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Why Healthcare Blogging is Better than Social Networking: New Research

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Are you wondering how to influence patients and consumers?

The latest findings from Technorati’s 2013 Digital Influence Report show that “consumers are turning to blogs when looking to make a purchase.”

In fact, blogs rank favorably with consumers for trust, popularity and even influence.

Here are some interesting findings from the Technorati report.

#1: Blogs Influence Consumers’ Purchasing Decisions

The report found that blogs are now the third most influential digital resource (31%) when making overall purchases, behind retail sites (56%) and brand sites (34%).

Consumers said that blogs rank higher than Twitter for shaping their opinions and higher than Facebook for motivating purchasing decisions, such as selecting a hospital.

Why are blogs so influential? Bloggers tend to be very honest and sincere in their reviews of products and services. They talk about both negative and positive aspects of a brand, and in doing so become a trusted source of information. Trust drives action, and thus consumers look to bloggers before they buy.

Think of Kevin Pho, a physician-blogger whose influence on the subject of healthcare was established through his blog KevinMD.com. In 2009 his blog received 1.4 million unique visitors. In January 2012, Pho was listed on Klout as the number one healthcare social media influencer and number one social media influencer in medicine.

#2: Consumers Say Smaller Communities Are More Influential

Over half of consumers surveyed agreed that smaller communities have greater influence on a topic than larger ones.

The real value of online communities comes from discussing ideas, sharing information and learning from one another. Rarely does value come from the size of a community.

Consumers understand this. But brands often get hung up on acquiring massive communities, sometimes at the expense of user experience.

In fact, brand marketers often pursue popular A-list bloggers to advocate on their behalf, hoping this strategy will help a message go viral and explode the size of their community.

The problem is that while a message blasted by a popular blogger might reach the masses, it doesn’t always produce the desired result. That’s because trust drives action, and popularity doesn’t necessarily translate into trust. It may even be more effective to pursue a less popular blogger who has earned the trust of and subsequent influence over his or her own small community.

If you want to become more influential with your online healthcare community, focus on solving problems, building strong relationships (with your followers and other trusted bloggers) and offering helpful educational content.

#3: Brands Rely More on Facebook to Influence Consumers

Even though brands are devoting only 10% of their total digital marketing budgets to social media, Facebook is clearly the preferred platform, taking 57% of the slice.

Facebook is where the world hangs out and brand marketers know how important it is to be successful on this platform. In fact, the report shows that when metrics from earned media goals for brands were ranked, Facebook likes were at the top.

This means that brands aren’t just focusing on Facebook ads. They are also interested in seeing increased activity on their Facebook Pages so much that conversation and engagement strategies have become vital for consumer outreach. The key to influencing consumers on Facebook is sharing content that generates interaction (likes and comments) and draws in more fans. Check out Medtronics Diabetes on Facebook for a phenomenal example of how healthcare brands can influence consumer opinion.

#4: Top Social Media Influencers Blog for Themselves

According to the survey, 86% of influencers blog. Of these, 88% blog for themselves. Moreover, a majority of influencers (59%) don’t produce much content outside of blogs.

We’ve seen that trust is the currency of influence and that consumers are looking for “trusted digital friends” to give them advice on what to buy and where to go. That’s why bloggers who offer such advice are influential—because consumers trust their guidance.

If you want to grow your influence, the key is to become a trusted source of information in your industry. Provide compelling content on your blog and then amplify it through social media. People will listen and you will become their go-to resource for specific advice.

Cleveland Clinic for example has established itself as one of the premier healthcare brands in the world through blogging and creative content marketing.

#5: Brands and Influencers Measure Success Differently

When it comes to gauging the success of their campaigns, brands and influencers think differently. Brands see success as increased activity on Facebook, Twitter and their websites, while influencers rank blog or website page views as the best measure of success.

The reason why influencers focus so much on their blogs is because their priority is to deliver prospects to a site where that trust factor can begin to be tapped. For them, success is measured by the number of people reading their content.

You too can build trust by publishing high-quality educational content on your blog and providing calls to action that lead consumers and patients to a purchase opportunity. Think of sites such as WebMD and Mayo Clinic, which have become trusted sources of medical information for people seeking online health content.

#6: Brands and Influencers Have a Different Understanding of Influence

Brands are always looking for the “right people” to connect with on social media. They believe that effective influencer outreach can help spark valuable word-of-mouth campaigns that increase brand visibility and ultimately drive consumer action.

Personally I doubt that I’ll reach for a Snickers bar every time I get hungry just because Aretha Franklin or Liza Minnelli are advocates for the brand.

The problem is how brands define influence. The Technorati report says that brands are using comScore or Nielsen rankings to identify influencers, yet these metrics do not represent influencers very well. Meanwhile “real” influencers (folks like Kevin Pho whom consumers trust and rely upon for advice) are hanging out mostly on their own blogs creating tons of likeable content.

If you’re a healthcare brand marketer trying to connect with influencers, remember that having a large social media following doesn’t give you influence, it simply gives you an audience. Try looking for influencers who have very close ties to their communities, or bloggers who are relevant to your brand even if they don’t have worldwide fame.

Some great places to look include Google+ Communities and Boardreader (a search engine for online forums and community boards).

Quick Wrap Up

The biggest takeaway from the Technorati report is that blogging cultivates community, which is where influence is birthed.

Also there’s a lot we can learn from top influencers, such as what kind of content to publish, how top bloggers make money and much more.

So be sure to check out the full report to get deeper insights into developing strong digital marketing strategies.

Your Turn: What do you think? What insights revealed in this article did you find most interesting? Please share your thoughts in the comment box below.

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healthcare marketing

The Top 10 Healthcare Marketing Strategies

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The Top 10 Healthcare Marketing Strategies

The healthcare industry is ever-changing, and so is healthcare marketing. What worked last year may not work this year, and what works this year may not work next year. That’s why it’s important to stay on top of the latest healthcare marketing trends and strategies.

To help you do that, we’ve put together a list of the top 10 healthcare marketing strategies of 2020.

1. Personalized Marketing

One of the biggest healthcare marketing trends of 2020 is personalized marketing. Thanks to advances in technology, it’s now possible to personalize your marketing messages and content to a much greater degree than ever before.

2. Account-Based Marketing

Another big healthcare marketing trend of 2020 is account-based marketing (ABM). ABM is a targeted marketing approach that focuses on key accounts that are most likely to convert into customers.

3. Patient Engagement

One of the most important aspects of healthcare marketing is patient engagement. In 2020, there will be a greater focus on engaging patients through digital channels such as social media, email, and text messaging.

4. Content Marketing

Content marketing will continue to be an important healthcare marketing strategy in 2020. The key is to create high-quality, informative, and engaging content that will help you attract and retain patients.

5. Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) will continue to be an important healthcare marketing strategy in 2020. The key to success is to create keyword-rich content that is optimized for the search engines.

6. Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing will continue to be a powerful healthcare marketing tool in 2020. The key is to use social media to build relationships with patients and create a community around your brand.

7. Email Marketing

Email marketing is another important healthcare marketing strategy that will continue to be effective in 2020. The key is to create email campaigns that are targeted, relevant, and engaging.

8. Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising will continue to be an effective healthcare marketing strategy in 2020. The key is to create ads that are targeted and relevant to your audience.

9. Referral Marketing

Referral marketing is a powerful healthcare marketing strategy that can be very effective in 2020. The key is to create a system that incentivizes patients to refer others to your practice.

10. Traditional Marketing

While digital marketing is taking over, traditional marketing techniques such as print advertising, direct mail, and television advertising will still be effective in 2020. The key is to use these techniques in a way that complements your digital marketing efforts.

Keep these healthcare marketing strategies in mind as you plan your marketing efforts for 2020. If you need help getting started, contact a healthcare marketing agency.

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healthcare marketing

The Importance Of Marketing In The Healthcare Industry

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The Importance Of Marketing In The Healthcare Industry

There’s no question that marketing plays a vital role in the success of any business, and the healthcare industry is no different. In fact, given the highly competitive nature of the healthcare industry, effective marketing can mean the difference between success and failure.

The first step in any successful marketing campaign is to identify your target market. Who are you trying to reach with your marketing efforts? Once you’ve answered this question, you can begin to develop a marketing strategy that will resonates with your target audience.

The next step is to create a strong branding strategy. Your brand is what sets you apart from your competitors, so it’s important to make sure that your branding is on point.Your branding should reflect the values of your organization, and it should be consistent across all of your marketing materials.

Once you have your target market and branding strategy in place, you can begin to develop your marketing mix. This mix will include the various marketing channels that you’ll use to reach your target market. Some common marketing channels in the healthcare industry include online advertising, direct mail, public relations, and events.

Finally, once you have your marketing mix in place, you need to make sure that you’re tracking your results. This will help you to see what’s working and what’s not, and it will allow you to make necessary adjustments to your campaign.

Marketing is essential to the success of any healthcare organization. By taking the time to develop a strong marketing strategy, you can ensure that your organization is on the path to success.

The healthcare industry is one of the most important industries in the world. It is responsible for the health and wellbeing of billions of people. Marketing plays a vital role in the healthcare industry. It helps to raise awareness of the importance of health and wellbeing and encourages people to take action to improve their health.

Healthcare marketing can take many different forms. It can be used to promote healthy lifestyle choices, to raise awareness of health risks, to encourage people to get vaccinated or to take up screening tests. It can also be used to promote the work of healthcare professionals and to encourage people to use particular healthcare services.

Healthcare marketing is a complex and challenging task. It requires a deep understanding of the needs and motivations of different groups of people. It also needs to be sensitive to the often sensitive nature of health issues.

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healthcare marketing

The Impact Of Marketing In The Healthcare Industry

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The Impact Of Marketing In The Healthcare Industry

In a world where the average person is bombarded with over 5,000 marketing messages each day, it’s no wonder that healthcare marketers have to work hard to cut through the noise and reach their target audiences. But what exactly is healthcare marketing, and how does it differ from traditional marketing?

Healthcare marketing is the process of creating and executing a plan to promote a healthcare product or service. This can include everything from developing a new marketing strategy to creating and placement of advertising, public relations, and social media campaigns.

While the goals of healthcare marketing may be similar to other industries (increasing awareness, generating leads, boosting sales), the strategies used to achieve these goals are often very different. This is because the healthcare industry is heavily regulated, which means that healthcare marketers have to be very careful about the claims they make and the messages they send.

In addition, the healthcare industry is complex, with a wide range of stakeholders, including patients, doctors, insurance companies, and government agencies. This complexity means that healthcare marketers have to be very strategic in their approach, carefully crafting messages that will resonate with each of these different groups.

Despite the challenges, healthcare marketing can be extremely effective. When done well, it can help healthcare organizations to achieve their business goals, while also making a positive impact on the lives of patients.

If you’re interested in learning more about healthcare marketing, we’ve put together a list of resources that can help.

The healthcare industry is one of the most important and largest industries in the world. It is also one of the most complex and rapidly changing industries. This complexity is due to the many different types of products and services that are offered, the numerous regulations that govern the industry, and the constantly evolving technology.

The healthcare industry is also one of the most competitive industries. There are many different types of healthcare providers, from large hospital systems to small clinics, and each one is competing for patients. Marketing is a critical tool that healthcare providers use to reach and engage potential patients.

Healthcare marketing has evolved significantly in recent years, thanks to the growth of digital marketing and the rise of social media. These changes have made it possible for healthcare providers to reach a larger audience and to better target their marketing efforts.

Digital marketing in healthcare has a number of advantages. It is more cost-effective than traditional marketing methods, it is more targeted, and it provides healthcare providers with a way to track and measure results.

Social media is also playing a big role in healthcare marketing. It provides a way for healthcare providers to connect with potential patients and to build relationships. Social media can also be used to promote health awareness and to educate patients about healthy living.

The impact of marketing in healthcare is evident in the way that it is changing the way that healthcare providers reach and engage with potential patients. Marketing is no longer a one-way street; it is a two-way conversation. Healthcare providers who embrace digital marketing and social media will be well-positioned to succeed in the new healthcare landscape.

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