Today, the only constant is change!! With digital and technological transformation this change is even more continuous than ever. Technology is driving every sphere of life and healthcare industry is no exception. Healthcare providers are now using a patient focused approach instead of a doctor centric one. This concept will continue to drive considerable changes across healthcare industry for the next many years. What is required for marketers is to mirror this approach with their own efforts and strategies. Increased competition, tightly constrained margins, and rapid digital transformation are forcing healthcare marketers to shun old and outdated trends and practices.
Hence it’s an exciting time in healthcare.
Indian Healthcare Industry is also under the grip of this digital wave. Healthcare Marketing, which was a noble concept till about a few years back, is witnessing a new sunshine. Every healthcare marketer is vying for the consumer attention in the digital space and the statistics below will justify this trend. The number of Smartphone users in India is expected to double to 859 million by 2022 from 468 million users in 2017. India is one of the biggest and fastest growing audiences for You Tube. Around 1.49 billion people on average log onto Facebook daily; on an average, around 6,000 tweets are tweeted on Twitter every second; and since its inception, over 40 billion photographs have been posted on Instagram.
I am sure the figures have had an overwhelming effect on you. But don't be discouraged. By taking the time now to update your healthcare marketing strategy for 2020, you can help your hospital or practice stay ahead of the competition.
Let’s take a look at some of the key factors driving the change:
Location based SEO is the need of the hour - Every marketer today is working towards SEO based content. Millions of searches happen every minute across globe. For somebody sitting in Cairo getting updates on your services and products is not going to help. Hence it’s wise to make your search local and regional.
Digital Reputation Management is vital for converting new patients - Research has found that people trust online reviews almost as much as feedback from friends and relatives. That's why reviews are now heavily weighted by search engines. In 2019 only 8% of healthcare marketers saw potential in online reviews. Now is the time to jump on this trend.
Video Content is going to rule the digital space - Hubspot reports that 45% of people watch more than one hour of video every day. That's a big deal! If you haven't yet invested in video marketing, think about it.
Healthcare Apps are the future - As mentioned above, the number of smart phone users are going to double by 2022. Hence it’s important for marketers to use an app to send push notifications about upcoming appointments or yearly exams, upload coupons or discounts, provide health records, create an easy way for patients to communicate with their healthcare provider, and more. By 2020 consider adding an app to your marketing strategy as another way to reach your target audience and better communicate with patients.
Website Design & Layout - If you’ve read this far, then we’re sure you already know how important your website design is for getting new customers. A Website is all about First Impressions and a user will form an opinion for your website in approximately 0.5 seconds when the page loads. A user friendly website with interactive features is your golden ticket to tap new patients and retain existing ones.
As the priorities of both patients and healthcare professionals see a transitional change, the need for brands to interact with their audiences in a meaningful way is vital to achieving success in todays’ era. By integrating the five healthcare marketing trends above into your marketing strategy for 2020, your healthcare organization will acquire more leads, gain more patients, and retain those patients long-term. Now go forth and dominate the digital patient experience!