Here is how you can use marketing effectively in healthcare business

Safdarjung Hospital. For representational purpose only (Image: PTI)

Even before the coronavirus broke out, most of us dreaded a hospital visit. The unpleasant, and sometimes sickening, odour of cleaning agents, sad, desperate faces, busy and rude staff, brusque doctors, long queues and hefty bills—a visit to the hospital was best avoided unless you worked there.

Hospitals continue to be busy places, COVID-19 or not. Physicians, interns, nurses, other staff, patients and their families, visitors and pharma representatives, constitute a big captive audience for a firm looking to position some offerings to them, especially those in healthcare marketing.

There is an opportunity for hospitals or brands to engage and get noticed by this huge audience but none of the hospitals I know have made use of this opportunity.

Healthcare centres should plan to have their own media, including social and digital, to get the attention of such a big captive audience, many of whom spend a lot of time waiting in hospitals.

Such centres can use their physical space for advertising and marketing, not necessarily for their services. Pharma companies and even FMCG brands can use this media for experiential marketing and building awareness about their social responsibility activities.

And, they can generate some revenue from this as well. Owned media is something a business can control, unlike TV or newspaper ads. It is like a billboard in the land owned by the hospital and not like a media article that is paid for or shared through a public relations (PR) agency.

Hospitals can make use of all potential spaces such as the buildings, inside walls, garden area, ambulances, and also virtual spaces such as websites, social media and mobile platforms for planning their own media.

The ambulances and physical facilities provide the highest potential because of the higher propensity to be seen and can be viewed like outdoor media.

Physical spaces could be used for signboards, garden signages, interior digital signage, floor and wall graphics, information kiosks with touch screens, and the likes.

Advances in virtual and augmented reality could be made use for advertising complicated services or for cosmetic services.

Hospitals can carry corporate brand messages in spaces all that is within their control—entry gate, main hall, consulting rooms, cash counters, labs, waiting rooms, canteen, elevators, and parking areas.

Everything a clinic uses for communication can be potential owned media. Don’t exclude the telephone lines that must be receiving hundreds of calls every day where the brand music could be played instead of boring ring tones. It can also be used to announce the latest offerings, services or a recently acquired certification.

If you are in the healthcare sector, start by looking around on your way to the office. Take a tour of your premises and search for blank walls that can offer potential views. Each space and even the whole building is a branding opportunity.

As a healthcare executive, you must identify the appropriate message to engage the target audience, depending on the mode of delivery. You can’t have a long message on a large billboard or WhatsApp. You may want to promote a new service, a partnership with a big healthcare brand or research centre and so on.

Perhaps you may want to address your value proposition, and why you are great at that, and how patients are having a different experience.

Messages could also be about medical camps and community engagements as part of your CSR efforts even if you are not obliged to do the mandatory 2 percent spending under the CSR laws.

Use the right brand attributes such as identity and colour. Use technology to make an advertisement a two-way street, with engaging conversations with the prospects.

The coronavirus pandemic offers a chance to start education modules for your patients and telemedicine forays as well.

Try to balance design and marketing since it is a healthcare business. “In-your-face” messaging can put off people, restrained and understated works well. The central theme should always be getting patients well fast. Don’t go overboard just because media is available for free. Too many jazzy spots will increase the fear that you will charge more.

Talking to the doctors who are on the rolls or visiting can also be done via messages on mission, vision, values, certification, new doctors joining, etc.

Doctors are the key to helping patients get well faster and aligning them with the vision is important. Treating patients like customers is a value that needs to be built into the staff. The success of marketing depends on this strategic aspect and not just clever ads.

Once the role of media in addressing various audiences is identified, plan for the right content. It is better to invest more in content marketing when the media costs are much lower.

Specialised communication is the key and there are specialised agencies like BioQuest that can come to the aid. If done right, healthcare businesses can create a lasting impact with a much lower cost of marketing.

If you are smart enough, you can monetise the media space and use the funds to manage better content.