Healthcare content marketing is a unique animal. No one wants to need healthcare. But everyone needs it from time to time. Some need it more than others.
On top of this, what a person actually needs is unknown. They need a checkup and diagnosis before you can actually offer the solutions that most marketing campaigns would be built upon.
But when the right healthcare content marketing strategies are in place, all health practices can win. Whether you’re medical, dental, behavioral or addictions, there are certain strategies that just work to bolster your authority and reputation.
Let’s explore 3 tips you need to know to market healthcare with content.
1) Start with a Plan
This may seem like the most obvious statement ever and completely unnecessary. But sadly, it has to be said. And it is, in fact, the most important tip we can provide in this article.
A staggering 35% of people launch a healthcare content marketing strategy without any kind of plan at all.
They’re not clear about who they’re targeting. They don’t know what kind of content they’ll be creating. They don’t have a plan to distribute it. They don’t know what they should be measuring.
In many cases, they don’t even know what they plan to achieve. Are they trying to increase visibility in search engines? Or are they trying to get more patient referrals?
What Are We Doing Here Again?
Imagine if a surgeon went into the OR with this lack of planning. Could you expect a favorable outcome for the patient? Can you imagine how this surgeon would get blasted in online reviews and by their peers?
Before you begin, be clear on these important elements. Write it down. Stick with a plan. Measure your results and adapt to succeed.
2) Leverage Trending News
In healthcare, we have a love-hate relationship with lawyers. But you know that when you see a great idea, you’d do yourself a disservice by not making note of how it might help you.
The legal industry applies a certain content marketing strategy exceptionally well. They’re constantly centering topics around:
- Court battles
- Settlements
- Law changes
- New technologies that may pose consumer risks
- Celebrity legal woes
They have their finger on the pulse of the industry and what people are talking about.
They look for a clear angle to relate it back to their area of practice. Not only do their potential clients and existing clients find these things interesting. They get informed. The lawyer shoots to top of mind when the person faces a similar legal situation.
Give People More of What They Love
People are equally fascinated with healthcare stories and news. They like to consume content about:
- New health tech
- Strange diseases
- “Miraculous” recoveries
- New drugs
- Health discoveries
- Interesting studies
- Celebrity Health news
People consume this kind of content all day long on the Internet.
Often they’re consuming it on a less than reputable site. You can offer the expert side of the story. When your healthcare content writer can incorporate it into your content, you can connect with new patients and earn the loyalty of those you already have.
3) Help Patients Self-Diagnose
This one will make you cringe. But it’s one of the most effective healthcare content marketing strategies out there. These days, people don’t go to the doctor until they already have an idea about what’s wrong with them.
It makes your job a lot harder. But by embracing this phenomenon, we can guide this self-diagnosing person in for a proper diagnosis and treatment.
Build content strategies around symptoms, risk factors, treatments. Provide detailed professional information. But remind patients that they need to see a professional to get a diagnosis before attempting any kind of self-treatment.
Whether you’re a drug rehab center or a dentist, not only does this attract new patients. It also becomes a link-magnet. You’re offering authoritative information that others will want to source in their own articles.
These links help your website build authority that over time will help it appear higher in searches.
Healthcare Content Marketing
Healthcare content marketing is a peculiar animal. But it does give trained professionals the opportunity to provide trusted health information that in many cases is lacking online.
For more tips that will help you be successful in with your website, SEO and marketing, check out our blog.