We are all aware that the consumer profile is changing. This is also evident in the health sector or the pharmaceutical industry. Today's users have a culture of consuming content and information and are very demanding when it comes to a quality trading experience. Thus, it is increasingly difficult to get their attention, arouse their interest, and get them to take action; that is, gain their trust. How about this? Do you take it into account in your company?
This change in behavior results in new sales processes, new purchasing behaviors, and new paradigms of the consumer, user, or potential customer. So the methods used a few years ago are already obsolete.
Due to its characteristics, the health industry has great potential to benefit from new sales methods.
But first let's understand something: What was the commercial process like?
This process was focused on sales, there was no relevant and attractive content to attract customers. The point is that within an industry as sensitive as the medical industry, it is not so easy to select the most appropriate content. We are dealing with human lives, and with an irreplaceable value: health.
In addition to the fact that TRUST is one of the most precious values, and more so in terms of health, all our communications must be carefully cared for to build and preserve it. Finally, generating a relationship of trust with our prospects to the extent that they "put their health in our hands" is not an easy task.
Today, there are variables that we could not find before and on which we have to concentrate:
We also have to focus on the main challenges of the industry:
Some would argue that the healthcare industry is currently undergoing change. Only one of these facing healthcare is based on consumer behavior. The result is that healthcare companies of all shapes and sizes are facing a startling new reality: Yesterday's customer is not tomorrow's customer. Suddenly, healthcare professionals are expected to deeply understand consumer preferences, create relevant products that meet a target's changing needs, and produce marketing programs that connect consumer insights to company performance.
As consumers take a more active role in their health care decisions, specialists, clinic or hospital owners, and all players in the health sector must listen and adapt to be relevant in the industry.
So let's define who are the potential customers in the health industry because they can even vary:
Patients who regularly consult with a health professional. Those people who go to the doctor every time they have an ailment or disease and follow the professional's instructions correctly.
Patients who do not believe they need medical attention (Maybe they do not have social security). Those people who believe that they do not need to consult a doctor due to fear, negligence, and lack of confidence, among other reasons.
Patients who only use health services for a particular ailment/study /analysis/professional. They are patients who only go to a medical center to perform a particular study or analysis or because the institution is recognized in some medical specialty.
(Only for institutions) Social security providers that seek to expand their coverage. This can be a back-and-forth that benefits both parties. Attracting prepaid medicine providers so that their associates can be treated at the health center is a good strategy for both.
The possibilities to expand the reach of your potential customers are becoming more concrete, and with the right tools, they can translate into more patient prospects for your clinic or office.
So, now, what do we do?
The possibilities to expand the reach to potential customers are becoming more concrete, and the right tools can translate into more patient prospects for a clinic or office.
It is common knowledge that, at present, content is the fuel of any Marketing strategy, especially speaking of the Inbound scheme.
Without relevant and engaging content for your future customers, it is much more difficult to attract interest to a brand. The point is that within an industry as sensitive as the medical industry, it is not so easy to select the most appropriate content.
So any inaccurate information can not only be counterproductive for a brand but also hurt the physical state of users.
Much of the industry's difficulty lies in deciding where to invest our time, energy, and budget. And it's not easy. There is a large percentage of specialists who do not have a defined strategy and plan to create one in the medium term.
While everyone is trying to innovate all the time, no one is talking about the interests of every potential patient.
Few meet these needs. (Opportunity detected).
Before starting with an Inbound strategy in the health industry (clinics, hospitals, pharmaceutical industry), the buyer personas (detailed above) must be thoroughly studied.
Then, we must recognize these stages that the potential patient goes through, better known as the buyer's journey.
The explanation for this is that in the first stage of discovery, potential patients realize that they have a problem or ailment, such as: "My neck, shoulders, and back hurt a lot. Where can I consult a good traumatologist?" Then, in the consideration stage, they will look for alternatives to be able to solve it, they know that they can go to a clinic or hospital and they will see the options that they have in different locations, specialties, references, etc. Then, in the decision, they are ready to attend a particular health center, which will focus on the confidence it has generated in them, the facilities they found to make an appointment, the portfolio of professionals, the coverage of their prepaid medicine provider, etc.
Now yes, once we have this clear, we start with the Inbound methodology.
With this methodology, we seek not to be intrusive, but rather be perceptive according to each person and their interests. We don't want to disturb her, and we even seek to provide help all the time.
There is even a study conducted by an MIT student where she scientifically reveals the results of using an inbound strategy.
Now, let's suppose that your name is Carlos, you are a pediatrician and owner of the "Integral Child Health Center" with several years of experience in the city. Competition in the health sector is great and you are having problems raising the number of new patients, but you know that most of the problems in choosing a pediatrician are mistrust.
Discovery: How can I trust a pediatrician?
That type of problem has a high rate of monthly searches on Google, which is growing more and more.
In this first stage of discovery, people are only looking for information on how they can solve their problems. That is, they know what they want to do, but they do not know or are not clear about how to do it. So, right there is where there is a new business opportunity, to help these people to solve their problems clearly and strategically where the relationship with patients is prioritized, and so that clinic and patient are mutually benefited.
Having this clear, we move on to the following... How to get their attention?
First, we establish 3 key phases. Each phase will correspond to a specific type of content that will be created to capture the attention of potential students. The content will be more specific and personalized as the phases progress. The phases are: TOFU (Top of the funnel) / MOFU (Middle of the funnel), and BOFU (Bottom of the funnel).
TOFU content is for someone who is at the discovery stage, while MOFU content is for a person who is considering solving their problem (consideration stage); lastly, a BOFU is for someone who is already decided or is about to make the purchase decision.
(If you don't know what a lead, MQL, or SQL is, it is an SLA and you can see more here).
Imagine that your name is Alicia, Francisco's mother, and you are looking for a good clinic, close to your home, where Francisco can be attended to whenever he needs it. Googling, you find an article that says: "Five tips for choosing a pediatrician for your children." Would you like to read it? Of course!
Even at the end of the article, you find a button that says: "Download the Vaccination Schedule for your child."
Data to request in return:
Then, after a few weeks, you receive a personalized email that talks about the subject according to your choice, and in the email, they recommend a specific article that is called "Alicia! Do you know what are the advantages of having a family pediatrician for your family?", but the best thing is that at the end of the article, there is a button that says: "Practical guide: the elements to take into account when choosing a pediatrician for your baby"
There your attention is caught even more because it was just what you were looking for, you feel very identified and you want to read the article and you download it. But of course, with a little more key data that they ask for.
Data to request in return:
If people have completed all the items that we requested (in exchange for something valuable), from TOFU, and MOFU, we already practically know if they will buy something from us or not.
But beyond that, we have created a bond.
So, at this stage, you are with several ideas in your head and realize that you already feel an affection for us because we have known each other for 2 months and we never tried to sell you anything.
