Healthcare Marketing Predictions: A Guide to Crushing 2021
Healthcare Marketing Predictions: A Guide to Crushing 2021
2021 will be a rebound year for many businesses. Healthcare advertising is a key area that will help businesses crush their objectives. Whether it is more informative video content, innovative communication strategies, or better native advertising, marketing must prioritize the customer.
Let’s take a look at some of the healthcare digital marketing trends that will dominate 2021.
The Resurgence of Telehealth
The global shift that came with the pandemic in 2020 has forced businesses to change how they work. None more so than healthcare providers.
The telehealth trend will continue into 2021 with physicians carrying out telephone consultations for cases that do not require face-to-face meetings.
For marketers, this trend means creating dedicated landing pages to funnel old and new patients to this new service delivery method.
Most importantly get the word out! Email campaigns, text broadcasts, targeted ads, and content marketing will have to be geared towards letting patients know they can still safely get healthcare.
Reputation Management Will Be Key
Studies predict that 7 out of 10 people will lose trust in brands if they are perceived to be putting profit above people.
Token gestures and poor customer service will be highly scrutinized in 2021. This is especially true for service-oriented businesses such as healthcare providers.
There is a silver lining to this though. The same study reports that 78% of people still believe in the credibility of doctors to communicate about the current pandemic.
Healthcare digital marketing strategies will need to focus on PR that highlights the brand’s support for community-based initiatives and causes.
There will also be a huge emphasis on transparency and authority in all content. Your patients need you to hold the line as a credible and transparent source of information.
Marketers should not neglect to review programs and community engagement on the various platforms since reputations are strengthened or broken online.
Healthcare Marketing Will Rely on Innovative Services
2021 will continue the novel marketing experience of unchartered territories. Most healthcare businesses are discovering new ways to deliver essential services to their patients.
They are all trying to
- Make patient’s experiences better
- Disseminate information in a clear, concise, and quick manner
- Keep the community as safe as possible
New medical care apps, chat integrations, live broadcasts, and AR simulations are some of the tools being adopted by healthcare providers.
To boost the uptake of technological innovations, healthcare marketing will have to focus on creating awareness amongst patients about the how and why of the innovations.
Healthcare Advertising Will Evolve
Many cities have experienced lockdowns and service disruption. All the same, the demand for high-value content and the need for organic search volume and advertising have not disappeared. They have simply changed.
Digital marketing in the healthcare industry will need to shift the marketing spend into content that best supports patients now and builds a brand reputation for the future.
Some of the implications of this trend will be a greater focus on local SEO since more people are using “Near Me” searches. After all, movement is limited and the need for nearby urgent care has increased.
Instead of self-touting ads, patients want rich content that offers guidance, solutions, and alternatives for example back-to-school safety guides or at-home physiotherapy exercises.
Before collecting those emails, consider the value-add of your marketing campaign.
As you evaluate your business’s current marketing strategy, don’t forget to be bold and patient-focused. For comprehensive healthcare marketing solutions, don’t hesitate to call us.