The last few years have been a wild ride for digital marketers. While many things are in flux, what we know for sure is that online advertising will become even more critical for companies in the healthcare software industry. For example, online ads help increase brand awareness by 80% and deliver a 200% ROI.
What should you expect in 2024 and beyond, and how to adjust your healthcare advertising strategy to stay ahead? We asked Brian Cauble, a digital advertising expert, to share his expert insights on the top 5 healthcare marketing trends.
Let's explore the key developments shaping the 2024 healthcare advertising landscape to help you stay ahead of the online marketing game.
1. Emerging Technologies
New technologies have always played a critical role in successful ad campaigns. The fast pace of innovation will make keeping pace with customer expectations more challenging now than ever. From augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to programmatic advertising and conversational marketing, technology has changed how brands interact with prospects and customers.
Of course, we can't overlook the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) on healthcare advertising strategies. AI can help analyze vast amounts of campaign and customer data to uncover actionable insights and automatically turn them into action to improve campaign performance. You may also use AI tools to optimize ad bidding and test headlines to inform minute-to-minute decisions.
Our team has used AI tools to support many client campaigns — what's the verdict?
"AI tools are still very quantitative and data-oriented. You have to put a qualitative filter on it," says Cauble. "For example, our experienced account managers work with our clients to understand campaign results. We examine their databases to determine if they get high-quality leads from their ads."
2. Data Privacy and Security
The growing privacy concerns and increasingly stringent regulations, especially in the healthcare sector, have changed how advertising platforms (e.g., Google) tighten their guidelines and handle user data. Meanwhile, unethical data practices could diminish customer trust and tarnish your reputation. As such, you must balance targeted marketing with transparency and user consent in your campaigns.
Healthcare tech companies, in particular, must be aware of regulatory changes and best practices for securing user information in their advertising efforts. For example, Google has made various updates to protect users' patient health information (PHI), and these rules extend to impact healthcare SaaS companies. We've helped clients overcome algorithm changes causing campaigns to drop from thousands of impressions daily to a few dozen overnight by carefully navigating these waters.
"Consider how your words can be construed. Are they too generic? Can you add the word software to make it more explicit? Make the copy as obvious as possible for the AI program [screening the ads]. But also strike a balance so a human audience can understand who the product is for and what it's about," says Cauble on how to avoid Google blocking your ads.
3. Targeted Advertising Strategies
A targeted healthcare advertising strategy can help you drive high-quality leads to your website and maximize your digital marketing budget. Set the foundation by identifying and researching your audience, such as healthcare professionals, institutions, and end-users (e.g., hospital staff). Create a buyer persona for each segment and tailor your messaging to address their challenges and needs.
An experienced healthcare marketing company can help you leverage data analytics to generate insights into your target audience's behavior and preferences. Also, adopt a multi-channel approach to reach prospects where they research solutions. Besides pay-per-click (PPC) ads, apply campaign insights to create relevant content to drive organic traffic. For example, publish high-value blog posts to attract and build trust with your ideal customers.
4. Personalization in Healthcare Marketing
Personalization will allow you to deliver highly relevant ads and content to your target audience. Moz predicts hyper-personalization will become a key trend in content marketing — a critical component of SEO. AI software will enable healthcare marketers to analyze big data on their audience's behavior and preferences, and automation technology will help deliver the right content to the right people at the right time.
Account-based marketing (ABM) techniques will continue to be critical for delivering a personalized experience in B2B digital advertising — addressing members in large and diverse buying committees with various priorities and at different stages of the buyer's journey. A healthcare marketing company can help you incorporate tools such as a customer relationships management (CRM) system, a data management platform (DMP), marketing automation software, and cross-channel personalization features to support a robust ABM strategy.
5. Measurement and Analytics
Data analytics gives you valuable insights into healthcare advertising campaign performance and audience behaviors to fine-tune your strategy and optimize ad spend. You can also apply the insights to inform your SEO and content marketing tactics to increase organic, high-quality traffic to your website. Real-time monitoring, supported by AI analytics, can help you identify trends and adapt your messaging on a dime.
The transition to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) will give advertisers more comprehensive and user-centric insights. The platform's focus on privacy-compliant tracking and cross-platform measurement is particularly relevant for healthcare SaaS marketers. Additionally, implement granular conversion tracking to understand the impact of your campaigns. Segment your audience data to refine targeting parameters and inform your personalization strategy to support an ABM approach.
Healthcare SaaS companies must understand these top healthcare advertising trends heading into 2024. But fast-evolving technology, like AI and ML, will change the face of the industry faster than ever. That's why more healthcare tech vendors work with healthcare marketing companies to help them stay relevant and get the most out of their ad spend.
Ready to position your company for the future of healthcare marketing?
Spot On helps healthcare SaaS companies develop and implement digital advertising strategies. We’ll work with you to create on-point advertising that resonates with your target audience and compels them to convert. Learn more about our paid advertising services and schedule a meeting to see how we can help you stay competitive and attract more customers.
