Hospitals and other health institutes are working for the betterment of society. Government agencies along with a team of marketers and technicians are working for spreading the word to wash hands regularly and avoid social interaction. Hence, highlighting the demand for some digital tools to promote the cause. Some of them are listed below:
- Patient Portal
- Healthcare App
- Video Marketing
- Content Marketing
- Influencer Marketing
Patient Portals
Patient portals are not new in this era but are not widely available for all hospitals. However, this is a great marketing as well as a precautionary tool in this pandemic to avoid any social interaction. As people are promoting the cause to stay at home to save lives. Similarly, hospitals with patient portals are promoting their name as well.
Hospitals with patient portals are preferred by most patients because they feel it an easy way to interact, update and remind themselves of upcoming schedules and reports. This two-way interactive tool can be installed in the form of an application or can be used online. Hospitals can promote their message across all patients via this portal thus marketing their business as well.
Healthcare App
Where patient portals are limited to hospital database only, healthcare apps are devised to promote the existence of nearby doctors, clinics, their qualifications, experience, and most importantly reviews. This digital medium is a great healthcare marketing tool and can be devised by any healthcare digital marketing service provider.
This is not limited to a single hospital, geography or clinic, instead of markets the whole sector on a single user-friendly platform. It is an ideal tool that can generate more sales in the coming years to benefit from. Patients too can share and see reviews for all doctors to determine the best one. This increases competition and efficacy.
Video Marketing
Video marketing is not limited to making and sharing videos on social media but throughout all digital platforms. Hospitals can easily market their business with this tool. They can set up a TV and run their service-based video add on it for those patients waiting for appointments. This will increase their reliance on quality and standardized services. Thus, impacting the minds of the patient’s in a way that they accept the treatment and do not prefer a second opinion.
This is a great trend that is utilized on social media as well by healthcare digital marketing companies.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is the main key to digital marketing. However, in the healthcare sector, content needs to be approved, authentic and reliable. Only well researched and latest news can be spread for promotional purposes otherwise this can badly impact the hospital’s image. In this case, it must be considered that personal views, opinions, and experiences should not be shared on social media by the hospital administration itself without any appropriate scientific claims. As this would negatively impact the hospital’s reputation.
The latest trend that can be explored in 2020 is that many hospitals can set up a shelf for COVID-19 precautionary pamphlets. It will help to inform and to educate people about the virus, its side effects, and precautions. The hospital itself can be promoted on the cover page as well. Therefore, if a patient takes it with them, hospital brand awareness will increase through it.
Influencer Marketing
It is the most widely used term for social engagements. Marketers use social influencers to increase brand awareness and spread a positive word of mouth. Influencers are not necessarily celebrities, instead, they are all those people who have a certain social image maintained on that platform and people follow them for various reasons. Marketers use them for marketing objectives.
Similarly, in the case of promoting a healthcare institute, it is not mandatory to make use of celebrities or TV stars. Hospitals can promote their services with their patients as their influencers. Successfully treated cancer patients can be used to influence other patients by telling them their success stories and improving the morale of all ill. This will market the hospital service itself.
Therefore, it can be concluded that hospitals too can promote itself digitally as well as physically. Digital marketing is not limited to social media or digital agencies but it can be conducted within the hospital premises utilizing all hospital’s resources. Patient-related apps and portals can heavily influence the decision-making process of any patient to continue their treatment from that hospital. Hence, all help in marketing the business itself.
