The secret to successful marketing lies in mastering the concept that the right message must reach the right audience in order to garner a client base or make a sale. When building a health care brand, you must be particularly mindful of the message or brand you create. Poorly executed branding can undo all the goodwill you have in mere built-in minutes. In fact, lousy branding can turn existing patients against your company or office. Thankfully, there are some clear guidelines to follow in order to avoid destroying your brand. Here are five things to avoid:
1. Sending the wrong message.
The most important thing you may ever learn in regards to effective advertising is simply that the message matters most. You should understand your values, the goals of your company and your audience. The message should be one that is simple, easy to understand, leaves a lasting (positive) impression and, most importantly, connects with people who are most likely to engage in your services. The message is always the first impression, and it takes mere seconds to give a false impression.
2. Targeting the wrong patient.
In order to build a healthcare brand, or any brand for that matter, you must know your target audience. Defining your audience requires some research in order to better understand who is most likely to respond to your type of business. The person who is most likely to become a consumer is known in the healthcare world as the “best patient.” If you have falsely identified your best patient, then you will not have the ability to choose the right message to best engage that person. If you are targeting the wrong audience, then your brand will not be able to withstand the lack of connectivity.
3. Ignoring social media.
The technological world has changed in just the past five years. Patients are now able to access online portals for their records. They view online reviews and search through ads on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. Ignoring the potential of the social media world can be a costly mistake. Effective branding strategies include search engine optimization through creating online ads and articles. Social media avenues are some of the most significant resources for promoting your brand.
4. Failure to communicate values.
The concept of values in a marketing setting is very much linked to the message of your office. Research shows that consumers are much more driven by the emotional connection, as opposed to subscribing for purely financial reasons. In other words, your patients want to feel as if they are engaging in your services because it adds value to their lives. When you build your health care brand, you should incorporate your core values into your message. Failing to do so could leave you with a shallow brand that will not appeal to your ideal patient base.
5. Utilizing a dull image.
Again, the central theme of finding a brand is the message. You only have a few seconds to grab the consumer’s attention. Unimaginative logos or branding images will fail to gain traction on social media. To cultivate an effective brand, you should seek the help of an experienced and professional marketing firm that can link you with the proper imaging.
