In today’s digital age, content marketing has become more important than ever for healthcare organizations – large and small – to carve out a unique presence in the marketplace and build a relationship with their current and prospective consumers.
Simply put, content marketing is the creation and distribution of relevant and engaging materials that are of interest to prospective consumers – and helps to convert them into existing patients and retain them over the long run. Content marketing materials for healthcare organizations may include everything from blog posts, case studies, and discussion forums to eNewsletters, instructional guides, podcasts, and Webinars.
The best content marketing delivers value to consumers in way that’s likely to inspire confidence, fuel word-of-mouth referrals, and help to build a trusted relationship. Most importantly, content marketing must be seen and found by patients using various Internet search engines so that the all-important conversion from prospective consumer to patient can occur.
In the deluge of content marketing flooding the healthcare marketplace today, organizations should consider these 5 keys to help break through the noise and create successful content that converts.
- Define Your Goals. For any content marketing strategy to deliver results, goals must be clearly defined. Whether you need to drive volume to a specific service line or create awareness about a new program offering, clearly stating the goals will help craft a strategy that reaches the right consumers with the most effective content.
- Use the Human Element to Personalize Content. It’s important to remember that you’re reaching people – not just patients. In building long-lasting relationships based on trust, content should offer value that’s personally relevant to your consumers whether that’s tailoring content to their specific location or sending information about a service based on a form they’ve completed. Whenever possible use human interest storytelling and conversational language to humanize clinical or technical information.
- Focus on Content That Converts. Ultimately, effective content marketing prompts consumers to convert – whether it’s scheduling an appointment, making a phone call, or completing a risk assessment. If your content both adds value and convinces consumers to take that next step, you’re delivering high-value content.
- Only Start What You Can Maintain. Content marketing is valuable because it’s a reliable, consistent source with regular updates and refreshed material. Instead of beginning a large-scale digital effort that can’t be maintained, it’s best to begin with a modest initiative that can be supported consistently and will grow over time. For example, a blog is a valuable way to build credibility, but neglect and infrequent posts are viewed as a red flag and no longer trustworthy in the eyes of consumers.
- Track and Measure Your Results. Benchmark every piece of content against a single goal – such as driving enrollment in a certain program. These benchmarks and measurements are important for calculating ROI, which is a growing requirement for healthcare marketing teams.
Founded by healthcare industry expert and thought leader Bill Behnke, the Behnke Group is an innovative, leading-edge healthcare consulting group with more than 20 years of experience working with a range of healthcare organizations nationwide in solving today’s most important business challenges. To start a conversation about your organization’s challenges and opportunities, contact us at: (210) 240-9400.