Embracing Hospital Marketing

For marketing managers in the healthcare industry, it is crucial to recognize the importance of brand awareness for hospitals. Hospitals are so much more than a place to receive medical services. A fixture in their communities, hospitals support a better quality of life, offer resources and guidance for families, and provide trusted and often critical care when people are at their most vulnerable. Hospitals play a significant role in people’s lives, and it is essential they build a strong brand image to gain and maintain the trust of the community.

Hospital Brand Awareness

Brand awareness is a critical aspect of any organization’s marketing strategy but is especially important for hospitals. As the healthcare industry becomes increasingly competitive, it is essential for hospitals to establish a strong brand image to stand out and attract new patients. Hospitals are now facing an array of competition from the smartphone to the local drugstore. Strong brand awareness reminds patients and care influencers of a hospital’s legacy of care and contributions, which deepens the organization’s impact and influence within the community. Equally important, brand awareness also serves to attract talented hospital staff, generate referrals and build a strong reputation both regionally or nationally.

Brand Awareness Start With Frequent Communication

Hospitals that want to establish a strong brand should consider frequency as a critical part of their marketing strategy. Frequency is a key factor in building brand awareness, as it involves how often and consistently the brand is presented to the target audience.

Brand Awareness Builds Trust

A strong brand awareness strategy should be designed to build trust and credibility within the community. Healthcare providers are more likely to trust and seek treatment from hospitals with reputable brand images. A strong brand image can help provide a sense of security, which is essential in building long-term relationships.

Brand Awareness Improves the Bottom Line

A strong brand image can positively impact a hospital’s financial performance. A hospital with a reputable brand image is more likely to attract a higher volume of referrals, an increase in patients, which can increase revenue. Additionally, a strong brand image can result in higher patient & HCP satisfaction rates, which can lead to positive reviews and recommendations to others. This, in turn, can lead to increased revenue and market share, as well as increased investment in distinguished medical staff, equipment, infrastructure and services.

Using Email to Maximize Brand Awareness

Email is an excellent way for a hospital to stay in front of its target audience and keep members engaged with its brand. The following are some ways hospital marketers can create email newsletters that get both traffic and the desired response:

Clear subject lines

Subject lines should be clear and concise. Capturing readers with value-added subject lines encourages them to open an email.

Engaging, A/B-tested content

The content of email newsletters should be engaging and relevant to the audience. Visuals such as images and videos make the content more appealing. It’s important marketers avoid crowding too much information into the body of an email. Doing so can deter people from reading it. That said, adding links to pages where more information is available can drive traffic to a hospital’s website.

Content A/B testing should be a priority, while the rotation of themes, topics and art can also help avoid reader fatigue and/or loss of interest.

Mobile-friendly

Statistics show that about 60% of email readers open their mail on mobile devices, so it’s a must that email newsletters are mobile-friendly. A call to action should appear above the fold — or above the first scroll down on an email — to ensure it is seen and read.

Resends and retargeting

Email resends with retargeting can be a crucial tactic for hospital marketers to improve their email performance metrics, such as open and click-through rates. By resending the same email to subscribers who did not open or click on the first email, hospitals can increase the chances of the message being seen and sparking engagement.

Furthermore, retargeting those who did not interact with the first email can also provide an opportunity to personalize the message further, making it more relevant to the recipient. This can result in better engagement rates and, ultimately, a higher return on investment for the email marketing campaign. Additionally, email resends with retargeting can help to optimize the email delivery time, as hospitals can send the email again at a different time to reach subscribers in different time zones or who have different email habits.

Conclusion

Building strong brand awareness is crucial for a hospital, and it is essential for the marketing department to stay in front of the audience consistently. A strong brand image builds trust and credibility with the community, differentiates a hospital from its competitors, attracts and retains patients, and positively impacts a hospital’s financial performance. MMS helps hospital marketers develop a strategic email program that results in deeper engagement with the right audiences. Get in touch today to learn more!