraging them to stick around. Take a look at this enticing article from Cleveland Clinic’s Health Hub (blog), which uses six images in total: one to dress up the main headline and five to dress up the subsequent sub titles.

Here are some facts about blog posts that use images (hat tip to Jeff Bullas):

Articles with images get 94% more total page views
60% of consumers are more likely to consider or contact a business when an image shows up in local search results

#5. Promising Sub title

The subtitle has one goal – to entice people to read your first paragraph. The way to do that is to make a promise to your readers (in the subtitle) and then keep the promise by telling them what they want to know (first paragraph).

Let’s say you write a list post titled, ‘12 Tips to Stay Safe in Hospitals‘ (again, hat tip to Kevin Pho – he writes the best headlines ever!). Each of your 12 subtitles represents a promise to tell readers how to stay safe in a hospital. If your first subtitle is ‘Never go alone’ then make sure the following paragraph stays on topic and tells readers why they shouldn’t go alone to the hospital. All this may sound simple and obvious, but it really works!

#6. Content that pulls an emotional trigger

With this first piece of content your goal is to pull an emotional trigger in your reader. Remember that when people get emotional about a topic, they pay attention. They’re also more likely to take action since they are already in an emotional state that compels them to act.

The best way to pull emotional triggers in a medical or healthcare blog is by telling a story that resonates with your readers. It might be about a patient overcoming an illness, or even about a patient who succumbed to an illness. One unique thing about the healthcare industry is there is no shortage of stories that trigger emotion.

#7. Promising Sub title

Repeat #5 as many times as needed.

#8. Emotional Content

Repeat #6 as many times as needed.

#9. Call to Action

Here’s where you close out your article with a call to action. You can ask your readers to leave a comment saying what they thought about your article (this helps to increase engagement on your blog). Or you could ask them to subscribe to your email newsletter (this ensures that you capture names and emails of prospective patients).

And that’s about it!

Your Turn

What did I miss? What other tips can you share about writing interesting articles for patients and their families? Please leave your comments in the box below.

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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.