5 Ways to Enhance Your Digital Healthcare Marketing Strategy

In a sea of information, will your healthcare brand sink or swim?

The Internet, by definition, is a network of networks – but, in many ways, it’s also a battlefield. Every day, an endless number of healthcare brands compete for the attention of consumers. Whether it’s through SEO or paid search or digital display, marketers are constantly finding new ways to enhance their digital footprint and get that coveted spot under the online spotlight. As a healthcare provider, there are plenty of ways to shore up your digital marketing strategy and create a stronger online presence. Here are 5 ways to make a lasting online impression for dynamic healthcare marketing ROI.

1. Put Energy into SEO

When building your healthcare brand’s digital footprint, remember to be patient and play the long game. SEO is one of those strategies that often falls to the wayside because it doesn’t always deliver results right away – but neglecting SEO is one of the biggest mistakes healthcare marketers can make. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and, as the name implies, the end goal is to achieve a top spot on search results. Search engines will “crawl” webpages looking for keywords and phrases, internal and external links, meta descriptions and other identifiers. Once the engine determines what the webpage is about, it will rank the content based on search relevance, keyword density and overall usefulness. The pages that check all of these boxes most effectively will get a high rank on the search results. In addition, SEO is one of the most effective forms of organic marketing out there – think about it: Are you more likely to click on the first result you see on Google or one on Page 5? Chances are you would pick the former. A great SEO strategy will get you on that first page, which, in turn, gets you more eyeballs and more conversions. For more tips on developing a results-driven SEO strategy, check out our article “Master the Art of Healthcare Online Marketing: Landing Pages, PPC And SEO.”

2. Social Media and Social Proof are Worth It

If you have yet to adopt social media into your digital marketing strategy, it’s time to join the party. With approximately 77 percent of the American population on social, these dynamic platforms allow healthcare brands to connect and engage with patients, physicians, community members and more. From new service line announcements to event updates, articles to patient testimonials, there are endless opportunities to promote your healthcare brand’s thought leadership on social platforms. In addition to creating a space for conversation and engagement, social media is also a vehicle for presenting social proof. Bolstering brand reputation with authentic, credible testimonials, social proof is just that – “proof” that a healthcare brand is everything it claims to be. When promoted on social channels, social proof can be that extra layer of credibility your healthcare brand needs to drive even more engagement and enrollment – and it comes in many forms: patient testimonials, online ratings, such as Healthgrades, quotes from on-staff physicians and staff and healthcare awards are all viable options.

3. Produce Thought-Leading Content

As we mentioned above, Google rewards content that educates, informs and effectively answers people’s questions. Following suit, its recommended that healthcare brands develop content that is not only SEO-friendly, but also establishes thought leadership. Now, “thought leadership” is one of those phrases that could mean a lot of things, but here are a few examples:

• A long-form article (1000 words or longer) that puts a unique spin or perspective on a highly searched healthcare question
• An interview with a healthcare industry leader
• A guide to new healthcare legislation
• A boldly designed healthcare infographic
• Coverage of a healthcare topic that has yet to gain much exposure

The intention of thought-leading content is to establish your healthcare brand as the go-to expert in the field, and the content you create should support that position. Providing the public with this innovative and relevant content will spark discussion around your healthcare brand, maximize shareability on social channels, expand reach and enhance overall engagement online.

4. Get Your Website in Great Shape

Keeping your website up-to-date a relevant is an enormous task. It’s tempting to delay updates for as long as possible. We totally understand – staying ahead of the curve on websites requires thoughtful an strategic work – but for sites to be impactful, the occasional revamp is required. Consider this: a website made in 2008 looks very different from a website made in 2018; our point is: the digital world moves fast and, as a healthcare marketer, you have to stay up-to-date on the latest online trends. User experience, mobile compatibility and scalability and omnichannel brand consistency are just a few elements that are necessary considerations during web development. Since websites are essentially the online face of your brand, it’s imperative that it appears contemporary, streamlined and user-focused. When people find information on your site effectively, it will make them more likely associate your brand with a positive online experience – all of which enhance your brand’s reputation and SEO functionality in the long-run.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Pay

In a perfect world, people would automatically know your website exists, follow your social posts and engage with your content. However, in reality, this is simply not the case. Sometimes, you will need to pay for your brand to appear in front of an audience, and there are a variety of ways to do so. One of the most popular methods of paid search is pay-per-click, or PPC, where brands pay a nominal fee every time someone clicks their ad. If you’ve visited a search engine and saw an ad above the organic search results, that is likely a PPC ad. This may sound like a simple concept, but a lot goes into developing an effective PPC strategy: The ad must use target keywords while relaying a compelling message, the cost-per-click needs to be competitive and the linked landing page should be designed to drive conversions. Yes, there are fees involved, but, if the PPC ad is composed strategically, the profit should outweigh the cost. According to Google, businesses typically make $2 for every $1 they spend on Google Ads.

In this day and age, having a strong digital marketing strategy is not just a plus, it’s a necessity. If you’re looking for ways to expand your digital footprint, following the points above will help your brand achieve success in the long-term and short-term. To learn more about digital marketing for maximum ROI, visit https://orangelabelmarketing.com/expertise/