There’s no doubt that the HCP marketing industry has undergone significant changes throughout the last few years. With in-person communications replaced with virtual channels, and the shift in priority toward digital marketing platforms, some interesting trends have also surfaced.
From the ways healthcare providers interact with brands and content, to the methods companies utilize to connect with their audience, here are several top-emerging HCP marketing trends to be aware of as 2023 fast approaches.
Doubling Down on Digital Marketing
Among the many lasting changes ushered by the coronavirus pandemic is the proliferation of digital communication channels largely replacing in-person meetings, consultations, and other interactions—meaning your digital marketing strategy is more important now than ever.
In fact, 80 percent of healthcare consumers begin their diagnosis search online, according to a 2019 report by digital marketing research and analysis firm Econsultancy. This is before the pandemic, and underscores the imperative significance of creating high-quality content that can reliably draw in potential customers with useful information, while additionally highlighting how your products and services can meet their healthcare needs.
With digital channels ever more the default methods of brand interaction, healthcare providers’ expectations regarding these have likewise intensified. They, along with consumers, must be able to access such content on demand—wherever and whenever they need it.
Your tactics should account for which devices your audience uses, and how to effectively target HCPs with optimized content across these.
This is why it’s important not to solely focus on one element of your digital marketing strategy, but to research what channels and platforms your audience engages with, and how you can maximize them all.
Keeping Up With New Technologies
Another evolving trend significantly impacting HCP marketing is the advent and utilization of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). Many associated companies have adopted AI marketing to make automated decisions based on data collection and analysis, as well as observable behaviors and trends of your audience or industry at large.
Pharma marketers are using AI tools and machine learning (ML) technology to develop and maintain their marketing efforts, helping them gain a deeper understanding of their HCP audience.
AI can collect and utilize data to create customer profiles to learn how best to communicate with the right healthcare providers while automatically delivering tailored messaging where and when they need it most.
The gradual rise of AI technology in the healthcare marketing space will continue to influence how pharma brands learn about and connect with potential customers.
Prioritizing Personalization
Another trend that can’t be overstated is the importance of personalized content and experiences on the buyer’s journey.
According to a 2020 report by cloud-based software customer relationship management software company Salesforce, 92 percent of marketers state their customers and prospects expect a personalized experience. Providing individualized content, offers, product suggestions, and other useful information and resources based on their healthcare specialty, demographics, prescribing behavior, and more is the best way to ensure lasting engagement and customer conversions.
This further highlights the importance of maintaining high-quality and well-segmented contact and mailing lists. In addition to helping you lead them through the buyer’s journey, segmenting your audience grants a better understanding of each of your targeted groups, revealing their goals, pain points, and data needed to enhance your overall content and marketing strategies.
Focus on generating and modifying your messaging and content for each specific channel and customer need. You don’t need to necessarily start from scratch when expanding your markets, either. Optimize existing content to work for different segments, platforms, interaction types, and positions along the buyer’s journey.
Keeping up with successful and emerging trends in the healthcare industry, and pivoting your strategy to work in an uncertain future, can be daunting. This is why the best way to ensure success in your HCP marketing efforts in 2022 and beyond is to work with an effective marketing partner such as PDQ Communications.
With our extensive and well-maintained list of HCP contacts, we can ensure you reach the right audience, with the right content, at the right time, every time.
