Digital Marketing will certainly give Healthcare a makeover! Here is why and how
Healthcare and digital marketing have not been heard going hand in hand until now, the digital age. It was then, when patients spent dull hours reading medical pamphlets or visiting clinics looking for information about best doctors and now the tech savvy, flipping screens and instantly accessing information no matter their location. Anywhere from a simple CBC test to complex Cosmetic Surgeries, healthcare has made its presence in every online forum ranging from mobile apps, social media to digital ads. The trend has actively set in with physicians as well in the strive to gain maximum visibility, so there is no escaping the digital path for both, patients and medical professionals.
Why go digital?
Medical marketing strategies worldwide have undergone massive transformation. Some interesting takeaways for healthcare marketers are as below, (insights by Think with Google’s ‘The Digital Journey to Wellness: Hospital Selection)- Most patients search for treatments and information related to doctors online. According to one of the research, more than 70% of internet users look for Healthcare Information Online.
- More than 40% of consumers (patients) find social media information not only useful but trustworthy. Social is a wonderful way for patients to let out stories of their experiences online. Most of the users of social media falling in the age group of 18-24 trust medical information online through LinkedIn, Twitter and Face book, making it increasingly important for healthcare professionals to target the young audience.
- Over 70% of patients use search engines like Google before they book appointments online out of which a 44% comprise mobile devices.
- Digital content plays an important role in building trust among consumers. This applies particularly to medical treatments like cosmetic surgery where a doctor's review plays a significant role in the patient's decision making. With reviews being searched extensively, online reputation management through digital marketing remains critical. Building a good brand for healthcare professional becomes easy with online marketing.
- Youtube attracts over 119% year on year increase in traffic to hospital sites. It is more likely that doctors and hospitals find their potential audience on you tube, a highly acknowledged marketing platform.
What is trending in medical healthcare in the digital space?
- Emergence of e-patients (both existing and new)
- Proliferation of online health video, consumers watch more of health videos featuring doctors than food or other topics
- Impact of Mobile traffic. With more than 50% of web traffic coming from mobile device and mobile apps, the spends on digital marketing on this medium is expected to grow.
- Community building. Creating a community around the brand with patient testimonials helps to educate and inform consumers.
- Indian healthcare market is likely to show a growth of a CAGR of 23%. IT health care which is valued at US $1 is poised for 1.5 times growth by the year 2020.
- Marketing budgets shifting to digital continues to show a positive trend.
So what is the bottom line? If you as healthcare marketer is not on the internet, you are missing out on a big chunk of prospective consumers, your potential healthcare audience!
