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By Frank E. | Solution21 | Director of Client Support |
While healthcare marketers see content on a website as an effective way to engage customers, many are unable to measure their effectiveness. They may also struggle with consistently creating enough high-quality content to keep their site fresh and relevant.
In recent surveys of B2C and B2B healthcare firms from TrueNorth Custom and DamoDigital, there were several insights that help provide information regarding how firms in the healthcare industry are addressing content creation and marketing. (The studies include “The 2017 State of Healthcare Content Marketing” and “Content Marketing and the Battle for Attention.”) The surveys determined that content marketing has become extremely mainstream for organizations in the healthcare market. Approximately 69% of these firms already engage customers with content marketing while less than 20% are in the planning stages of doing so in the year 2017. The primary goal of content creation is to generate leads, but other goals include engaging current customers, boosting brand awareness, and maintaining patient/customer loyalty.
Some of the channels used for marketing include posts on social media, articles for websites, and educational videos, and many of the content types that are in focus include blog posts, website articles, and sales collateral. Social media sites commonly used include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.
Approximately 75% of the reporting healthcare firms stated that they’re already investing in the use of social media advertising in 2017 of the promotion and distribution of their content. This is far more than the spending that is taking place in print materials (63%), banner advertising (58%) and search advertising (58%).
Metrics for measuring success include website traffic, call volume, feedback from patients, and traffic from search engine leads. B2B healthcare firms and marketers also take into consideration the engagement received on their social media platforms.
For the most part, healthcare marketers in general are pleased with the results of their content creation efforts. 67% feel their organization is somewhat effective with marketing via content, while 28% say they are “very effective.” However, there are some brands that are still struggling. Top issues noted for content strategies include measuring their effectiveness, producing a variety of engaging pieces, and budget constraints. Maintaining quality and publishing consistently are also concerns.
Regardless, the future is relatively bright for those who are engaging in healthcare content marketing. 60% of B2B firms and 48% of B2C firms are looking to increase their content creation and publishing budget this year. The investments will go towards providing more thought-leadership pieces and creating more high-quality, visual content.
Overall, content marketing for B2B and B2C marketing firms continues to look strong. Businesses who have active campaigns and are utilizing social media and content creation are finding their efforts are being rewarded, and are considering investing more for continual growth.
