According to Forbes, “despite global challenges and escalating consolidation, the medical device and technology market will eclipse $500 billion in sales by 2021“. While that’s great information, it also means more competition for Patient Engagement and Education companies. Because of this, companies need to be cutting-edge to stand out. Nevertheless, you will not get a competitive advantage by using traditional methods of sales like trade shows, workshops, print ads, cold-calls, billboards, and press releases. These strategies are interruptive. Generic, and expensive. A report from Roper Public Affairs found that 80% of decision-makers said they like to get information through articles, not advertisements. 70% said that content makes them feel closer to the company, and 60% said that content supplied by companies helps them make smarter buying choices. An alternative strategy has developed called “Inbound Methodology.” This cutting-edge approach includes bringing in new potential customers using informational content. The Earnest Agency reports that 81% of customers start the buying process online. Below are some great ways to stay ahead of the competition in the Patient Engagement and Education industry using Inbound strategies:
Customers are bombarded every day with lots of posts on basically every subject you can think of. To get their attention, you need to create long-form content that will capture the focus of both your target market and search engines. Consistently publishing content like long blogs will place you as an authority in your specific niche, driving even more traffic to your site and boosting your search engine position. You could also repurpose long-form content into email newsletters or premium content like ebooks. Research by Odork found that long-form content performs better than short-form content.
Using the best search phrases will help improve your search engine position and bring in more traffic to your site. Don’t use common search phrases since most of your competition is using them, too, and may even “own” some of them. Instead, use long-tail key phrases that have less competition. For example, if you are marketing clinical scanning tools in Portland, use long-tail keywords like “affordable clinical scanning tools in Portland.” This long-tail key phrases will help you bring in more targeted traffic compared to the short phrase “clinical scanning tools.”
Creating content for other websites will place you as an authority in the Patient Engagement and Education market, bring in web traffic to your page, and also create backlinks to your site. Do some research to find well-performing Patient Engagement and Education websites that approve visitor messages. Look for sites with great domain name authority (DA) and have good engagement. Write informational posts that address trending topics in your market. Don’t forget to include contact information for your firm’s site in the writer biography and be receptive to comments.
Email is an effective way to nurture your leads and transform them into customers. According to a State of Marketing report by Salesforce, 80% of companies claim that emails dramatically add to their revenue. You could ask your site visitors to give their email addresses in return for a free ebook or report. When you have built an email list, consistently send emails including informational content that would help engage your leads. Make sure your emails are optimized for mobile devices. Create engaging headlines and subject lines to lure in your leads and make them open the emails. A great email campaign will help you get more leads and give you a competitive edge.
Social proof is very important in the world of marketing, especially for leads that aren’t aware of your brand name. One of the best ways to develop social proof is by leveraging user-generated content (UGC). According to research by Bazaarvoice, 84% of customers state that UGS affects their buying choices. UGC transforms your customers into supporters that confirm the benefits of your services and products. For example, you can collect video testimonials from your satisfied customers and post them on your website. You could also run a photo competition where customers can upload a photo of themselves using the product. Such UGC will enhance your brand name recognition and draw in more traffic to your site.
According to Tomoson, 51% of marketing experts claim that influencer marketing allows them to bring in more customers. Before connecting with influencers, you should define your goals for influencer marketing. This can include boosting your social media presence, reaching a broader audience, or enhancing your brand name recognition. Then, you should look for influencers who can help you with your goals. Try to find people who are popular in the Patient Engagement and Education market and have a big following. They should also have a great online reputation. Make sure to regularly evaluate and track your influencer campaigns to see if they are working.
A call-to-action (CTA) is a button or link that makes your site visitors take the desired action. When someone clicks the CTA, they are taken to a landing or product page. Make sure your CTA is brief and plainly defines what your site visitors will get. “Start a free trial,” “Get a free ebook,” or “Join our email list” are examples of CTAs. Include a relevant CTA at the end of every blog post or email.
Standing out in a saturated market may seem like a big task, but with the proper strategies, you will see results. Inbound Marketing and Sales will not only help you stay competitive among Patient Engagement and Education companies, but it will also develop you as a leader in the Patient Engagement and Education sector. We’ve collaborated with numerous CEOs and Directors to integrate Inbound strategies into their marketing and sales efforts. Do not hesitate to schedule your totally-free strategy session to get help examining your properties and get free advice and tips on how to stay competitive in the Patient Engagement and Education market!