For years now, the healthcare industry has been somewhat lagging when it comes to digital acceptance. However, 2020 changed it all – almost overnight, the world in general and the healthcare industry, in particular, were compelled to go digital. And in order to make up for lost time, the industry has seen some drastic changes in terms of patient-care, physician-patient relationship, and especially healthcare marketing, be it B2B or B2C.
The key trends steering the healthcare industry into the future are mainly those that have been greatly influenced by the pandemic and the challenges it presented. No doubt, technology is at the forefront of making marketing successful amid travel bans and closed borders. While data-driven digital marketing is not something new, it definitely became non-negotiable in 2020.
So, here are the four key trends that you should be aware of as a healthcare marketer
More Data-Driven Than Ever
With in-person interactions becoming more limited, healthcare brands have to labor, more than ever, to understand and serve their customers, potential or existing, better. And data is at the center of it all. As a result, a new marketing concept, intent-based marketing, is steadily on the rise. Healthcare marketers are narrowing down their search further to only in-market buyers who are seeking similar solutions and who may have shown strong buying signals via their purchase history or online behavior.
What marketers deduce is the exact stage of the sales funnel a particular lead may be in. For instance – If they’re just starting out with their research, such leads could be targeted with short-form content like infographics that spark more interest in knowing the solution to the problem. If the lead is in the consideration stage, brands may target using long-form content such as blog posts, case studies, or industry reports that offer detailed insights into the solution and position the respective brand as a thought leader. And if the lead is in the final or decision-making stage, healthcare marketers may use product demos, customer testimonials, or reviews to support their reliability and convince leads to make the purchase or book a tele-appointment to discuss costs. The element of guesswork has reduced over the years and is close to being eliminated going forward.
A version of this article originally appeared here. https://www.callboxinc.com/growth-hacking/b2b-trends-drive-healthcare-marketing/?utm_source=bizbangboom&utm_campaign=cboxfl