Healthcare content marketing has a long history. It used to be looked down upon, but that changed about 40 years ago. Now marketing and healthcare go hand-in-hand. It's one of the best ways to improve patient experience. Knowing the history of healthcare content marketing will not only help you understand what exactly healthcare content marketing is, but how it can help your patient's experience.
What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online materials such as, a blog or social media posts. These materials, or content, do not explicitly promote your brand but are intended to stimulate interest in your products or services. Content marketing is a great way to spread the word about your practice and build a good reputation with your patients. Many people think this strategy is new, but this marketing technique has actually been around for over one hundred years!
The History of Content Marketing
Healthcare content marketing goes back to the 19th century. Johnson & Johnson were one of the first to do it. In 1888, the company began marketing towards doctors that used band-aids. Their first content offer was a book called Modern Methods of Antiseptic Wound Treatment.
Learn more about Johnson & Johnson's current content marketing campaign here.
In 1977, The American Hospital Association held its first marketing convention which focused on the promotion of different aspects of the industry. A few years later, hospitals began marketing directly towards patients for services like cosmetic surgery and outpatient care.
During the '90s, marketing in healthcare proved to be very successful and a great way to generate revenue. This brought in business executives and transformed the industry giving it a more businesslike atmosphere where healthcare marketing became essential.
Today, healthcare content marketing has evolved with the power of the internet. Content marketing mediums like social media or blogging have become some of the best ways to promote a practice. 45% of marketers say blogging is their number 1 marketing strategy.
Is Healthcare content marketing worth it?
Content marketing is a cost-effective way to promote your practice. There are many forms of content marketing from starting your own blog to creating an Instagram account.
The goal of content marketing is to create content that is engaging to your audience, improve your reputation, and ultimately bring in more leads. Understanding content marketing and using different strategies can lead to a more successful practice if time is put into it.
Read: How Inbound Marketing Creates Lead Generation
The Best Content Marketing Strategies
1. Blogging
Blogging is a great content marketing strategy because it has two benefits. It increases your discoverability through SEO (search engine optimization). Having a blog that patients can use as a resource to learn more about their own issues builds trust, and reliability.
2. Social Media
Regularly posting creative, compelling content is vital to your practice's marketing strategy. Sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram are the best places to post about your practice. It's a great way to interact with patients and for them to recommend your practice to others.
3. Mobile Websites
Having a mobile-friendly website is just as important as the previous strategies. Whether or not your site is mobile friendly has a huge impact on how patients preceive your practice. Services like Squarespace and Wordpress have built-in features to optimize your website for mobile devices.
Social media, blogs and websites are integral to content marketing. Don't ignore it, use it to your advantage to improve your practice. Bring in new clients, and build a practice that patients will find trustworthy and caring.
Content marketing plays a huge role in a marketing strategy called Inbound Marketing.
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