What does digital healthcare marketing mean, exactly?
Does it mean that your dentist is posting before and after pictures of patients’ dental work? A chiropractor who emails appointment reminders to patients along with a company newsletter?
Just like every other industry, the healthcare sector is in an exciting stage of evolution and is one adjusting to the technological advances that are dominating the consumer space. Power and demand have shifted, giving the consumer the upper-hand in the market; they decide what, how, when, and where they want to engage in any type of customer experience.
So, how do us digital marketers align ourselves with these changes?
To do so, we need to understand how the digital healthcare marketing landscape is changing. Keep reading to discover the latest trends.
On-demand healthcare is giving rise to gig healthcare providers
Nowadays, patients are intent on receiving healthcare on their schedule.
They want their healthcare needs met at their convenience, on their own time, and wherever they happen to be. This has driven up the need for on-demand healthcare because of everyone’s seemingly nightmarish schedules.
With close to five billion mobile phone users in the world, consumers are now looking for medical information and treatment online. Since on-demand healthcare is now driven by the gig economy, we will see an increase in freelance professionals who provide on-demand healthcare.
Big data is becoming more important in digital healthcare marketing
With big data providing the healthcare industry benefits such as lower rates of medication errors, preventative care guidance, and more accurate staffing decisions, healthcare and pharmaceutical companies should take full advantage of this data to understand their market better.
At the heart of these efforts lies a better understanding of healthcare consumers. With this newfound knowledge, digital marketing teams will have a better chance of identifying and targeting consumers and executing their digital healthcare marketing strategies with success.
With the gathered information, healthcare companies are even developing personalised lifestyle recommendations for their patients!
Virtual reality will be used to treat patients
Did you know that VR has started complementing medication as a successful solution to chronic pain? It’s regarded as a safer alternative to drugs, not only for chronic pain, but also for patients with anxiety, PTSD, and strokes!
What’s crazy is that this is just a fraction of VR’s capabilities. While residents and doctors are now using it to refine their surgical skill and plan complicated surgeries, in the future, patients will even be able to use wearable VR to motivate them to exercise and for children with autism to learn how to navigate the world more meaningfully.
The growth of wearable medical devices
Nowadays, it’s common for healthcare companies to collect data from wearable medical devices. This is because patients are more focussed on preventative healthcare and, therefore, demand information about their health more frequently in this digital age.
Recent reports even suggest that the wearable medical device market will reach a value of $27 million by 2023. The healthcare industry must be proactive, therefore, in investing in wearable medical devices that provide up-to-date monitoring of high-risk patients.
Staying ahead of the latest trends is key to becoming a better digital healthcare marketer
The state of technological advances in healthcare seems quite promising, doesn’t it?
What would be more interesting, though, is to brainstorm ways to tackle these changes, as a digital marketer, in a world where digital disruption keeps chucking out surprises. This is precisely why being creative and giving freedom to your imagination is an equally crucial component of effective digital healthcare marketing.
If staying up-to-date with the latest tools, techniques, and strategies seems a little overwhelming, at Hype Insight, we do all the heavy-lifting when it comes to digital healthcare marketing.