The healthcare industry is no stranger to innovation. From the development of vaccines and antibiotics to new medical devices and treatments, healthcare professionals have been on the cutting edge of new technologies for decades. However, it was only recently that brands began capitalizing on these innovations with their marketing strategies.
Today, there are many different ways that brands can engage with consumers using digital media and other technology platforms—from mobile apps to virtual reality (VR). This article will explore some of the most innovative tactics in recent years, and how they've changed the way doctors market their services.
MMS
MMS is a mobile marketing strategy that sends messages to your customers' phones. MMS can be used to send coupons and other offers. Still, it's most commonly used as a way to educate patients about health information such as immunizations, medication reminders, and more.
It's important to note that MMS is not the same thing as SMS. The two are similar in that they both use mobile devices, but SMS is a text-based messaging service, while MMS allows you to send pictures, videos, and audio files.
The best part about MMS is that it's not just for healthcare providers. You can use the strategy to reach out to customers in any industry, including retail and financial services. The key is to find a way to make your message relevant and timely for each audience.
Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is an essential part of your healthcare marketing strategy. It allows you to reach new customers, engage with existing ones, and measure the results of your efforts.
Digital channels like social media and email allow you to connect with more people than ever before--and at a lower cost than traditional media such as print newsletters or direct mailings. You can use these channels to share information about what's happening at your practice or hospital; post updates about new services or programs; answer questions from patients; announce events, promotions, or news items that matter most to them; and much more!
Generational market segmentation
Generational market segmentation is a powerful tool for marketers and businesses to use in order to understand their customers better. It allows you to group people based on their age, which provides insight into how they view the world and how they communicate with each other. When used correctly, generational marketing can help companies target their audience more effectively by providing them with information about what types of products or services would most interest them.
In order to effectively implement generational marketing strategies, it's essential that you first understand the different generations that exist today: Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1980), Millennials (1981-1996), Generation Z/Centennials (1997-2012).
Each generation has its own unique characteristics when it comes to things like hobbies and interests; however, there are also some general trends found across all four generations--especially when it comes to technology adoption rates among young adults within each cohort. For example, Millennials tend not only to use social media more often than other groups but also rely heavily upon mobile devices such as smartphones when communicating with friends outside of face-to-face interactions.
The media mix
The media mix is the combination of advertising media used to reach a target audience. The combination of different types of communication should be based on the type of product or service, the target audience, and the budget.
For example, if you are marketing a luxury item such as an expensive car, it makes sense to use television ads because they can reach large numbers of people at one time. On the other hand, if your business sells small items like jewelry or clothing that don't cost very much money, then radio may be better suited because listeners tend not to have as much disposable income as those who would buy televisions and cars.
The media mix should also be regularly reviewed and updated in order for marketers to stay relevant in today's changing world, where new trends emerge every day!
The sales cycle
The sales cycle is the process that a customer goes through when they buy a product or service. The length of this cycle can vary depending on the product or service being sold, but it generally consists of six stages: awareness, interest, evaluation, decision, purchase, and loyalty.
The length of the sales cycle is essential to consider when determining the best way to market your product or service. For example, if your target audience is likely to be in the awareness stage of their buying process, you may want to focus on strategies like social media advertising or email marketing that are more effective at reaching new audiences.
Customer journey mapping
Customer journey mapping is a technique used to map out the stages of the customer journey. It helps companies understand how customers interact with their brand, which helps improve marketing and sales efforts. To do this, you'll need to find out where your target audience lives, what they buy and why they buy it.
Once you understand their needs at each stage of their journey (e.g., awareness vs. consideration), then you can create content that meets those needs at each stage of the purchase decision-making process.
Virtual reality and augmented reality
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are the next steps in technology, and they're already being used for healthcare marketing.
What is VR? It's a computer-simulated environment that you can explore using special equipment, such as goggles and a controller. With VR, you can experience things you wouldn't usually be able to do--like swimming with sharks or flying over New York City--, and it all looks natural because of how realistic it feels when you're wearing the goggles.
What about AR? This is similar to VR, except that instead of creating an entirely new world for you to experience, AR adds objects into our existing one so they look like they belong there but aren't actually real; think Pokemon Go!
Healthcare marketing has changed dramatically over the past several years, and it will continue to evolve as we move into the future. As a healthcare provider, it's essential that you stay up-to-date on these trends so that you can use them in your own marketing campaigns!
