There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has given hospitals and health systems a wake-up call when it comes to the importance of building trust with their patients and their communities. More people have been forced to turn to the Internet to perform research on medical issues, meaning providers must place increased focus on their digital marketing strategies if they want to earn potential patient’s confidence.
In collaboration with Google, we’ve put together a detailed guide on setting yourself apart from competing health systems and building trust with a unified, comprehensive marketing strategy. Read on for high-level tips, and download the full whitepaper at the bottom of the page for more detailed insights.
It All Begins with Trust
It’s essential for any hospital or health system to focus on building trust with all of their marketing materials. Research shows that 71% of consumers are more likely to buy a product or service from a name they recognize—likely due to the sheer volume of choice they’re presented with nowadays.
This means that to encourage engagement, health systems must provide clear, consistent information about the safest and most effective treatments for whichever condition they’re concerned about.
What Inspires Trust and Triggers Awareness?
It’s difficult to convince consumers to engage with brands in the healthcare industry if they’re unfamiliar with them. But, since first-party channels are rarely what modern consumers use to learn about new brands, health systems must think outside the box—focusing on word of mouth, aggregator websites, online reviews, and a host of other channels to introduce themselves to potential patients.
Consumers also occupy different places on the “continuum of care,” meaning that some campaigns must focus more on brand messaging than conversion. For example, you could support Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October with social posts that compassionately and subtly address the health issues at hand.
Awareness Requires More than Basic Branding
Your health system probably already has a good idea of what your brand is—your logo, color palette, tagline, etc.—but a brand that builds trust requires more effort than just a consistent look and voice. A successful brand tells a unified story across every marketing channel, calling for an all-in-one approach that creates a cohesive experience across campaigns.
Hospitals also must consider channels beyond the “traditional” media choices in the healthcare marketplace. New digital tools, such as Google Display Network and YouTube Ads, can help you reach potential patients where they already are, leading to greater awareness and higher ROI.
For more detailed insights and statistics on how hospitals and health systems can use digital tools to win patients’ attention and trust in a crowded marketplace, download the full whitepaper.
