LD

Do you skip ads or watch them in full?

If a video ad is entertaining and informative, the target audience will be interested in watching an entire video (providing it’s not too long!).

With more people online than ever before, digital marketers need to jump into different mediums — including video — to meet their audience on the platforms they use most.

These days, written material and still images are still used quite a bit, but let’s be honest, video is where it’s at. It’s visual, informative, engaging, and requires less effort to consume.

From YouTube to websites to TikTok and all platforms in between, video may be the thing that your marketing mix is missing.

Use our three tips to get started. Let's chat if you want to dive a little deeper into creating video content.

You know what they say, if you’re marketing to everyone, you’re marketing to no one.

There’s no sense putting your messaging in front of people who simply are not interested in your product or service.

Would you try to sell scuba gear in the desert? What about a singles cruise to a couple who just celebrated their 50th anniversary? Medical equipment to a daycare facility?

Some audiences just don’t make sense. Doing the research tells you who is interested in your product or service now, and who would be interested in the future. You learn demographics, locations, where they hang out (online or otherwise) and more.

Research helps you create a sales process for your target audience(s) to deliver an experience that feels individualised.

Aiming your messaging at your target audience helps boost sales. You know what they want, and you can offer them a solution.

Knowing where your audience hangs out helps you focus your marketing efforts to these places, so you can reach more members of your audience.

When your marketing efforts reach the wrong people, it can waste your time, resources, and hinder the progress of your marketing strategy.

Have you figured out your target audience?

Do you have time for a quick question?

When you search in Google, do you automatically scroll past the paid search results to get to the organic results?

Many people ignore paid ads, BUT that doesn’t mean you should strike them from your marketing campaigns. Paid search still catches attention, and if you’re offering information that your audience seeks, they’ll still click — in spite of the fact it’s categorised as an ad.

Striking a balance between paid and organic search can help boost marketing efforts on both campaigns. Use them well together to boost clicks on both fronts.

Marketers say that being found through organic search often results in better click-through rates, more time spent on page, and more leads. However, paid ads can boost awareness of up to 80%, their use may be less about generating clicks, and more about creating name recognition.

Of course, each business will have its own strategy about how organic and paid search work together.

Do you use organic search, paid search, or both? Tell us in the comments.

What’s so great about YouTube?

As a video-based platform, YouTube is super appealing. Visuals are a great communication medium that offer more opportunities to connect with and educate your audience.

Right now, few hospitals and healthcare practices actively use YouTube as part of their marketing strategy. It’s a brilliant way to get in front of people.

Whether you start your own channel, or advertise on YouTube, there are opportunities to get your messaging out there. It’s not just about YouTube; Google owns this search platform, so having valuable YouTube content can help your Google SERPs.

With the advent of on-demand streaming, certain population segments have started consuming more YouTube than cable. To reach 18- to 49-year-olds, you may want to switch to YouTube marketing.

In the information age, audiences want a better understanding of the healthcare products and services they consume. Help educate them through YouTube, grow your engagement, and increase trust from your potential consumers.

Need some advice?

Choosing between an in-house marketing team and hiring a marketing agency can be tough. The good news is that both choices are excellent, but the right choice really depends on your business needs.

In-house marketing can be well-suited to larger companies that require a dedicated marketing team.

You have complete control over the campaigns, and the team works exclusively for your company, making them more attuned to your business and offerings. Having the marketing team just down the hall can be beneficial because you’re in the same time zone and can easily have impromptu meetings.

That said, your pool of team members may be limited to local talent, so your hires may have to be jack-of-all-trades, with few areas of specialty. If there is any turnover, it’s up to you to find, hire, and train new team members, which can cause some setbacks.

Agency marketing teams come preassembled, with proven expertise and diverse specialties. They’re great for pretty much any size company.

Though they don’t work for you alone, a professional agency will do in-depth research to understand your business, USP, audience, and more to create campaigns that perform. If you seek certain specialties, agencies are a must — they can get the most value and ROI from your marketing efforts.

Agencies maintain their own teams, and you won’t feel the impact if there is any staff turnover.

Cloud-based companies — Like This is LD — vet team members from around the globe, providing you with marketing talent that you won’t find locally.

There’s no right answer about which kind of marketing team is best for your organisation. We’re happy to chat with you about your marketing needs.

Connect with us, and let’s get a meeting in the calendar.

Absolutely! Here are some relevant hashtags that can be added to the social media post:

"Do I want to do business with you?”

That’s the question on consumers’ minds when they come to your website.

Do you come across as a trustworthy expert in your field, or does your website give off sketchy vibes?

If it’s the latter, visitors are going to bounce. Fast.

Your website can be your first impression, a sales tool, and more. Make sure you’re not cutting corners!

There’s a lot that goes into a website. If you just slap it together, you’ll miss out on some crucial components.

Here’s what we like to see on a website (even super basic ones):

✅A clear, simple-to-navigate appearance;
✅An about us page that helps visitors learn more about you, what makes you unique, and why they should do business with you;
✅A dedicated page with easy to locate contact information — including hours and location (bonus points for adding primary contact info that’s prominently displayed on every page of the site);
✅Blog posts that value for visitors;
✅Mobile-friendly sites; and
✅Social proof that offers your website a bit more authority.

Each website is different. There are some businesses with extensive websites and others with minimal content.

No matter the size of your organization, be sure to include the above material on your site.

If “business as usual” is your motto, you might be missing out.

Business needs change, customer requirements change, current processes are inefficient, and departmental silos are a barrier, not a benefit.

The agile methodology looks at how you operate, and makes tweaks to make your organization more efficient and able to adapt to change.

Not to oversell it, but frankly, it’s revolutionary.

Your team is full of untapped resources and potential for improved operations. The customer-care functions, in particular, are full of opportunities for improvement.

Instead of merely doing things as they’ve always been, isn’t it time to make changes for the better?

If you want to discuss the benefits of an agile approach, get in touch with the LD team.

When you explain your business, are you met with confused looks or blank expressions?

You may be an expert in your field, which means you speak like an expert too. The way you describe your healthcare business may go way over the heads of the people you want to engage.

…That’s a problem.

Partnering with a copywriter or digital marketing team with in-house talent can offer your healthcare business the content overhaul it needs to connect with your target audience.

Rather than produce content ad hoc on your own, a copywriter applies a content strategy, ensuring messaging stays on brand, appeals to your audience, and provides value.

They implement SEO, maintain brand consistency across all channels, breathe life into technical or mundane topics, and more.

Healthcare is an industry where patients are often the consumers. This is an audience that needs content that helps them understand the value you bring to the table, and the solutions you offer. Copywriters can break down complex topics and communicate your value.

Do you need somebody to help explain your healthcare business to consumers?

Do you stand by your healthcare marketing?

There are many, MANY healthcare providers and services out there. To differentiate and prove their expertise, they need effective marketing strategies.

But…

What if a healthcare marketing campaign stretches the truth or uses misleading language? Some marketing out there pulls patients away from reputable providers and nudges them toward a provider that’s less qualified or suited for that particular patient.

Spending money on marketing to draw in patients seems unethical. It should be the best person for the job, shouldn’t it?

In healthcare marketing, a sad fact is the best provider for the job doesn’t always have the strongest marketing campaigns — causing them to get lost in search engine results pages (SERPs).

We’re no stranger to healthcare marketing, it’s what we do. Our campaigns help set you apart, while truthfully explaining why your healthcare company excels in your field.

If your current campaigns can be misconstrued or feel misleading, you may not be taking an ethical marketing approach. Want us to take a look at it for you?

Read more about it in our blog post
https://thisisld.com/blog/marketing-ethics-in-healthcare/

If it feels like you’re fibbing, you probably are.

Telling little white lies or stretching the truth in your personal life may be permissible, but in healthcare marketing, anything misleading is super uncool.

You may have some unethical marketing practices in place and not even know it.

For example, your medical board may not allow testimonials to be displayed on your website. Did you make sure you’re allowed to post them before your site went live?

If not, you might want to double-check…and remove them if they shouldn’t be there.

All of your marketing materials should be honest, without exaggeration of your expertise, skill, and patient results.

Language choice is vital as well. Cheeky attempts to mislead patients through linguistic loopholes are a major faux pas. Your messaging has to be clear and accurate. Always.

Ethical healthcare marketing is about providing the best solutions for consumers — after all, someone’s health is on the line. Slick marketing campaigns that don’t deliver what patients actually need are irresponsible and unethical.

It’s not about getting more patients, it’s about attracting the patients you can actually help. Patients will find you if you remain ethical in your marketing campaigns and offer solutions to their issues.

Is your healthcare marketing legitimate? If you’re concerned about it, let’s chat.

Many patients go online to look for treatments and service providers. When your healthcare business is not online, you’re pretty much invisible, and if patients can’t find you, they’ll move on.

The big question: is spending advertising dollars helping them find you unethical if you’re offering them a viable solution to their issue?

Nope. Not at all — as long as your messaging isn’t misleading or violates any guidelines set in place (this goes for all healthcare marketing).

These ethical rules can be a little murky, but stick to these standards and your messaging and ads can garner attention from your target audience when they need to see it without crossing any lines. You’re not selling, you’re educating prospective patients on your services, so they can make the right choice for their health issue.

Flip through our carousel to find out how to ensure you’re marketing ethically. Healthcare is a business, and it’s our job to help you make it thrive.

If your doctor recommends a certain treatment, do you just agree to it, or do you get a second opinion and do your own research first?

With the help of the internet, many consumers are gathering more information before agreeing to a medical treatment or service.

We’ve said it before, you need to create a healthcare marketing plan with the consumer in mind.

Even if you have an awesome product or service, start with your customer and give them the information they need to trust you. These days, it’s all about complete transparency.

When your marketing messages resonate with your audience, it maximizes the ROI on your sales and marketing spend.

With that in mind, step one with your healthcare messaging must be recognising patients as equal partners in the marketing process, make sure to speak to them.

Making an impression on the average person requires different messaging than professionals and providers in the healthcare industry.

Consider the language you use, and make it accessible to everyone. If there’s industry jargon or technical terms in your messaging, you need to eliminate it, or do a great job of explaining what it is and why it’s important.

The best performing healthcare marketing has providers and patients working as a team to lower costs, create favourable treatment outcomes, and quality experiences.

If you’re having trouble coming up with the right words for your healthcare marketing campaigns, take a new approach to your messaging. And if you need some assistance, LD’s got you covered.

Having a team of marketing experts on hand doesn’t have to break the bank.

Finding the right marketing agency team that gets what you do is a big part of a successful partnership.

Working with a marketing agency is an ebb-and-flow relationship. You need to help bring them up to speed on your company, brand, and offerings, and they will explain how they plan on helping you reach your business goals.

When searching for the right marketing agency, pay attention to the little things:
✅Have they researched your website, social channels, sales decks, and other current marketing materials for your company?
✅Do they want to know your short and long-term business goals?
✅Have they asked about your previous marketing strategies?
✅Do they want to spend time learning more about your business and your target market?
✅Are they asking you thoughtful questions to dig deeper into your business needs and goals?

A sign of a professional team is how prepared they are to work with you – even before your initial meeting.

The perks of working with a marketing agency are many:
➡️You get the perspective of marketing experts
➡️You save on costs
➡️You can outsource the creative work
➡️Your marketing materials and strategies are cohesive and consistent
➡️You can access new marketing channels to reach a wider audience
➡️And more

Why struggle coming up with marketing strategies yourself when you can get an awesome marketing team to do it for you?

We get it; HIPAA compliance is super stringent, but with good reason.

When you’re dealing with sensitive information in healthcare, marketers need to know exactly what they can and can’t do with their campaigns.

If you don’t follow the rules for HIPAA-compliant marketing, your organisation may need to pay fines, victim restitution, or even criminal penalties.

Remember, just because you trust a certain platform doesn’t make collecting or sharing PHI safe. Even encrypted emails have the potential to be intercepted. If you stick to HIPAA-compliant practices, this shouldn’t be an issue.

It’s super important that you know and follow HIPAA guidelines before creating and implementing your marketing plan.

At LD, we know the nitty-gritty about HIPAA-compliance. If you’re in the healthcare sector, let’s chat about whether or not you need some help navigating this space.

If your healthcare marketing ideas include Google and Facebook ad campaigns, you can’t assume these platforms protect PHI…which can completely breach HIPAA.

In healthcare marketing, HIPAA compliance needs to be at the forefront of every campaign.

You need PPC campaigns that protect patient PHI, and it’s your responsibility to ensure that you’re remaining HIPAA-compliant – in every country you’re targeting.

Here are three big things to know about HIPAA and your planned PPC campaign.

An effective healthcare marketing plan does a deep dive into the consumer’s needs and wants.

They need a product or service that solves a problem, ideally, works with their insurance coverage.

It’s not too much to ask, is it?

A large mistake in digital communication is losing sight of consumer benefits.

The assumption is that success in sales is only achieved when the products are always in the spotlight…but in reality, the foundation of successful sales is to trust the customer.

Let your brand, company, and sales force build a relationship with potential consumers. If you’re spamming consumers exclusively with advertising, you’re losing more trust than you’re gaining.

If you get this first part right, consumers may be interested in what you’re selling, but they still may not choose it because of their insurance plan.

There are many, many different types of insurance, with differences in coverage.

Reimbursements vary between plans, which means your product or service may be entirely covered, partially covered, or not covered at all.

Let’s face it, patients want the best service possible for the least amount of money.

How do you factor product and patient insurance into your healthcare marketing strategy?

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Low conversion rates got you down?

Turn a landing page into a valuable asset for your healthcare business with another one of our PPC strategies.

Here’s a tool we use to get the most attention for our clients: dynamic keyword insertion (DKI).

DKI allows us to customise ad copy to match a search phrase exactly. The benefit? It improves the relevance of an ad, which contributes to increased conversion rates.

And there’s more…

We can even pull these search phrases into your landing page text. For example, the same page could appear as either 'Knee surgeon in London' or 'Knee pain specialist', depending on how a consumer phrases their search query.

When all the pieces of a PPC campaign work together, the result is undeniable.

After so many years in the digital marketing space, we’ve seen all kinds of campaigns, ranging from incredible to utterly forgettable.

PPC is a collection of tools and strategies that work to help your target audience find you, so they can engage with your organisation.

Dynamic keyword insertion is one facet of a successful PPC campaign that can deliver a potential consumer to your landing page.

Ask us how we can make this strategy work for you.

Offering more than one healthcare product or service? If so, your PPC strategy should use Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs) and ad customisers.

Think of DSAs as little helpers that help quickly direct potential consumers to relevant information from your site in a dynamically generated, tailored ad based on the specific phrase they search for.

If you’re late to the party, it’s time to add some DSAs to your PPC healthcare campaigns.

These highly targeted and relevant ads pull information from your website to create an ad based on a search query. How cool is that?

Click through our carousel to find out why adding DSAs to your healthcare marketing mix is beneficial to your organization.

Keywords can only do so much on their own.

Besides, some keywords usually apply to multiple audiences, which may not add value to your business.

LD uses remarketing lists for search ads (RLSA) and audience targeting, so our clients win the more beneficial auctions for their business.

Click through our carousel to find out how LD's remarketing lists for search ads (RLSA) and audience targeting can help your business win more auctions and drive better results.

Take your digital marketing to the next level and start reaching the right audiences with precision.

How much does it cost for paid search campaigns in the healthcare industry?!

Wow, some of those keywords are pricey.

The massive cost of some keywords is easy to explain with the obscene number of online searches for health-related keywords and the seemingly endless number of healthcare providers and vendors out there.

With so much competition, how do you stand out?
An effective PPC campaign can help you get noticed. Keep an eye out for our future posts, where we’ll give you some PPC strategies that work in the healthcare sector.

We help you do marketing.

How, you might ask?

Our cloud-based agency uses a mix of creativity, analytics, and unicorn dust. After all, even creatives like us need a process.

First, we do a deep dive into your company and industry to understand what makes it tick and find opportunities to help you shine.

Next, we unleash our talents and come up with breakthrough creative campaigns and strategies.

The final step is to merge creativity and analytics to take the campaign to the next level. We use the metrics from each campaign to improve our content for your audience.

Let our team of talented unicorns create some marketing magic for you.

Change is inevitable. Nothing stays the same, not even marketing.

Need an example? Marketing used to be print, radio, or TV. It now requires a digital presence, superior content, and conversation generation to register with potential consumers.

Marketing continues to grow. Now it includes branding, advertising, public relations (PR), promotions, online and offline content, reputation management, customer support, and sales.

Business may be aces right now, but revenue can go from boom to bust super fast. That’s why you need to keep marketing to your potential customers, so there’s always somebody interested in purchasing your product or service. Marketing helps turn those potential customers into new customers with a cool campaign.

Here’s the thing: you’re never done marketing. Potential consumers always want to see more.

Are you a leader in your industry? What kind of content do you create that helps them? What’s your brand reputation? Do you communicate with your audience and build your connection to them?

These are just some of the questions you need to answer in your marketing campaigns (plus be memorable, have a great product or service, a philosophy customers can support, and what feels like a thousand other things).

Does it seem like a lot? If you don’t have the bandwidth to take on marketing, outsource it to a company that knows what’s up. At LD, we’re experts in marketing and we’re here to help.

Digital marketing: A story of unrequited love.

Once upon a time there was a company whose website caused every visitor to bounce. They made very few sales because they were too vague, outdated, impersonal, and always made a sales pitch way too soon.

They didn’t know who their target audience was, but just trusted that the right people would show up one day. Since they didn’t understand their audience, all of their offerings were inappropriate and fell flat.

Because of this lack of direction, personalisation, and problem-solving, even the search algorithms didn’t give it the time of day, or any notable presence in the SERPs.

Heartbreaking, no?

The moral of the story: don’t be like this company. Make sure you identify your audience and give them what they need in order to know, like, and trust you.

Keep things fresh and make them feel personal.

Mailing list? Offer information that your readers actually want.

Website? Share your knowledge, so your audience doesn’t have to dig deep to discover your value.

Calls to action or asking for the sale? Make this the final step in your sales process.

Ready to captivate your audience? You don’t have to call cupid, just contact LD. We’ll help your audience fall in love with your website.

Everybody uses social media, right?

If we’ve learned anything from influencers, it’s that we should post everything all the time. Significant or insignificant, the content doesn’t matter as much as the frequency.

…But does that apply to healthcare?

Could you imagine your GP doing a live video about their political stance? It’s not exactly the kind of material healthcare consumers want to hear, and frankly, it may be off-putting if a potential patient leans in the opposite political direction.

Healthcare marketers can get a lot of value from social media, but that only happens if they use these channels to give value to clientele first.

The nature of healthcare is helping people, and social channels should do the same. Everything you post should feed into your healthcare marketing strategy.

Do you post whatever you feel, or do you only post content that’s relevant to your audience?

How’s your website? Slow and sluggish or fast and helpful?

Your website may look great, but there are a lot of technical problems that can really harm your SEO — and if this is the case, say goodbye to any meaningful organic traffic.

It’s not something you’ve done wrong, per se, but an attention to detail can elevate your healthcare organisation’s SEO, giving you more visibility and better rankings on SERPs.

One of the first things a healthcare marketing agency like LD does is audit your existing site. We point out the trouble areas behind the scenes and recommend how to fix them. If there are any holes in your website, we’ll point those out too, so we can fill the gaps, boosting your SEO and helping your site perform optimally.

From buttons to links, information flow, page development, proper optimisation, and more, a partner like LD can significantly improve your site performance and ranking.

Want to talk more about it?