Six Reasons Most Healthcare Marketing Efforts Fail

As you begin your marketing plans for 2022, there’s something you should know: Most healthcare marketing efforts fall well short of their goals. But why? What are so many people doing wrong? Often, it’s more about what they’re not doing. Let’s discuss six important steps that people fail to take in their marketing campaigns. Add these to the mix, and watch your results start to climb.

1. Poor planning

We’ve all heard that when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. But surprisingly, this is where most efforts begin to fall short. In a competitive and constantly changing industry like healthcare, you have to do some advance planning to succeed. You need to set goals and objectives that are quantifiable, measurable, and aligned with your business strategy. Clearly define your target markets and audiences, then identify the best tactics and resources to reach them. Finally, create a comprehensive messaging strategy and make sure you have enough content to support it. Taking time to craft a strategic marketing plan will save time and money in the end.

2. Lack of consistency

Healthcare marketing is more of a long game strategy and less about quick clicks and instant responses. So, it’s critical that your messages and strategies are consistent for the long haul. The tactics, frequency, tone, voice, and visuals all need a consistent rhythm to build relationships with potential patients. This is especially true of social media. Eighty percent of sales are made somewhere between the fourth and twelfth contact, and you need to be there when patients are ready to act. You have to stay consistent to stay relevant.

3. Selling instead of caring

No one wants to feel like they’re being “sold” healthcare. What people want is someone they can trust – someone who’s knowledgeable and will be there for them. But how do you convey this while also telling your own story? The key is to offer a balance of education and information along with more promotional messaging. Healthcare marketing is about building trust in your hospital or your practice. Make sure every marketing effort helps build that trust. 

4. Failing to optimize

Having a plan and having an optimized plan are two different things. Optimizing is about recognizing every opportunity and acting on it. The first strategy in optimizing is retargeting. Whenever someone responds to any marketing message, keep the conversation going with a relevant follow-up, or series of follow-ups. Fine-tune your SEO strategy (remember – the “O” is for “optimization) and make sure your website is up to date, intuitive, and ready to support your marketing campaigns. Make it as easy as possible for a site visitor to self-convert from a prospect to a patient. Finally, use multiple tactics and platforms that reinforce one another. We all know that people look for and relate to information in different ways. Help them find what they’re looking for no matter which path they choose. 

5. Failing to analyze

We’ve already talked about the importance of defining measurable goals and objectives in advance. It’s just as important to make sure you’re measuring and analyzing your results along the way. Establish baselines, then measure against them. Use A/B testing for direct response campaigns. Soon you’ll be making better decisions based on what you learn. And finally, always make sure your goals and measurements are quantifiable, so you don’t mistake activity for results. 

6. Failing to adapt

No plan is guaranteed to work from the start so it’s important to know you will have to adapt as you go. Running a campaign the way it was intended from the start or the way you’ve done it in years past, without paying attention to what’s working today, is a huge mistake. Stay educated. Watch the competition. And don’t hesitate to tweak your campaign once it’s underway. Nothing ever goes exactly as planned, and it’s important to watch what’s happening and adapt in real- time. Let your tactics and strategies evolve to changes in the industry, reaction from patients, and the results you’re getting (or not getting).

And that’s it – six things you can do that many of your competitors don’t or won’t: Take the time to plan. Be consistent and be caring. Optimize, analyze, and last, but not least, adapt. As you begin using these tips with your existing plans, I hope you’ll experience your most successful year yet.

If you want to learn more about KidGlov or our expertise in the healthcare industry, you can visit our healthcare page or reach out to me directly.