In recent times, the health sector has undergone several changes. If before it was great to be among the first pages of the famous and old books of service recommendations that everyone had at home, today, with the growth and establishment of the internet in people's lives, this no longer makes much sense. The search for knowledge, caused by the phenomenon of the digital revolution, brings even more information to patients who, in turn, are becoming much more discerning, using digital means of communication to seek information about their symptoms and, often, recommendations about specialists. If you are a doctor and you are aware of all these factors, you must be asking yourself now: but How do I make my work stand out among all this competition? Well, that's exactly what the Digital marketing, more precisely, the Medical Marketing. Read the text below and understand!

After all, what is Medical Marketing?

Unlike what most people think, Digital Marketing for Doctors goes far beyond advertising clinics. Philip Kotler, considered the father of the field, defines Marketing as a social process in which people and groups of people obtain what they need and want through the creation, offering, and free exchange of valuable products and services with others. Ou seja, o Marketing in the health sector Its principle is to show the service to patients, highlighting the differences and offering the best possible experience, with the purpose of attracting them to your office.

What is the real importance of Digital Marketing for those who work in the healthcare sector?

Simply put, the importance of investing in Digital Marketing lies in the possibility of attracting new patients, through content generation and presence on digital platforms. However, anyone who thinks that all that is needed is to have social networks and post on them from time to time is mistaken. The true objective of Digital Marketing, through content strategies, is to create authority on the subject, that is, to make it respected, valued and, above all, sought after. But, in fact, what does it mean to be an authority? Well, according to the Michaelis Online dictionary, an authority is a “person of recognized merit or knowledge in some field of activity, which earns them respect and credibility”. In other words, being an authority in the medical world means be recognized for knowledge in the area of ​​activity, which makes people always look for him when they have a problem. This is the real essence of Digital Marketing in the Medical Field!

Ok. But how does this happen?

• Inbound Marketing

O Inbound Marketing is also known as attraction marketing, which means that instead of you going to the client (in this case, the patient!), they find you through search engines, social networks and various other digital channels. In this strategy, there is an open and constant interaction between the doctor and the potential patient, which makes that humanized process we talked about earlier actually happen. In addition, Inbound also makes the message reach the person at the most opportune moment, that is, at the moment when the person needs that content, whether when they do not yet know they have a disease or when they are already looking for a solution (treatment), for example.

• Content Marketing

O Content Marketing is the main pillar within a successful Inbound Marketing strategy and is extremely important to create the much-desired figure of digital authority. It consists of create interesting, relevant content that solves any doubts people may have with health problems related to the area of ​​expertise of the doctor in question. Thus, through educational content, it is possible to attract visitors to your website, who consume this content and, in the medium term, may become new patients. This strategy, in addition to helping the healthcare professional attract new patients, also contributes to the sharing of useful and safe information in the digital environment.

Main content distribution channels

• Blog posts

It is a very efficient way of generating content in written form, not to mention that if it is used in conjunction with a strategy SEO, the result can be the generation of organic traffic, that is, coming through search engines like Google, without the need for investment in advertising. Learn how to create a successful blog!

• Production of rich materials

Through e-books, for example, it is possible to generate more in-depth content and offer this material “in exchange” for data, such as email. When your potential patient leaves this data for you, we consider them a lead and can continue the relationship with them.

• Social Media

In addition to blog posts, investing in social media It is also an excellent strategy to attract a greater number of patients, since this is where most internet users are concentrated. In these, you can make posts that develop closer interactions, as well as use them to promote new blog posts!

• YouTube

Although it is considered a social network, we have placed it separately due to its great potential in marketing strategies for doctors. Just like Google, the largest on-demand video platform also receives numerous searches related to the medical field. Being present and posting informative and interesting videos on a regular basis is an excellent opportunity to reach an even larger audience!

• Podcast

The current favorite can yield great results, or leads! Providing content in audio format also meets a large and growing demand. People want to listen to something relevant while they are in traffic, at the gym or even at the grocery store.

• Email Marketing

Often forgotten, the email marketing is still an extremely powerful tool for doctors. It allows them to maintain a constant relationship with the lead, providing relevant content to the patient, such as information on disease prevention and health promotions related to the area worked on. With this strategy, as with social media, the idea is to create an even closer relationship with the potential patient.

Finally, are there any restrictions on Marketing in the medical field?

It is very important to know that There are certain restrictions imposed by the Federal Council of Medicine on Medical Marketing. Check out some restrictions:

• It is forbidden to advertise directly or indirectly any specialty that the doctor does not have;
• It is prohibited to advertise equipment owned by the office;
• It is forbidden to post photos of patients making comparisons (the famous “before and after”);
• Finally, social media should not be used to administer medicine, but rather to inform and take people to the doctor's office.

If you still have any questions about how to use Digital Marketing strategies specifically for your area of ​​activity, get in touch and request a digital diagnosis with our experts!