2021 Trends in Healthcare Marketing

Posted 06.11.2020

By Annabel Thomas

2020 has been a challenge for many working in the healthcare sector, and with Covid-19 looking unlikely to be going away anytime soon, your 2021 healthcare marketing strategy is more important than ever. Did you know that one in 20 google searches are health-related? Also, a huge 90% of 18-24 year olds say they would trust healthcare information they come across on social media. With many appointments and consultations now being carried out online, as well as information for all things medical being widely available digitally, things are changing rapidly for the medical industry. We are sharing the trends that are set for 2021 in healthcare marketing and how you can stay ahead of the curve and competition in these difficult times…

Be Aware of the Covid-19 Impact on Healthcare Marketing

Coronavirus is something that healthcare marketers will have to learn to integrate into their 2021 campaigns. See our tips below:

  • Meet the higher demand for healthcare information. From handwashing, to mental health advice and to keeping healthy at home, engaging with relevant content is crucial. 
  • Reputation is key. Encourage patients to leave positive reviews online and learn from any feedback that you are not happy with. 90% of patients use online reviews before booking an appointment so having a strong and safe reputation in 2021 is vital.
  • Be transparent. Keep your patients updated to policy changes and any scaling back of operations, answer their questions and become a trusted source of information.

2021 trends in healthcare marketing - frogspark

Invest in SEO

The demand for organic searches and relevant content by users hasn’t gone away during the pandemic – it has just shifted. The immediate reaction of many businesses was to pause on marketing and SEO campaigns. But in 2021 we will need to keep adapting to the new normal. Consumers start their healthcare research on Google, looking up symptoms, finding appointments and researching reviews of different healthcare providers. Here are our tips for ranking highly in 2021:

  • Link building – linking with quality websites will not only increase your reputation but also your rankings on search engines.
  • Mobile optimisation – staying connected with patients on the go is more important than ever and if you haven’t optimised your site for mobile, you are missing out on a huge source of users.
  • Blogs – creating engaging and relevant content and blog posts will increase your rankings and visibility in the healthcare industry.
  • Local SEO – trends for searches in credible healthcare providers ‘near me’ are increasingly popular. Optimising your content and being visible on platforms like Google My Business, is great for ranking highly in these searches.

Create a Seamless Patient Experience

The way the world works has changed drastically during 2020 and these practices will be with us long into 2021. The patient experience has therefore changed hugely too, with more online and digital appointments available than ever before due to new social distance and safety measures. It is vital you communicate any changes to your healthcare procedures with your patients. 

  • Update your website – ensure you keep all the relevant information about appointments, scheduling, phone consultations and new procedures clearly visible on your website. This could involve a Covid-19 section on your site with FAQs on how you are operating safely and what patients can expect.
  • Personalise email and text notifications – sending out appointment reminders, new safety protocol and any changes to your policy via text or email is a great way to communicate clearly with your patients.
  • Mobile app experience – creating an app experience to allow patients to schedule appointments, see test results, upload images and chat to consultants is a great investment going forward.
  • Update your social media – regularly updating your social media channels with how you are operating during the pandemic will create a clear channel of communication with your patients.

Healthcare content is key

Creating educational, reliable and informative content to meet user demand is key for marketing healthcare in 2021. Video content is a great way to engage with patients and provide informative content that is easy for users to consume. This could be in the form of a Q&A with an expert, what to expect at your appointment or a video explaining a specific healthcare issue.

Publishing studies, statistics, news articles can be a great way to be seen as innovative and knowledgeable in the healthcare industry. It is all about driving up engagement and building a strong reputation with potential customers. Take a look at our content marketing services for more information on how we can help you achieve this.

Staying on top of your healthcare marketing is a priority for 2021. We know how busy things are at the moment which is why we offer bespoke services for healthcare professionals, so if you want some more advice get in touch with us today!

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