16 Apr Why healthcare marketers should be focusing on online content marketing now

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing how we work, where we work, the media we use, and how we use it. While some marketers are riding out the crisis by reducing spending and waiting for the eventual return to “business as usual” (or as close to “usual” as we’ll ever get again), we feel this period presents a valuable opportunity to nurture stronger relationships with existing customers and engage with new customers through relevant content both during and after the pandemic.

So it’s critical that healthcare marketers pivot quickly to capitalize on opportunities to establish or maintain contact with their target audiences.

And where are most members of your target audience spending more of their time? Online.

Savvy healthcare marketers are creating and sharing targeted content online: websites, blogs, digital ads, LinkedIn, email, Twitter, Facebook, and other digital channels.

Those that develop a strategy to create content based on the needs of their target audience will drive leads and increase sales.

Changes in media habits

A recent survey by digital media company Centro shows just how media consumption habits have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic:

Forced to stay at home, many of us are now spending more of our lives online. And with traditional channels of marketing, such as conferences and in-person sales calls, no longer viable options, healthcare marketers should take advantage of the surge in website traffic and video streams to ensure that their content is still reaching key customers…and, in the process, perhaps even new prospects.

Advantages of content marketing

Digital content marketing helps brands develop on-going relationships with customers by offering them content that provides value and is non-promotional. If marketers understand the needs of their customers, they can use content marketing to provide solutions in the form of original content designed to be educational, entertaining, and informative. This content can then be packaged and distributed holistically through tactics such as email, social media, webinars, e-guides, videos, white papers, online ad campaigns, and more.

Done right, an investment in content marketing yields numerous advantages:

Drives sales conversions

According to a survey, 74% of companies reported that content marketing increased their marketing leads, both in quantity and quality. Engaging and educational content can make your website more sticky for visitors, meaning they’re more likely to spend more time on your site, more likely to engage with your site, more likely to come back to your site, and more likely to become customers.

Positions you as a trusted thought leader

When customers are moving through the sales cycle your ability to provide valuable and helpful information about your product or service can position you as an authority. The more worthwhile, actionable content you share, the more reliable you appear.

Increases brand awareness and loyalty

Brands that consistently share engaging content stay top of mind with customers, form a close bond, and engender their loyalty.

Improves SEO

According to TechClient, content creation is one of the most effective SEO techniques. In fact, sites that post consistent blog content have on average 434% more pages indexed by search engines than those that don’t publish at all.

How to pivot with content marketing

Ensuring that you have the right content available to your customers can be an effective way for a brand to remain in touch with customers and increase leads during the pandemic and after.

•  If trade shows were a big part of your overall lead generation program, now is the time to make sure that relevant content that would have been distributed and showcased at those shows is available online.

•  This is a time when webinars can be an especially effective tool for demonstrating new products and services.

•  Brochures and other marketing handouts should be easily accessible and downloadable to customers through your website.

•  Translate promotional pieces into engaging videos.

•  Many brands are creating their own “digital” conferences that can be promoted through various online channels and then archived for future promotions.

•  Use this time to reassess target audience segments and messaging. With many companies facing an uncertain economic future, the key decision-makers in purchasing may have changed.