The market for telehealth services is exploding with year-over-year growth estimated at 80% due to the pandemic. If you’re a vendor looking to break into the market, you better be on your game because the competition is getting heated. The right marketing and PR strategies can help set your brand apart. But which efforts are worth investing time and money in right now?
I’ve compiled some data points to get a pulse on the market and back up some recommendations that can guide your marketing pivots through the COVID-19 crisis.
Book your webinar for 11 am on Tuesdays
We all know physical events have shifted online for the foreseeable future because of COVID-19, but do you know what timing works best for webinars? During the pandemic, the best day of the week has changed to Tuesday (27 percent) instead of Thursday. However, the best practice of 11 am PT (14 percent) still holds true according to ON24’s 2020 Webinar Benchmarks Report. Recognize that prospects are busy, so no matter how you plan your webinar, be sure to also make your content available on-demand afterward.
Invest in digital marketing strategies
According to a recent study, more than three-quarters of doctors said they have increased their use of digital resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, 47 percent are turning to online research to replace information they had previously received from a field rep.
Revisit your long-term SEO strategy and find ways to improve your website’s performance so you’re more searchable. Additionally, the general decrease in global ad spend could be an opportunity for telehealth marketers. At Merritt Group, we’ve seen that engagement rates across healthcare-related campaigns increase from an average of one percent up to five percent, particularly around COVID-19 related content and material.
Meet the growing demand for educational content
Where are marketing execs shifting event money to? According to Viola, 32 percent is being funneled into content. The most effective content for driving prospects through the funnel includes articles/blog posts (55 percent), reviews/customer testimonials (43%), whitepapers (38 percent) and videos (33 percent) according to Chief Marketer.
Focus content development on assets that can explain what sets your telehealth solution apart—from how easy it is for a provider to deploy your technology or how intuitive it is for patients to use.
Don’t be afraid to send emails (if the message is right)
Send volumes are up (44 percent more emails) but so too are open rates, particularly in healthcare. That doesn’t mean you should just start blasting your lists, however. Use any COVID downtime to enrich your data to segment and personalize your outreach and ensure campaigns are highly targeted and relevant.
Grow revenue faster using video
Integrating video into your content marketing strategy is critical for reaching, engaging and converting buyers. In fact, video marketers secure 66 percent more qualified leads per year and marketers that use video are growing revenue 49 percent faster.
Some easy ways to integrate video into your efforts include using tools like Wistia to capture leads directly in your videos. You can also add video to campaign elements such as email campaigns (see email section above!), which can boost click-through rates by an impressive 200 to 300 percent.
Whichever strategies and tactics you employ, it’s important you closely evaluate your messaging and tone during this sensitive time. Be a resource, lead with the value of your telehealth solution and explain how you can help providers more easily deliver care.
Download our free guide “How to Break Through in Telehealth with Marketing and PR” to learn how to optimize your health care marketing plan and grow telehealth market share.
Photo by Stephen Dawson on Unsplash
