Today’s healthcare audiences – patients, consumers, and healthcare providers – are bombarded with more content than ever. They’re seeing direct-mail pieces and emails featuring health systems’ best outcomes and latest awards; TV commercials and radio ads featuring inspiring patient stories and the latest pharmaceutical treatments; social media posts promoting blog articles or inviting them to check out new locations; and digital and print billboards and ads about healthcare topics, treatments, and vaccines. And that’s just traditional marketing content. Increasingly, influencers are sharing their own health tips on platforms like Facebook and TikTok and links to scientific (and not-so-scientific) articles and websites about health topics are popping up on blogs and discussion forums.
This content overload can be overwhelming and presents a challenge for healthcare marketers. How can you be sure your messaging will reach and resonate with your target audiences? Read on to learn more about why content overload occurs and what you can do to cut through the noise.
WHY DOES HEALTHCARE CONTENT OVERLOAD OCCUR?
Content (or information) overload means people are being exposed to more information than they can process or use effectively. Being faced with too much content all the time can lead to your audiences feeling fatigued, unable to make decisions regarding the content, and disengaged from your brand or healthcare information in general. Why is this such an issue in the healthcare industry?
- Rapidly Evolving Knowledge: More innovative medical research and clinical trials mean the field is dynamic. New studies, treatments, and guidelines pop up quickly – demanding a response from healthcare organizations. Hospitals and health systems want their current and potential patients to know they’re keeping up and providing the latest evidence-based care. Healthcare technology companies, pharmaceutical companies, and specialty practices want physicians and other healthcare providers to know they are a top resource for treatment options and referrals. Health agencies and advocacy groups want providers and the public to be up to date on the latest guidelines for disease prevention and public health.
- Regulatory Requirements: Compliance with healthcare regulations and guidelines can add layers of complexity to marketing messages. That means that even for a specific campaign, a hospital or healthcare system may need to create various versions and methods of communication for specific audiences.
- Diverse Audience Segments: Healthcare marketers don’t just have a single audience. They create content for audiences with different needs, pain points, and preferences – ranging from large segments like patients, providers, and payers, to smaller, more specific segments like parents of young children, middle-aged weekend warriors, primary care providers, cardiothoracic surgeons, commercial health insurers, and government programs.
- Varied Communication Channels: Gone are the days when most healthcare marketing was in the form of billboards and direct mail. The rise of digital platforms means healthcare marketers must manage and integrate information across websites, landing pages, and blogs; social media platforms; emails and mobile apps; and search ads. TV, radio, and print advertising still resonate with other audience segments, especially older generations.
HOW TO STAND OUT IN A CROWDED MARKET
Determine your target audiences and then focus on clarity, relevance, and engagement in every communication.
- Be Clear and Concise: While it’s important to avoid unnecessary medical jargon, healthcare marketers should still maintain accuracy. Use simple language when possible, but explain complex terms when necessary to ensure your audience understands critical medical information. Speak in a language your audience understands, demonstrating that you’re an ally in their healthcare journey rather than an expert lecturing them on what to do next. Explain healthcare concepts simply and with relatable analogies. Integrate eye-catching visuals like infographics, charts, and videos to engage your audience and maintain their attention.
- Tailor and Personalize Content: Your audiences have different needs and interests. Targeted messaging will ensure patients and providers see the relevance to their own health challenges, lifestyles, or patient populations. Data-driven insights allow you to personalize content based on audience-specific history, preferences, and behaviors. For example, sending reminders for flu shots to patients with chronic conditions, or offering personalized rehabilitation plans to patients post-surgery, ensures content is relevant and actionable.
- Take Advantage of Analytics: Use analytics tools to monitor engagement and track which types of content seem to resonate most with each of your audiences. Based on these insights, you can adjust your campaigns, regularly refining your messaging and content-sharing strategy, guided by performance metrics and A/B testing.
- Prioritize Quality: To rise above the noise, always focus on quality versus quantity. Curate and highlight the most important and relevant information about new treatments, technologies, and health guidelines, and position your organization as a trustworthy expert for both treatments and education.
- Ensure Your Content Is Accessible: Regularly test and update your digital platforms to ensure they are user-friendly and easy to navigate, reducing frustration among your audiences. Make sure your content is optimized for mobile viewing and responsive.
- Encourage Engagement: Interactive content like quizzes, webinars, and live Q&A sessions show your audiences that you value their opinions and input. Create channels for audience feedback so that you can better understand their challenges, concerns, and preferences – then incorporate what you’ve learned into future communications and campaigns.
MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT
Healthcare marketing is not just about communicating information to your audiences. It’s about connecting with them, educating them, and inviting them to trust you to improve their own or their patients’ health. That last one is a big ask, and it requires thoughtful communication strategies and a focus on your audiences’ evolving needs.
Ready to make your hospital or health system stand out as a trusted resource and thought leader in a crowded healthcare market? LIGHTSTREAM is here to help. Contact us today to learn how we can help you create content strategies that will help you achieve your marketing goals.