Welcome to the Dove Direct Print and Marketing Blog. Today's post, "Print & Digital Improve Healthcare Marketing," reexamines healthcare marketing strategies as the age of COIVD-19 continues to press forward. As more and more people receive vaccinations, there is a lingering concern that the US average number of infections is still too high at roughly 50k per day. Add to that the outbreak in India, with more than 500k new cases per day, and the country, indeed the world, may have a way to go before we tamp this disease downward. Meanwhile, as marketers, we have a job to do that benefits the customer and the brand. We covered the various benefits of employing a two-pronged print and digital marketing strategy for most industries in the past. By far, this strategy is the optimal approach to generate personalized content that delivers increased participation and engagement. However, when healthcare providers are looking to attract more customers, the process is far more complicated. One space where there is evidence of this intricate marketing aspect is the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA introduced a new paradigm involving direct-to-consumer marketing, including those of digital channels. That new healthcare marketing model demands personalization, whether you're selling healthcare or health insurance. Since the passing of the ACA, healthcare premiums and insurance offerings are now more complex than ever.
Quote of the Day: "When we look back, five years from now, 10 years from now, or 20 years from now, we'll be better off because we had the courage to pass this law and keep moving forward."
– Barack Obama
Healthcare Industry Marketing Challenges
Care delivery has been a significant concern for the healthcare industry in a consumer-centric environment. These concerns illustrate challenges as it relates to research and product development. Our current healthcare challenges require even more research, and of course, more up-to-date communications for all customers, shareholders, partners, and prospects.
The new mRNA vaccine technology is yet another manifestation of research and product development efforts. Keeping with the idea of new vaccines, nonetheless, the healthcare industry as a whole continues to be under tremendous pressure due to the pandemic, and as a result, new treatments, processes, and discoveries are afoot.
There are various methods available for marketing and advertising. It's essential to keep in mind that many medical outlets and insurance providers are looking to lure potential customers with their plans. From solo private practices to hospitals to urgent care centers, specialists, and other medical and insurance providers, marketing dollars need to be spent wisely with effective targeting.
Print Marketing
Most marketers and brands are aware that print marketing is on the upswing. Many data mining organizations have conducted surveys and reports that support the importance of the rise in print. Marketers are also mindful that print uplifts digital response and engagement rates. In this context, print marketing includes newspaper advertising, magazines, direct mail marketing, direct-to-consumer, circulars, inserts, so on and so forth. Healthcare marketers can expand their reach when using a broader marketing message in marketing, as mentioned above. It is also critical to understand that these mediums continue to dispatch their offerings to every household, zip code, region, city, and multiple geographical zones.
Healthcare providers can reach demographically sensitive targets by placing print collateral in periodicals, specialty magazines, and local newspapers. Digital printing is a marketing medium that excels at targeting specific demographics. This marketing type can contain content meant to influence or convert a specialist, a medical facility, or something as bane as scheduling appointments. Further, print marketing also makes a case for delivering documented changes in healthcare procedures, treatments, insurance offerings, and healthcare community changes.
Further, print is now digital. That technological advancement allows one to create content for a single person, group, or region, depending on what is necessary. In this case, variable data printing, aka variable digital printing, or VDP, enables you to target the recipient with various attributes.
Digital Channels
The digital channels are the go-to default marketing platforms that provide quick access and tracking. The healthcare industry has and will continue to take advantage of the online universe. Due to the pandemic, more online traffic has emerged, and as a result of folks sheltering in place, all online marketing initiatives have a captive audience. Simultaneously, due to the onslaught of internet traffic, the scroll effect is on full blast, meaning that once an ad is on a digital platform, including social media, the odds are high that a good number of targets will miss the advertisement. Therefore, marketers would need to consider spending more dollars to ensure that those targets see the ad.
And, here's the slam dunk. When a marketer opts to lead with direct mail marketing, you can push folks to a digital destination. The lift is exponential in that direct mail recipients will see and read the direct mail piece and then follow the call-to-action link to the digital channel, thus increasing both engagement and response rates.
Print and Digital Solutions
Interestingly, a print and digital marketing strategy will allow for new solutions that support both mediums working hand-in-hand. For example, a major health care provider or insurance company has to manage data from multiple entities and states every month. A full service commercial print provider can allow the automatic transfer of information to a customized data management system. These services include data cleansing and formatting, digitally printing the collateral, allotting for individual personal customization in terms of name, color, texture, photos, and other creative. A full-service print solutions provider can also supply marketers with the following:
- automatic mail sort and delivery,
- shorter turnaround times,
- better budgeting,
- improved tracking, and
- other options such as delivery confirmation.
Video Delivers the Trifecta
We also contend that video is another heavy hitter. Including video with print and digital delivers a powerful trifecta. YouTube, Vimeo, and other platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and others now prominently feature video uploads. These platforms allow you to build your brand and invite a following by creating a profile and using the channel to market and advertise the brand.
The YouTube platform is also perfect for industries that need to deliver complex information making it an ideal healthcare marketing tactic. Even with the likes of video distribution channels, the vast amount of videos makes it very difficult to reach as many eyeballs that strategic marketers would appreciate. Lastly, keep in mind that print collateral and social media channels, when used together, can push users and direct mail recipients to YouTube and other video distribution channels. It's a numbers game, so the more eyeballs to view the slam dunk, the better!
The Net-Net
Healthcare is a highly complex industry that can be confusing to people as plans change, new treatments become available, and new procedures move to the forefront. Clearly, during a pandemic, the complexity is significant. That's why it is imperative to select a full-service commercial print solutions provider that is HIPAA qualified and also provides a high level of document security.
When healthcare providers invest in print, digital, and video, the odds dramatically increase that consumers will not only see the messages, they will read them. More critical, marketers can expect that a response will occur. Thanks for reading "Print & Digital Improve Healthcare Marketing!"
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