6 Healthcare Communications Tips to Help You Stand Out from the Crowd
In an industry going increasingly digital, it is becoming more and more difficult to become a standout organisation within healthcare. With everyone vying for a place at the pinnacle, it doesn’t take a lot for you to potentially topple into obscurity alongside countless others.
However, with such a wide spectrum of services operating within the sector, finding your place needn’t be a constant uphill struggle. Making a name for yourself requires a plethora of factors occurring in unison. By organising these factors through the initiation of an effective healthcare communications strategy you can optimise your chances of achieving your goals.
But what exactly constitutes an effective comms strategy? Here are 6 tips to help get you started.
Get your messaging straight
Begin your medical communications strategy by outlining the objectives of your campaign. It may sound outrageously simplistic, but scores of healthcare comms efforts fall flat on their face just a short distance from the start line purely due to a lack of overarching strategy.
It all starts with your audience. Think about exactly who it is that you are targeting. Once you have outlined your key demographic, you can start building a dialogue around your specialist subject that will prove meaningful to that bracket of society. Stick to a style of messaging that will appeal to your target audience, while reasserting your stance as an authoritative voice on the subject. When you have nailed down your line of messaging, use it as a guide throughout the entire campaign. Consistency is key.
Outline your USPs
Ask yourself a simple question – what exactly is it that makes your organisation stand out from the crowd? In order to make yourself known, you need to alert your audience to the unique features that you bring to the table. This should be front and centre of your comms across all channels.
What issues is your organisation striving to solve? How do you align with the needs of the industry? Which angle of your overarching strategy sets you apart from the rest?
If you fail to answer these questions effectively, then you will likely fade into a sea of mundanity. Using your point of difference as the driving force behind a comms plan is a surefire means of making a name for yourself within the healthcare space.
Consistency across channels
Speak to any healthcare communications agency and they will all tell you that a consistent tone of voice across all channels is essential to any campaign. Whether through social media campaigns, web content or any other means of digital correspondence, your audience will come to expect certain behavioural patterns from your organisation. Denying them that through sporadic messaging will quickly see you lose credibility. In fact, research has shown that consistent brand presentation can see revenue jump by 33%.
This consistency can be achieved through a unique tone of voice and strategically harmonious content. Getting this right can also help your comms tie in smoothly with the rest of your digital strategy. Through acquiring authority in the healthcare industry, you will boost chances of improving overall digital performance, via the likes of off-page SEO and superior website health.
Data-driven decisions
The amount of data available at our fingertips is immense. With a few thoughtfully utilised programmes, you can accurately map out the characteristics and behaviours of your target segment. Every decision that you make during your healthcare comms campaign should be backed by data.
Whether through a healthcare communications agency or executed internally, gathering data to bolster your decision making is a genuine essential. This can vary from a simple Twitter poll to full-blown medical university research.
Gathering this information also provides another avenue for delivering insight into the industry. In this modern age, rapid content consumption has become the norm. If you don’t get your message across fast, you won’t get it across at all. Eye-catching stats regarding trends in healthcare are the perfect way to do just that.
Stay up to date
With the emergence of social media comes a slew of industry news and opinions at lightning-quick speeds. Medical breakthroughs, new technology and healthcare’s relationship with politics happen on an hourly basis. Plus, following the pandemic, society’s interest in the utilisation of healthcare has piqued, with private healthcare’s popularity almost doubling post-covid.
To retain your relevance in the medical world, make sure that you are aware of the very latest news and – more importantly – are having meaningful conversations around matters relevant to you. Using social listening tools and apps like Google Alerts help you keep on top of conversations happening around your brand and beyond.
Expert insight is invaluable
Healthcare is a field in which authority is held in the highest regard. Through the vehicle of an authoritative figure, your messaging gains extra credibility and validity. From CEOs to MDs to resident pharmacists, identifying applicable spokespeople and equipping them with the correct information and communication channels can be a mutually beneficial arrangement.
It is important that you choose wisely. This individual will become the face of your organisation, so ensure that you opt for someone that is not only an authority in the field but also in line with your overall brand strategy.
If you are thinking of implementing a new medical comms plan and need advice from an experienced healthcare marketing agency, contact our team by emailing online@signifydigital.com or calling 02072886206.
