Healthcare marketing is a strategy for promoting and communicating information about healthcare. It supports increasing awareness of a business’ health services to attract customers and keep them engaged. An example of healthcare marketing can be tools like brochures (offline), websites (online), digital marketing materials, or digital assets for email marketing campaigns, videos, etc.
In this article, we will learn about the reasons why a reliable marketing agency for healthcare is a must, explore the ethics of healthcare marketing, and discover some tips on how to balance business goals and patient needs.
6 Reasons Why a Marketing Agency for Healthcare Is a Must
A marketing agency for a healthcare company is important, and here are six reasons why:
- Creates Campaigns That Attract Prospect Patients
As you let your services be known to the public and spread awareness via the campaigns created by your reliable marketing agency, your healthcare business attracts prospective patients which could be your loyal clients.
- Keeps Your Patients and Prospect Patients Engaged
A dedicated healthcare marketing agency for your business will keep your patients engaged by providing them with relevant health information, news, and updates about your services using various social media platforms.
- Helps Establish Trust and Loyalty among Patients
A marketing agency can help your healthcare business establish trust and loyalty among its existing and prospective patients by consistently updating patients with the latest and relevant information. The marketing efforts of your agency can help your business thrive, persuade the booking of appointments, and generate more sales.
- Generate More Leads and Revenue
Outsourcing a marketing agency for your healthcare business can provide you with data and insights about your campaigns which would be the basis for realigning your marketing strategies to generate leads and increase revenue for your company.
- Connects Patients via Multiple Platforms and Provide Digital Healthcare
A marketing agency can help connect existing and prospective patients across various platforms and via more strategies like providing digital healthcare like telemedicine or virtual consultations.
- Builds Your Online Presence
A marketing agency can boost your company’s brand awareness by building your online presence using reliable tools. This can be your edge over the other healthcare competitors.
A Glimpse to the Ethics of Healthcare Marketing
Based on the Code of Ethics in 1847, the American Medical Association (AMA) banned advertising activities for healthcare services. Back then, the act of soliciting patients was considered unethical according to AMA’s Principles of Medical Ethics. But during the 1980s, the appellate court’s decision was to declare that advertising has a significant role for various healthcare institutions.
3 Tips on How to Balance Business Goals and Patient Needs
- Begin with Empathy in Mind
Whether you’re a project manager or a healthcare business owner, if you create marketing campaigns to increase your brand awareness, practice empathy by creating campaigns intended primarily to help and support people and provide them with their healthcare needs. It’s okay to think about profit because it’s the goal of every business, but it’s better to maintain a balance between profit and patient needs. By being empathic, you learn how a patient would feel if you were in their shoes. By creating campaigns that are genuinely intended to be helpful and useful to people, you can establish trust among prospective patients because they will feel that they need your services, and if they find your services and products effective for their wellness, they will be your loyal customers, and they will recommend your services.
2. Focus on Offerings to Improve the Quality of Life
Instead of misleading prospective patients with exaggerated claims (best hospital, top amenities, etc.), focus on running marketing campaigns that promote products or services that improve the quality of life at a reasonable cost. Give them no more and no less than the actual product or service you’re offering and what it can do for a person’s well-being. It would help to show a disclaimer prior to an ad, for example, that gives the factual pros and cons of using a product or undergoing a medical surgery. Then advise consultation with a professional doctor prior to purchasing a product or undergoing medical treatment.
3. Comply with the FDA standards
It is the moral responsibility of every healthcare institution or company to protect the welfare of patients. Hence, for the purpose of advertising, the Project Marketing Managers should adapt their campaigns and comply with the standards of the Food and Drug Administration when promoting products and medical procedures (FDA) and not only think about the business profit.
Takeaway
Choosing the right marketing agency for your healthcare business can help you achieve your business goals, and that is to generate revenue, boost website traffic to your site, and increase brand awareness and consumer engagement. In creating marketing or advertising campaigns, a project manager or business owner should bear in mind the need to balance the business goals of gaining profit while genuinely helping patients with their healthcare needs. Ads should comply with the Code of Ethics in healthcare and FDA for the well-being of patients and avoid misleading information. Risk disclosure is also important, like providing a disclaimer in your ad to present a fair balance of information about the pros and cons of using your product or medical procedure.
At Limeup, we are experts in providing digital products and solutions for healthcare companies worldwide. From product design, development, UX design, and user experience, we will provide you with solutions to help your business succeed in the healthcare industry. Call us now!
