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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay |
While there have been great strides in hospitals and health systems
adopting digital marketing, most marketing remains mired in traditional
outbound marketing methods. That is, pushing low-value content
out in display ads, direct mailers, and broadcast media, hoping that someone will
pay attention and act. Calls to actions are generic, and there is a lemming-like approach by hospitals
in the same market to do the same thing simultaneously.
Today's practice is still a look at us with little value messaging of what is offered.
Sometimes it is even those soft; we care kinds of messaging.
Commonly referred to as interruption marketing, outbound is all about
sending generic messages out to the broadest possible number of audiences with
no customization of content or news, hoping that someone will respond.
The pandemic defines today's
hospital as it affects the brand promise, engagement, and experience. These are
the difference makers between driving revenue and growth or failure with a
future of merger, outright acquisition, or closure and liquidation. The patient
is increasingly taking control and making choices. Is outbound marketing the
best way to drive brand awareness, choice, and selection?
Switching to inbound marketing.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Let's start the discussion with a definition.
Inbound marketing is a series of marketing actions designed to give patients a reason to engage with the hospital and utilize medical services. It's about bringing the patient to you. Inbound marketing requires meaningful content used to engage, build value, and relationship. It's a pull strategy as opposed to a push strategy that hospitals and health systems utilize.
Remember, this
is not an either-or proposition; one needs both strategies well
integrated to achieve maximum benefit.
Inbound marketing is all about why someone should contact and choose you,
not what you do.
Understand that inbound marketing focuses on "reason to communicate
with you" and not a "do you need a doctor?" or cancer
services or insert clinical, technology, or building name here for outbound marketing.
That means having engaging content that engages
the ad intrigues the patient, meets a current need, and prompts a decision to
take action with a strong call to action.
What are the inbound channels?
Image by launchpresso from Pixabay
The major component of inbound are emails, SEO, blogging, social media, content marketing, and review/referral sites. One is pushing relevant messaging based on the user personas and behavior characteristics that address their "pain points" and interests so that the hospital stays top-of-mind in their decision-making process.
The hospital needs to understand the patient's persona and their buying
process.
The patient now has a buying process. And in that buying process, facilities and technology
are a factor, but not the most important one.
Patients during the pandemic are searching for information beyond the hospital
services. With that, the case, doesn't it make sense to be proactive and connect on
a very personal level? Inbound marketing
allows you to do that. But, it's not
sending mass emails with generic information.
Inbound marketing recognizes that the patient is now different. Yes, one continues to use demographic information but pigeonholing people into these "group clarifications" doesn't get to the issue of their pain points and what solutions they are looking for in meeting their healthcare needs. A persona is needed for each individual attracted to the hospital to develop appropriate engaging messages and deter the optimal channel mix to reach.
Multiple channels are needed as the patient is
omnichannel and lives in a digital world.
Inbound marketing is patient-centric,
not hospital-centric.
Suppose one considers the focal point of what they need, not
what the hospital needs to generate revenue, then marketing shifts. The marketing department needs to understand
the journey of the patient buying process. Once that is understood, then comes the relevant and meaningful information,
available at any point in the process, sent to the patient. The hospital's
marketing mission and strategies nurture the patient relationship with inbound
marketing that converts and expands the relationship.
Inbound marketing positively impacts fee-for-service, risk-based, or
value-based contracts.
Because you shift to inbound marketing, the hospital is engaging
and establishing a strong relationship with the healthcare consumer or
patient. In population health
management, engagement, and meaningful patient relationships are
everything.
Inbound marketing is attributable to increased revenue, growth, and
ROI.
Here is what happens for the hospital in shifting some of its effort from purely outbound to a strategically integrated combination of inbound and outbound marketing. The hospital does generate revenue; market share grows, the cost of marketing decreases, and marketing ROI increases.
Today, shifting to inbound marketing will pay huge dividends
tomorrow, no matter what the payment system.
Michael is a healthcare business,
marketing, communications strategist, and thought leader. As an
internationally followed healthcare strategy blogger, his blog, Healthcare
Marketing Matters, is read in 52 countries and is listed on the 100 Top Healthcare Marketing
Blogs & Websites ranked
at No. 3 on the list by Feedspot.com. Michael is a Life Fellow, American
College of Healthcare Executives. An expert in healthcare marketing
strategy, digital marketing, and social media, Michael is in the top 10 percent
of social media experts nationwide and is considered an established influencer.
For inquiries regarding strategic consulting engagements, you can email me at
michael@themichaeljgroup.com.
Connect with me on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Flipboard, and Triller. The opinions expressed are my own.
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