Health Tech Marketing Techniques to Engage New Customers Online

Engaging decision makers in Health Systems, Insurance Providers, Private Practices, Etc. is no easy task, to say the least. These high-powered executives, directors, and managers are busier than ever. This makes health tech marketing especially difficult. These days, in addition to their overwhelming job responsibilities, prospects are inundated with emails, ads, and phone calls that disrupt their day. This makes it more important than ever to help your prospects when they have the time rather than send messages to them randomly. A new form of marketing called Inbound Marketing lays out a methodology, not a series of tactics or tricks, to be helpful to prospects during a prospect’s complete journey from not knowing they have a problem (awareness stage), to understanding they have a problem and considering a solution (consideration stage), to finally making a hard decision (decision stage).

Here are some ways of engaging new health tech marketing prospects:

1. Offer Informative and Entertaining Blog Content

First and most importantly, “Content is King”. According to research done by Roper Public Affairs, 80% of B2B decision-makers prefer to get info from a series of articles than ads. Research by HubSpot shows that companies that blog frequently generate 4.5x more leads than those who don’t. Engage prospects by offering regular content that addresses their problems and interests. However, don’t make the posts about your company’s features or benefits, or sales pitches, since people will think you’re only after their money. One of the best ways of getting prospects engaged is by providing research and helpful answers to their common challenges. You could even encourage your customers to contribute guest posts or success stories. This will increase the chances of your post getting shared. Create a custom Inbound Strategy to ensure the health tech marketing content you create will be valuable to your prospects.

2. Encourage Blog Comments and Social Media Feedback

Providing great health tech marketing content is that hard part and is just the beginning. You want to solicit a reaction from your audience. One of the best ways of doing this is by asking questions at the end of your blog posts or on social media messages. When people leave comments, thank them for responding and give a comprehensive answer. This will help build your credibility and keep customers coming back. Occasionally, you might receive spam comments that are not related to your post. In such cases, you can take some time to weed them out so all of your comments are related to the topic of your post.

3. Host Google Hangouts or Webinars

Since people love engaging visually, you can use powerful tools such as Google+ Hangout or Webinars to interact with your customers in real time. They help you establish a personal connection to your customers through voice and/or video. Visual aspects such as graphics, slides and live videos make it easy to share your content with your customers. At the end of the Google Hangout or Webinar session, you can have a Q&A session to address any questions. This helps build a stronger relationship with your customers compared to merely writing blog posts, as a two-way dialogue.

4. Create a Group or Community

One of the best ways of engaging new customers is through exclusive Online Communities or Forums. Your buyers can get automatic access to your members-only group. The members of this group can then network with each other and discuss topics related to healthcare technology. Use such forums to share useful content that is not accessible to the public. You could also offer special pricing and discounts to the members. Being part of such a group will make your customers feel special and enhance the chances of a repeat purchase.

5. Co-Create with Existing Customers

If you are planning to launch a new healthcare product, improve your website or write an eBook, ask your customers for suggestions. Depending on the situation, getting customers involved in your major decisions can be very effective in fostering loyalty. At the end of the process, they will feel proud that they participated. You could hold an idea contest for your customers and offer rewards to those whose ideas will be implemented in your next design. The reward could be a freebie, discount or even a special mention on your website.

6. Celebrate Together!

Celebrating milestones with your customers is a great way of building stronger relationships. A milestone could be anything from winning a much-coveted award to attaining a desired number of YouTube subscribers. Sharing such messages with your email list, community members or social media followers will make them feel like they are part of your success. You can even thank them by offering special discounts. It’s also a good idea to recognize the successes of your customers, and feature them when you can.

7. Monitor Social Media

Social Media is one of the best places to engage in conversations related to your industry. Look at the topics that are generating the most comments, shares and likes. This will give you a good idea of what to write about in your next blog post. You could also take part in the conversations by liking, sharing and providing answers. This will position you as an authority and enhance your credibility with customers.

8. Build a List of Leads and Nurture Them

Email Marketing is one of the most effective strategies for nurturing B2B customer relationships. According to HubSpot, 86% of people in business prefer to use email for communication. Sending value-packed Lead Nurturing Emails will keep them interested and engaged and put your brand on their minds. You can update them on the latest industry trends, educate them on relevant topics by sharing content from your blog. This will help nurture them along the Buyer’s Journey. A weekly newsletter would be enough to keep them engaged.

The Final Word

Engaging new prospects is a key to increasing your brand recognition and generating more qualified leads, so your sales team can close them into customers. Utilizing the health tech marketing tips listed above to engage with potential prospects can be planned out with a well-crafted Inbound Marketing Strategy. It can be very challenging to do all of this alone. We here at Responsify partner with health technology marketers to offer strategy, support, and help implementing these activities. By collaborating we help marketers strategically attract new website visitors, convert them to qualified leads and happy customers. We’ve helped many health tech marketing pros outline and implement customer engagement strategies. Feel free to request a free strategy session now to help you evaluate your assets and get free insights and suggestions to guide you in the right direction.