Medicine is a competitive industry, and medical companies need effective marketing to bring their care to patients who need it. But the nature and conditions of health marketing are very different from any other competitive industry, and companies need to find marketing partners who understand both the intricacies of healthcare and the nuances of marketing, all while adhering to stringent compliance standards.
1. Health-Compliant Marketing Practices
Medical marketing involves a vast amount of compliance work. Federal policies and enforcement actions dictate what information health companies can’t collect or use for marketing. State-level web privacy policies dictate what companies can and cannot do with user data. And digital marketing platform policies dictate what medical claims can be made, what medical products can be advertised, and what certifications health brands need to use their services. A good medical marketing agency needs total command of all this information.
Compliance Factors to Consider:
- Tracking Technologies: Understand how the medical marketing agency implements tracking technologies in compliance with HIPAA regulations while ensuring privacy.
- Regular HIPAA Breach Risk Assessments: Ask if the marketing agency conducts regular assessments to evaluate ongoing compliance and implement measures to minimize risk. This will ensure that your marketing practices remain compliant.
- Compliant Tech Partnerships: Find out what companies the agency has partnered with for its marketing technology—and whether those partnerships strengthen compliance or undermine it. At ADM, for example, we partner with Freshpaint, which facilitates the secure handling and disclosure of PHI, keeping your marketing efforts safe and compliant.
- Continued Education and Training: Make sure your marketing agency stays up-to-date on changes in laws and regulations concerning medical marketing through continued education and training. It’s one thing to know how things worked two years—or even two months—ago. It’s essential to know how they work now and will change in the future.
2. Deep and Diverse Experience in Medical Marketing
A quality medical marketing agency should have a proven track record of working with different types of companies and stakeholders throughout the industry. Patient acquisition is a very different concept than online sales, and encouraging “patients” to seek appropriate medical care is very different from convincing “users” to buy new sneakers.
- Experience Throughout the Field: The medical industry is vast and varied. Agencies that have experience working with different types of healthcare entities (medical providers, insurers, digital health, medical device companies) will have a better command of the scope and nuance of the industry. This experience allows the agency to understand the unique challenges and regulations that each type of organization faces and tailor marketing strategies accordingly.
- Proven Results: Ask for health marketing case studies that demonstrate the breadth and quality of the agency’s work in the medical field. Look for examples of successful campaigns that have driven real results with diverse outcomes, such as increased patient leads or improved brand awareness.
- Awards and Testimonials: Awards and testimonials from satisfied clients are a great way to gauge an agency’s expertise and success in the medical marketing field. Look for agencies that have won industry awards or received positive feedback from reputable sources, such as healthcare organizations or industry publications.
Vetting a digital marketing agency ‘s experience in the medical industry is crucial to ensure that they have the necessary expertise and understanding of the field.
Case Study: Talkspace
Talkspace, an online therapy provider, saw a 51% increase in overall conversions in the first seven months of partnering with ADM.
Achieving Efficient Patient Acquisition Growth in a Competitive Market
3. Innovative Medical Marketing Strategies
Beyond industry-specific expertise, an effective medical marketing agency must of course excel in the digital marketing services that drive your brand’s growth. These include:
- SEM Expertise: Agencies should build goal-oriented SEM campaigns that draw from a strong understanding of the patient journey, from research to care selection. They must stay ahead by swiftly mastering the latest tools and platform updates, ensuring our clients remain both cutting-edge and compliant.
- Social Media Marketing: An agency must possess an in-depth understanding of platform policies governing healthcare, health services, digital health, and pharmaceutical advertising to ensure compliant and impactful campaigns. By leveraging insights into user engagement across various social platforms, they’ll develop messaging strategies that seamlessly align with your patient acquisition funnel.
- Programmatic Advertising: Programmatic advertising offers immense potential for health companies, leveraging a variety of multimedia formats and the capability for relevant contextual placements and compliant healthcare-specific targeting. Utilize targeted podcast and connected TV ads to reach anonymized, predictive health audiences on leading streaming platforms.
- Creative Ingenuity: A great marketing partner should excel at conceptualizing and curating all essential creative elements for digital campaigns. This includes static images, video ads, and user-generated content designed to boost engagement and build brand trust.
- Implementation and Attribution: Knowing how to set up accurate reporting tools in HIPAA-compliant ways will help you understand the agency’s impact on your goals without sacrificing patient privacy.
A reputable medical marketing agency will be on the cutting edge of technology, utilizing tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning to optimize campaigns and drive results. At ADM, we are constantly adapting to new technologies in order to provide our clients with the best possible outcomes. Our team of experts combines data-driven insights with creative strategies to create personalized and effective marketing campaigns for each client.
Case Study: PicnicHealth
PicnicHealth partnered with ADM to boost patient recruitment for research studies. ADM’s multi-channel approach, including social media restructuring, keyword campaigns, and contextually-targeted display ads, led to PicnicHealth’s best recruitment month ever, with 1,444 new signups.
A Cross-Channel Strategy That Efficiently Increased Patient Acquisition
Proven Success in Medical Marketing
Choosing an agency that not only understands the healthcare industry but also excels in general marketing principles is crucial for achieving long-term success. By focusing on these three factors, healthcare professionals and companies can ensure they partner with an agency that will effectively bring their care to patients who need it.
Ready to take your medical marketing to the next level? At ADM, we have the expertise to deliver results in medical marketing. Contact us today to learn how our expertise can help your business grow while staying compliant and competitive.
