Many people think that the Healthcare industry is a goldmine. And, this could be true, however, it requires tiptoeing around several restrictive rules and ethical boundaries.
Here, we take a look at why healthcare marketing isn’t cakewalk and how you can effectively achieve the desired outcome despite this.
Let’s find the answer for “Is Healthcare Marketing Hard?”
Why Healthcare Marketing Feels Hard?
Healthcare Marketing requires navigating some complex rules and regulations.
Depending on your tenure as a healthcare marketer and where you are from, you will be thrown curveballs every now and then.
Take for example, Covid-19 disturbed the mostly-positive view of healthcare professionals among the general public. This was something that needed fixing. So, marketers to the rescue!
There is also the fact that the healthcare sector is riddled with regulatory restrictions imposed on marketers, something that the marketers in other industries do not face.
1.Regulatory and Compliance Issues
This is true with most industries, but especially in the healthcare industry : regulatory compliance is non-negotiable.
The regulatory framework is ever-changing and marketers face the brunt. It is important for healthcare professionals to stay abreast of the latest information and updates.
Regulatory compliance governing the healthcare industry can be broadly categorized into :
Compliance with Government regulations : Healthcare regulatory frameworks of the government protect the interest of the patients.
It is important for their data to be kept private. Privacy laws and data security laws, as well as, healthcare privacy laws govern the field of healthcare marketing.
Using patient data for marketing purposes is forbidden. This naturally eliminates the scope of personalization – a technique used in marketing where personal stories are shared to promote a brand.
Since, most of the world has outlawed sharing medical diagnoses (there are exceptions in case of communicable diseases, where it can save lives), a hospital will not be able to bank on the revealing if someone has/had the disease and the course of treatment for marketing purposes.
It is to be noted that in most of the European Union, medical information cannot even be used for research purposes without informed consent of the patient.
Protection against fraud and abuse : Every country has its own regulation to protect fraud. This means that tall claims cannot be made in promotions without backing it with evidence.
2.To build Trust and Credibility
- Healthcare marketing rests on the main pillar of trust.
- Earning a patient’s trust happens only over time and there is a sizable number of patients benefiting from the healthcare services.
- One wrongly entered information in a marketing article could mean losing credibility.
3.Patient Privacy and Data Security
- Bouncing off on what was already mentioned under government regulations, patient privacy and data security are paramount.
- Medical information is classified as highly sensitive data and protecting patient privacy is sometimes difficult when it comes to marketing.
- This may sound repetitive, but that is how important it is.
- Working around the various challenges presented by the legislatory and regulatory frameworks of healthcare is challenging for marketers.
4.Ethical Considerations
- Potter Stewart said, “Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do.”
- There may be regional differences in laws, however, medical ethics govern healthcare providers.
- A code of conduct is drawn for not just how patients can be treated but also what can be revealed for promotional purposes.
- A side-by-side of the diagnosis and cure, say, may appear to be a good idea to marketers.
- This does not work in healthcare because of the ethical considerations because a very fine line demarcates what is fair and what is exploitative.
5.Targeting and Segmentations
Since patient data is not readily accessible and most marketers are not privy to the information, it is hard to connect the dots and satisfactorily answer “who really needs my healthcare service?” Unless in case of an emergency.
Strategies to Simplify Healthcare Marketing:
Now, Healthcare Marketing may not be the easiest career in the world.
On the other hand, it is to be noted that it is not impossible to achieve your goals.
You only need to be extra mindful. A blend of innovative strategies and a deep understanding of patient needs is needed to overcome the challenges of healthcare marketing.
1.Informative Content Marketing
- Healthcare has always been supported by information.
- Knowledge might be the only thing that fuels the medical sector.
- So, putting out informative content on your social media and websites is a great way to reach out to your audience.
- No doubt, healthcare thought leaders are able to build a wider audience and thus, a legacy by earnest and informative content that sufferers (even those who cannot afford treatment) can benefit from.
2.Digital Marketing and SEO
- Whether or not healthcare can be considered a business is a different discussion for a different day.
- Let’s for the sake of simplicity consider it to be a business.
- Google handles billions of searches everyday and it is important to take into account how this can be leveraged organically for sales conversion.
- Healthcare can benefit from optimizing their content to rank high in search engines.
- SEO offers your content better visibility and discoverability.
- And, it is not hard to put two and two together to conclude that SEO ultimately could help drive more clients to your website.
- Even though SEO is necessary for organic visibility, the scope of digital marketing is greater. To determine which is best for you, learn Digital Marketing vs SEO for a better understanding.
- SEO for healthcare is not just about keywords. It involves adhering to strict privacy standards. Adopting HIPAA Compliant SEO Practices for Medical Websites is essential for safeguarding sensitive information
3.Patient-Centric Marketing
- When it comes to healthcare marketing, the focus mustn’t be on the business but the patient.
- It is important that the benefactors of the organization feel like they belong.
- Patient-centric healthcare marketing focuses on tackling the problems of a community.
- It has at its Centre the genuine need to do good and create equity.
- Not that the patient is served only when it suits the healthcare provider.
4.Partnerships and Collaborations
- There are several problems that puzzle healthcare and thanks to science, they are being solved at a rapid rate.
- Healthcare is driven by collaborations and true partnerships as opposed to competition that drives other industries.
- You could collaborate with platforms and other providers that share similar values and goals.
5.Adapting to Regulations
- This is the fourth time in this article that regulations are brought up.
- That alone should be able to highlight its pertinence.
- Regulations keep changing and they are very region-specific so adapting to them might be a challenge.
- However, if content and marketing campaigns are designed in such a way that the regulations are met, then it is possible to reap rewards for your healthcare organization.
Is Healthcare Marketing Hard?
Now, it’s time to address the core question “Is Healthcare Marketing Hard?”
Yes, Healthcare Marketing is undoubtedly challenging. But it is not impossible to overcome.
It calls for a blend of patient empathy, compliance and creativity.
The secret is to embrace the challenges as opportunities to innovate. Finally connect with patients on a deeper level.
Conclusion
To wrap up, “Is Healthcare Marketing Hard?”, Different people find different things challenging, and to most people, marketing does not strike as challenging.
The thing is, there are several nuances to healthcare marketing that should not be missed.
A good marketing strategy will help improve your odds of success in the healthcare sector.
