A look back at hospital marketing trends: Show me the numbers
UPDATE – 2018 Trends playbook available for download
The 2018 Healthcare Marketing Trends Playbook is available! It goes a step further than previous years, including ways to leverage each trend for quick wins and impactful, lasting influence on your organization. It also includes examples from leading marketers who are leveraging trends for maximum impact.
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2016 hospital marketing trends wrap-report
Note: This is part of a series of blog posts related to our 2016 Hospital Marketing Trends White Paper. We will review and discuss one trend a week, and provide feedback about what happened in 2016 and what’s to expect in 2017. If you’re interested in finding out more, then download our 2017 Hospital Marketing Trends white paper today.
Due to significant changes in government and our current political climate, the future of healthcare is more uncertain than ever before. Although we can’t predict what’s in store for next year, when you’re informed about the past, planning for the future is easier.
We recently challenged our agency to review our 2016 Hospital Marketing Trends white paper and report about what stayed the same and what changed for the future.
Here’s what we came up with:
What we said:
The pressure to prove ROI has driven healthcare organizations to spend a large percentage of their marketing budgets on digital advertising. Digital ads are easily measured and provide valuable data, such as clicks, engagement, conversions, etc. However, 2016 will be the year that hospitals refine their digital marketing strategy by utilizing this data and marketing automation. Instead of broad digital campaigns, healthcare organizations will run mini-campaigns targeting niche audiences. These campaigns will nurture leads by sending prospective patients personalized messages to drive conversions. The healthcare industry has always had the technology to collect data about its patients. In 2016, however, it will no longer have a choice to use this data to fuel marketing campaigns.
What happened:
The use of customer relationship management software and marketing automation took off in 2016. The software helps hospital marketers prove ROI by measuring and tracking important metrics. Email automation also helps deliver the right messages to the right audiences at the right time. We’ve seen our clients use marketing automation to target niche audiences and send them educational content with a specific call to action. By targeting the right audiences, your hospital is sure to have a better return on its marketing efforts. Marketing automation is sure to grow in 2017 as lead capture technology continues to advance. Make sure to keep an eye out for self-populating forms and chatbots in the future.
– Rachel Digman