A Healthcare Marketing Strategy to Improve Patient Experience

More than any other industry out there, healthcare relies on a relationship of trust between the businesses and the consumer—in this case, hospitals (and smaller healthcare facilities) and their patients. Without establishing that patients can trust your doctors, nurses, facilities, etc., they are bound to take their business elsewhere.

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It’s also the case that these days consumers are much more skeptical of marketing practices that are insincere or deceptive. According to one study, only one-third of consumers trust brands that they engage with, and another 81% state that a lack of trust in a brand can be a dealbreaker.

Establishing trust among consumers is an uphill battle, but it’s also a must—especially in the world of healthcare where people’s lives and well-being are at stake. That’s not to mention that they’re also shelling out lots of money. That’s why formulating and executing a healthcare marketing strategy that fosters trust through transparency and convenience while addressing the needs of your patients is paramount.

With that said, here’s a list of healthcare marketing ideas and practices that can improve both patient experience and build brand trust.

Online business presence

The number one thing every hospital, clinic, and surgery center should consider when developing a healthcare marketing strategy is their digital footprint. Basically, your healthcare business needs to be able to answer “yes” to these three questions in regards to its online presence:

• Is my website easy to find?
• Is my website easy to navigate once found?
• Is it easy to book an appointment or find the contact information for my facility?

The best way to knock these three things out of the park is to boost your local search engine ranking with SEO best practices, to create a fluid mobile website that is easy to navigate, and to  clearly display your booking button and contact info right on your site’s homepage.

Chatbots

When patients visit your website, sometimes they’re going to have questions. For complicated inquiries, of course you’re going to need human support on hand to help. But for straightforward questions, it’s a wise marketing move to have a chatbot at the ready.

AI chatbots can be programmed to quickly answer basic questions and automate simple tasks such as updating personal information, payment details, or rescheduling an appointment. That way, many patients visiting your site won’t have to wait in a lengthy queue for no reason. Also, it’ll free up your human staff to take care of more complex support requests.

Content strategy

Hospitals and other healthcare practices also need to nail down and carry out a coherent marketing content strategy. Put simply, a healthcare marketing content strategydefines all the ways you intend to reach your patients and other visitors in your hospital. The best marketing plans give value to consumers by engaging them, informing them, and influencing them to take action.

In the healthcare world, this can come in many forms. Some great examples of healthcare marketing content are educational blog posts on your website, trustworthy testimonials from previous patients, and relatable social media posts that let patients interact with your brand in more meaningful ways.

Digital lobby signage

Healthcare digital signage is the strategic use of interconnected screens and kiosks inside hospitals or other healthcare facilities.

Digital signage in hospitals can display things like wait times, entertainment such as live TV, educational videos, digital wayfinding, important health notices, preventative health measures, emergency messaging, branded content, digital menu boards and shop operating times, third party ads, and much more.

Put simply, healthcare digital signage gets patients and visitors the information they need, when and where they need it. And not only that, a network of digital displays will tell patients that your healthcare facility is both modern and professional. In the digital age, that’s a must since people these days are used to viewing information on digital screens.

Digital signs are bright, easily legible, and attention-grabbing due to their flashy nature. Both passersby and patients who have to stay put will not be able to ignore them. This makes digital signage the perfect way to reach your patients and visitors with important information.

Telehealth and videoconferencing

COVID-19 has made remote communications more of a necessity than ever. And, unfortunately, that’s in all areas of life—even healthcare. Before, doctor-patient video conferences were pretty much only reserved for people who needed to consult specialists not in their area or for those with transportation issues.

Now, virtual doctor appointments are in much higher demand, which means your healthcare organization needs to be equipped to handle this new reality. And more than that, your hospital or clinic needs to make it known to patients—both potential and current—that remote doctor appointments are an option.

Make telehealth services a key pillar of your healthcare marketing strategy for the duration of the pandemic and keep it in your arsenal even after. It’s not just something patients are asking for, but it’s also the responsible thing to do in these uncertain times.

Getting started with healthcare digital signage

Digital signage is one of most effective tools to boost your healthcare marketing strategy, and in turn, earn the trust of your patients.

If you’d like to learn more about adding visual communications to your healthcare marketing, try out a free demo of TelemetryTV’s all-in-one digital signage solution today.