Almost overnight, the state of the world has quickly changed right before our eyes. Along with seeking news from our typical sources, we’ve been paying attention to messages from our healthcare providers more than ever, all in the name of seeking guidance and instructions during a time when a healthcare provider’s input should be taken as law. While healthcare facilities have these captive audiences, it is a great time for providers to strengthen the bond they have with their community, including past, current and potential clientele.

Here are a few points to consider when managing or even resetting healthcare marketing in the current space we’re in today:

ESTABLISH YOUR BRAND

Establish your healthcare brand as a credible source. We are all living in uncharted waters, thanks to COVID-19. As such, people are searching for facts and guidance they can trust. Now is the time to position as the expert and most credible source for information concerning any type of healthcare related topic.

Given the current state of media consumption, establishing (or re-establishing) a brand is best done in the digital and video world. People are consuming media at an all-time high, and the majority of that is taking place online and via television (or streaming services). Social media is arguably the first channel we recommend, followed closely behind with a broader mix of pre-roll video and digital display. While normally expensive, broadcast television is the original mass reach vehicle, and its resurgence lately, paired with a lack of advertisers (read: flexible costs) makes for a great option.

ADVOCATE

Be an advocate for your doctors and nurses, as they are receiving a much-deserved spotlight as today’s heroes. They are the frontline who engage with your patients and deliver on your brand’s promise. Showcase their amazing work, publicly acknowledge their devotion and sacrifices, and even provide a means for the community to support them through donations, etc. Case in point, my kids made several dozen chocolate chip cookies for the medical staff at Touro this past weekend. Make it easy for the community to show their support, and then to take action.

MESSAGING

Review all messaging to ensure it is setting an appropriate tone for the current climate. It is time to be sensitive with tone and messaging, using empathy, as emotions are high around any healthcare conversation. And be sure to use easy-to-understand verbiage, keeping your audience’s conversation style in mind.

TELEMED

Do you have new services that are really shining in today’s healthcare, like TeleMed? Software to send test results via text or portal? Remind your customers you offer the latest technology services. As mentioned in last week’s blog the use of remote consultation has skyrocketed in the last few weeks for obvious reasons. As patients and the community are venturing into a whole new way of life, the digital world has been a lifeline. Through a custom online media strategy, educating and connecting patients with a brand’s telemedicine offering is quite easy, and economical.

Creating and maintaining a media strategy for hospitals and healthcare systems, whether for specific initiatives or in response to events such as COVID-19, is not a task to be taken lightly. Today, a strategic marketing plan offers healthcare facilities an opportunity to be seen as a leader in their community. If your hospital or healthcare system is in need of a groundbreaking media strategy, contact Morgan & Co. to learn about how we approach and manage media strategies in this growing field.