How people approach healthcare is changing. Eighty-nine percent of people turn to Google when they have a healthcare query. In fact, 1 in 20 searches are healthcare related. And they check an average of 12.4 online resources prior to a hospital visit. There are over 8 BILLION health-related videos on YouTube, and 56% of patients search YouTube for health concerns. People have become used to 24/7 access to information, and will move on quickly if not satisfied with the information they’re seeing.
While these changes in behavior are having a large impact on how healthcare businesses provide services, they’re also making smart and effective online marketing absolutely essential to healthcare marketers.
With high levels of consumer interest and a huge variety of service providers, it’s an incredibly competitive field. How can marketers make sure that they’re showing up, and with relevant information, when people are searching for answers related to the services they provide?
Be Present
Paid search is the obvious choice for connecting with an audience that is utilizing search engines so heavily. Yet healthcare paid search certainly has its challenges. It’s a highly competitive field due to the large number of providers (and related companies and organizations) and the volume of searches. There are also a lot of restrictions regarding sensitive information and how data can be used. To get noticed, it’s important to utilize strategic bid approaches and more advanced targeting to cut through the competition and be present when and where it matters.
It’s especially important that healthcare marketers know their audiences well. What specifically are they searching for? Do your keywords, ad text and landing pages speak to those specific searches? Are they looking to do research, purchase a product or equipment, or visit a location urgently? Those all require different approaches.
Build Awareness
Whether seeking to provide relevant information or creating a more human brand for your company, video is a necessity for healthcare companies. There are over 3 billion health searches on YouTube every month, and you want to be where people are searching and watching videos. So create video content, utilize that content in your display ads, run ads before relevant YouTube content, and add videos to your landing pages to improve performance and build trust.
Be Relevant
Most people searching for healthcare-related companies are looking for a local provider. If your audience is generally very local, make sure you utilize geo-targeting to connect efficiently with people who are more likely to do business with you. This will save you wasted spend, increase your CTR, and therefore boost your quality score, driving up ROI and reducing costs across your campaign.
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and optimized to provide the information your audience is seeking quickly. Make sure contact information is readily available, as healthcare-related searchers are often looking for human touchpoints. And remember that when it comes to healthcare, people often prefer to see more information on a page than they would with other industries.
By following these steps to help your healthcare business be present, build awareness and be relevant, especially in search and video, your marketing will set you up for success in this changing marketplace.
If you’re interested in taking a deeper dive into more advanced methods for healthcare marketing, please contact us to set up a time to talk.
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