The content marketing world is more competitive now than it has ever been before. Big brands, small businesses, influencers, and even healthcare professionals create their own content to reach more people online.
But with so many blog posts, videos, infographics, and other types of content online, it can be challenging to stand out. That’s what we’re going to talk about next.
When developing a content strategy for your healthcare practice, there are five things you need to keep in mind. Let’s dive into those now.
Know your audience
It is estimated that Google processes approximately 5.6 billion search queries every day. According to Google, 5% of those searches are health-related.
There is no shortage of content on the internet. But if you want to get in front of your target audience, you need to create content that is relevant and useful to them. To do that, you must get to know your audience on a deeper level.
Dig deep into what types of content they’re consuming and what topics they’re interested in. This way, you can align your content with your target audience’s specific needs and interests.
Establish your content marketing goals
Let’s face it. It’s easy to get caught up in the who, what, how, and where of content marketing that people tend to forget about the most important question: why?
Every strategy should start with a specific goal in mind. So ask yourself. What do you want to achieve with your content? Are you hoping to capture more leads? Or maybe you’re looking to grow your brand awareness and social media presence.
By defining your goals, you can ensure that each piece of content works towards meeting those goals. Even better, you can keep track of your data and use them to improve your content marketing strategy in the long run.
Create a content messaging roadmap
Now that you have already created a buyer persona, established your goals, and set criteria for success, it’s time to start building a content messaging roadmap that can help move each persona through the sales funnel.
Patients who are visiting your site for the first time may be looking for a healthcare provider but aren’t ready to book an appointment with you yet. During this stage, getting their trust is of key importance. This is where educational content can help. Articles, podcasts, videos, and case studies can help position yourself as an expert and get potential patients’ trust.
Warmer prospects may have considered booking an appointment already but may still be looking around. At this stage, adding testimonials from other patients, answering frequently asked questions, and offering free consultations may be just what you need to seal the deal.
Make the most of your content
You spent hours creating those content, so why not make the most out of them? You can repurpose your content to introduce them to new audiences who might prefer a different format.
For instance, you can turn your blog post into an infographic to make it easier to digest and understand. You can turn it into video content, which is perfect for those who prefer watching videos. Another option is to segment your blog post and publish it as a series on social media.
Identify the most relevant platforms
So you spent so much time and effort researching and writing your content. You wanted to make sure that your audience would find it helpful and informative. But it won’t matter if no one has seen it.
The key is to identify which platforms your audience spends most of their time in. This can help give your content the best possible chance of being seen.
If most of your audience is on Instagram, start by creating an appealing image that would make users stop their scroll. But don’t just stop there. You should also write compelling captions that create more engagement.
Final thoughts
There is no denying that content marketing strategy works. It can help you reach more patients online, retain current patients, and even improve patient journeys. But for it to work, you need to have a well-defined and carefully thought out strategy. Otherwise, you’d be wasting a lot of time and effort creating content that won’t benefit your practice.
If you need help devising a content marketing strategy and plan or need some fresh ideas to include in your plan, we can help. Schedule a free consultation with us, and we’ll help you generate more traffic and leads for your healthcare practice with content marketing.
