In a highly competitive industry such as the health sector, the acquisition of new customers has a key role.Inbound marketing has not yet been the focus of the decision -makers.But inbound marketing is particularly suitable in healthcare marketing to generate new interested parties and ideally make it customers.
(This article is originally in the print edition No..12/December 2016 of the Healthcare Marketing magazine published)
Inbound marketing is a marketing area that pursues the goal of creating and marketing relevant and consistent content for a clearly defined target group.In contrast to classic, advertising disciplines such as advertisements, banners or commercials, the content of the inbound marketing does not focus on the positive presentation of your own company with its products, but try to impart useful information, relevant knowledge or entertainment.
As part of the Healthcare industry, content marketing is currently being neglected..The marketing experts who already have the topic on the agenda often see the strict regulations in the healthcare system as too much challenge.Where you like to choose customer testimonials or case studies in other industries in inbound marketing, the strict requirements for the confidentiality of the patient data prohibit similar approaches in healthcare marketing.
Although inbound marketing is difficult in this regulated environment, there is also good news: Various studies show that over 70% of all Internet users are looking for health information online.Healthcare is also the second most common service online.With so many people who are looking for expert information and so many channels on which they can be achieved, there is great potential for conversion from interested parties to customers.
This is how inbound marketing works
But how exactly does inbound marketing work in practice?A previously anonymous prospect searches for a specific topic via any search engine.From all search results he clicks on the one that seems most attractive to him.Whether via a third platform or directly - he comes to a landing page specially developed on this topic.On this page he finds other content, which is specially tailored to his search query and thus relevant to him.
The prospect has the feeling that he has found exactly the content he was looking for: the source seems trustworthy to him.For example, to receive the regular newsletter or invitations for a webinar or to make an appointment, it gives the name and email address price- the most valuable information for marketers.At this moment, the anonymous visitor becomes a concrete, identifiable lead.
4 tips for successful inbound marketing in the healthcare industry
How do you do best when it comes to inbound marketing in the healthcare environment?With these 4 tips you can successfully implement the inbound marketing strategy in your organization:
1) The basis: an optimized website
Your own website is the central platform for lead generation via inbound marketing.At the end of the inbound process, interested parties always come to their own website or the specially created landing pages via high-quality content at the end of the inbound process.The website therefore contains the content that can be downloaded here by filling out a contact form.The website should be tailored to previously identified "Buyer Personas", i.e. the typical target customers,.According to this persona, the language and terminology should also be adapted.
In any case, you should also operate your own blog on the page so that readers keep returning to your page due to current content.In addition, a separate blog is positive for search engine optimization (see point 2).For example, a doctor's office could write seasonally about symptoms and inform the patient extensively before an appointment.
2) Make your offer visible: SEO (search engine optimization)
Search engine optimization remains one of the most important elements of a good website.You can only generate leads if they are found.Many websites still have some catching up to do here.The on-page SEO deals with the implementation of relevant keywords on the page.This applies to all texts, however, also to side titles, headings or the meta data.For example, if you have an ophthalmologist's practice in Aschaffenburg, you should try to position yourself for location-dependent keywords such as "ophthalmologist Aschaffenburg".
Off-page SEO On the other hand, the “authority” of the website should analyze the whole, for example, how many other pages link to your own page.The more "backlinks" are generated, the higher the ranking in the search engine.Both concepts, on-page and off-page SEO, belong to the classic inventory of search engine optimization.However, the content of the content and the exact implementation have changed over the past few years.Modern SEO optimized for the searchers and not for the search engines.This means that the side title no longer only covers as many keywords as possible, but, from the user point of view, pays attention to the fact that the title has an optimal length or that it is precisely matched to page.The same applies to the metadata, the headings or the link structure.
3) Develop really useful content
If the content created is not exactly tailored to the target group, they fail to have their effect.Contents must be relevant and high quality so that inbound marketing can work successfully.
It is therefore important to create content that reaches the target groups, trigger actions and are also understandable for the users.Good content that offers the reader added value must meet various requirements.The content should be as "original" as possible, that is, it should be researched and written.At the same time, good content should give as practical answers as possible and offer the reader an approach how he can now use the knowledge imparted.In addition, the content has to appear regularly in order to bind the reader to its own offer in the long term.
For a simple start, you should concentrate on your blog and develop one or two deeper, high-quality content that you use for lead generation.For example a high-quality white paper or an e-book.
4) market your content proactively on different channels
The content creation is only half the rent.The content must also be marketed.SEO forms the basis.In addition, the marketing of other marketing channels such as email or social media are used.Social media play a central role in the marketing process.The posts get faster traction in the social media environment, you can build up your own reach than on other channels.In addition, you can build real connections to your customers, for example your patients, via social media.
The content for social media must be specially adapted for this channel.Depending on the channel, you should also sprinkle third content, which has added value for your own fans and followers.Otherwise, blog posts, white paper, infographics and others can also be played well through social media.The link would then usually lead directly to its own landing page with a content offer, lead form and CTA (call-to-action).Email marketing is an often underestimated channel in content marketing.Not only can you bind existing contacts through good email marketing, you can also use email campaigns to advertise your own content and thus make paying customers from leads.
summary
The Healthcare industry is forced to keep existing customers with innovative solutions and to win new customers through the hard competition with innovative solutions.Inbound marketing should be an important addition to the marketing mix.Even if the requirements due to the strict requirements lead to additional effort compared to other industries, the bottom line is still significantly more effective than those when using classic marketing methods.
Would you like to learn more about digital marketing?Then download our free e-book "Guide Content Marketing-Strategy and Implementation".
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