The healthcare industry has seen significant changes in the last few years. Healthcare consumers are more informed and opinionated regarding their healthcare journey. Healthcare brands need more strategic, connection-focused marketing strategies. DAE & Co understands healthcare marketers’ challenges and opportunities. Setting your healthcare facility apart from the crowd is no easy task in today’s oversaturated market.  

Check out some of our top picks for the marketing strategies healthcare facilities should invest in for 2023, then contact us to see how we can help your brand succeed.

1. Use Data to Personalize Your Marketing

Data-driven marketing isn’t new, but it’s as important as ever, especially for healthcare marketers. By gathering real-world data and market research to understand who your patients are truly, you can personalize your messaging and campaigns for better performance. You can also analyze your results more thoughtfully and allocate your budget based on performance. 

Data-driven healthcare marketing allows you to target the right patients with the right messaging, at the right times and on the right channels. You’ll empower your ideal patients with the information and connection they need to feel comfortable choosing your healthcare facility. They’ll feel confident knowing that your healthcare facility will meet their wants and needs because you’ve done the research to make sure you’re the right fit for the people you’re targeting.  Privacy, HIPAA compliance, and personalization can coexist— without sacrificing performance.

2. Invest in Strong SEO Strategies

Searching online for healthcare information is so pervasive that Google launched Google Health way back in 2008 as a way to connect and bring meaning to health information. Your target audience searches for health information, provider and facility reviews, and contact information online. If you don’t have a strategic SEO plan, you’re missing out on brand exposure, website and foot traffic, appointments, and more. 

As search engines have evolved, so too have the goals and tactics of SEO strategists. A great SEO strategy will go beyond finding the most searched key phrases and using those on your website. Your 2023 SEO strategy should include the following:

• A semantic understanding and approach to key phrase research
• A prime focus on website speed, accessibility, and user experience
• An organized, educational plan for content development 
• An aggressive understanding and targeting of top search visibility and the competitive landscape

Don’t get lost on the search results pages in 2023. Commit to leading the pack and capturing the trust and attention of your target audiences from their very first search.

3. Create Engaging and Valuable Content

Your content development strategy should be a long-term plan. Great content will help you generate more organic search traffic to your website and be an incredible tool for your social media and email marketing initiatives. Your content library should be a hub of engaging, valuable content that will establish you as the industry expert and authority. 

As you create content, ensure that you’re addressing the questions and concerns that your target audience may have as they live their everyday lives. Meet them where they are searching by providing them with the resources and information they need to live healthier, happier lives. Every content piece is an opportunity to build a connection with your patients and prospective patients, so use it well!

4. Create a Community on Social Media

According to Statista, 93% of US healthcare marketers use social media marketing to achieve their goals. Just being on these channels isn’t enough, and you’ll get lost in the crowd in 2023 if you don’t create a space for your brand on social. Here are some quick tips for setting yourself apart on social media:

• • Establish your purpose for being on a social channel. If you’re going to focus on customer service, be as engaging and quick to respond as possible. If you’re going to focus on connection, make your stories heartfelt and emotional. If you’re going to educate your fans, release original data and reports, and keep them updated on community health, go all in on being the most informative.
  • Embrace all the bells and whistles. Text posts alone aren’t going to get you anywhere in 2023. Diversify your content and use the tools available to you on the social media channels you’ve chosen. Shoot the videos and post the Reels, invest in daily Stories, and use the messaging features and integrations available! If a social channel is pushing a new feature, they’re going to reward the early adopters, so be one!
  • Pay to play. If you’re investing the time and resources to develop engaging, authentic social media communities, establish a social media advertising budget to help you gain traction and stay ahead of the pack. How much you invest and the types of campaigns you run will depend on your reason for being on social media and how those channels support your overall marketing and business objectives. Just be sure to budget for spending on these channels throughout the year!

5. Prioritize Social Proof

Healthcare consumers are always on the lookout for reviews from past patients and the experiences of others. Make gathering reviews a high priority in 2023, and remember, they aren’t all going to be stellar, and that’s ok too! Here are a few tips to make that happen:

• Make it easy for your patients to review your facility and your providers.
• Request reviews on-site, with email follow-ups, and on your website and apps.
• Publish great reviews on your social channels and your website.
• Interview patients for more in-depth stories that can be used in future marketing campaigns.

Positive reviews are like gold online for a brand, but negative reviews also offer you the chance to build your authority and repair your reputation. How you respond to a negative review may be more important than all the positive reviews you receive. Every negative review you get should be responded to with the message that is pro-active, positive and solution-oriented. You’ll take almost all of these conversations offline, but the public-facing response that you want to find a solution will resonate with potential patients in the long run. 

6. Work With a Specialized Healthcare Marketing Agency Partner 

Partnering with the right marketing agency specializing in healthcare marketing can ensure better results in 2023 and beyond. Whether you have a marketing team of 10 or marketing is just another hat someone on the team is wearing, a dedicated partner can help! From strategy and consulting to full-service campaign development and execution, an agency partner can offer you the reliable, specialized help you need to move the needle for your facility.

How DAE & Company can Help Your Healthcare Marketing Efforts

We’ve worked with healthcare brands for years, so we understand the industry’s fast pace. We also have decades of experience in marketing, branding, PR, and more. We’ve got the perfect mix of industry insight and marketing magic to create results-focused healthcare marketing strategies.  Contact us today to learn more about effective healthcare marketing strategies that can generate results for your business.