Healthcare practices can get ahead with smart content campaigns

Healthcare practices need to have a clear understanding of the customer journey, deliver a coherent message and leverage social media platforms to improve their content marketing campaigns and drive traffic to corporate websites.

Advertising trade publication Adweek has outlined several tips for healthcare practices to make better use of content. The first focuses on the use of relevant web copy to feature on the first page of SERPs, as a survey by Pew Internet Research shows that 80 per cent of health inquiries are initially made on search engines. Nearly three-quarters of all US consumers also claim that they look online for health-related information.

There is a tendency by modern enterprises to follow the latest social media trends when creating content to stimulate interest in their services, but chasing viral opportunities can lead to a loss of focus and dilute the core brand message. Instead, marketers should aim to become an authoritative voice in a particular niche through the use of concise, crisp and usefully informative content.

Patient Pop CEO Luke Kervin adds: “Blogging about specialty-relevant topics positions you as a helpful, educational, trusted resource who wants to provide information.” In addition, a keyword research tool can unearth popular search terms used by patients, which can be then used as a foundation for crafting relevant content around particular topics.

Healthcare practices should also create content with mobile in mind. Six out of ten searches are now made on smartphones and tablets, so content needs to be optimised for a variety of screen sizes in order to drive traffic and keep people engaged. This also lends itself to the end user experience and making a great first impression – 88 per cent of customers claim that they never go back to a website after a bad experience.

Finally, healthcare marketers need to reach their target audience through the right channels at the right time. Social media is central to this, as people now spend 30 per cent of their online browsing time on social sites such as Facebook and Instagram. Kervin adds: “Beef up your directory profiles and review sites with rich content – add photos, maps and information to your practice profiles.”