Putting Health (Online) First

In a world where symptoms of an illness are first looked up online in order to find a solution, where the internet is trusted as much a doctor is, the healthcare industry proceeds rapidly to have a more hands-on approach to digital marketing.

Healthcare digital marketing is important as the bounds of marketing are widening and as phones and computers are easily accessible, people acquire most of their information from the internet. Digital and social media marketing went up by 12%-15% on average in 2016, while traditional offline advertising dropped by 2%. Web marketing is an essential marketing platform, healthcare internet marketing being no exception to the same.

Some common and popular healthcare marketing trends in 2016 were-

• Extensive research being carried out by patients on their own accord
• Traditional marketing strategies being surpassed by digital marketing
• Decision making on the basis of digital content by users

The average person spends more time online as compared to TV and all other media combined! The internet for most people is just a touch or two away, and so looking for information is now super simple. A major healthcare marketing strategy for your organisation would be to offer your information and expertise over these convenient digital platforms to build a stronger and more prominent online presence.

Here are some healthcare digital marketing trends and tips to watch out for in 2017:

1. Social Media Healthcare Marketing
   More organisations and practices are opting for healthcare marketing on social media as it plays a large role in people’s life in terms of acquiring information and making connections. According to the National Research Corp., over 40% of people rely on social media for healthcare-related information, and 95% of them rely on Facebook.
   
   
2. Organized and Optimized Data
   Digital traffic over global networks is increasing rapidly, so to make their content stand out, companies chose simplified and organized systems to put forward their data.
   
   
3. Live Videos
   What can be seen as one of the biggest trends of 2017 is the live video. The youth today, spend up to 9 hours a day on social media, whether it is on Facebook, or Instagram, etc.- making these live videos highly engaging, interactive methods of communicating with your audiences.
   
   
4. Smart Content Sharing
   It is a company’s responsibility to share smart, verified, and new information with their audience in order to keep them interested. This is definitely an existing trend, that will continue to prevail for years to come because of its importance and relevance.
   
   

In a society where an average person has 5 different social media profiles and is becoming increasingly dependent on the internet, one sure shot way of making your organisation known is to put it directly in people’s line of sight. The platform can be used as a grand stage for successful healthcare marketing in 2017!