It’s probably no surprise that COVID-19 took medical device marketers for a tailspin, causing them to churn out more content than ever before. These marketing endeavors have provided info on COVID testing sites, pandemic-related news, health and safety tips, and more. It may have cost a pretty penny ($9.3 billion for the US alone in 2020, according to eMarketer), but it’s all been for the greater good.
If you want to provide the best patient care solutions this upcoming year, your medical device marketing must stay relevant. For that reason, we’ve compiled some of the most significant ways medtech marketing and the medical device industry are changing as we approach 2021. Let’s examine these changes in-depth so that you can start the new year off right.
1. Greater Emphasis On Human Connection
Going into 2021, it’s crucial that medical marketers incorporate that human touch. Think about it: we’re all still socially isolated, and many of us feel more like health statistics rather than people. That’s why you should adopt that “bedside manner” with your customers—that’s right, even through digital advertising. If that sounds a bit corny to you, think of it this way: it’s a way to boost social engagement and personify your brand, which is effective marketing, even sans-pandemic.
If finding that emotional touch sounds challenging, don’t worry—as you’ll see in our examples below, you’re welcome to start small and build your way up. Try partnering with a skilled copywriter or blogger for the best results on one of the following:
- Create regular blog posts. COVID-19-related Q&A blogs, anyone? And, on the chance that we finally find a vaccine (knock on wood), medical professionals can provide quotes for the best ways to navigate the pandemic’s aftermath. We suggest blogging at least once or twice a week for the best results.
- Regular e-newsletters. You can space these out a little more than your blog posts—try weekly or even monthly to start. Again, you can go for COVID (or post-COVID) Q&A content and respond to customer concerns going into 2021. And as long as you have patient consent, you can even share case studies and discuss what your business learned from those customers’ experiences. Finally, if major regulations have changed within your industry, an e-newsletter is a great way to inform your audience and share tips for staying safe.
2. Huge Spikes in Social Media Marketing
Again, with the pandemic, many of us are stuck at home refreshing social media, even as 2020 comes to a close. If you want to participate in the global conversation come 2021, we suggest refining your social media presence, stat. With 3.8 billion total users globally, and the fact that we’re grappling with a global pandemic, doing so ensures that those vital medical updates get the broad reach they require.
What are some tangible ways to share the latest and greatest medical news globally through social media? Try one of the following to start:
- Post short product videos on Instagram or YouTube. There’s plenty of potential for fascinating visual content in the medical device industry. Why not experiment with the short video format and perform a quick product demo? Or dive into the history of said product? You could even interview a higher-up at your company or a practicing medical professional and offer your audience some key insights. The possibilities are endless.
- Jump on the TikTok bandwagon. Medical marketing isn’t just for reaching an older demographic; you need to connect with millennials and Gen Z, too. Boost awareness with in-feed TikTok ads, brand takeovers, or by pursuing the latest viral video or hashtag challenge. Bonus points if you can get users to reshare posts or even generate their own content.
3. Higher Investment in Infographics
Infographics are 30 times more likely to be read than your standard article. That’s a pretty huge deal when it comes to relaying vital medical information, and one of the reasons marketers are increasing their infographic content in 2021. Eye-catching visuals paired with bite-sized written content go a long way towards boosting user engagement, after all.
Looking for some straightforward ways to start crafting infographics? Look no further:
- Focus on the visuals. You know, put the “graphic” in “infographic.” Examples include an aesthetically-pleasing color scheme and one-of-a-kind images. When you do need to use text, maintain a consistent, straightforward, and compelling brand voice.
- Add inbound links so that customers can dive deeper. Your infographic content serves as a sample platter for product demos, FAQs, and so on. Should your customer want to learn more, feature some inbound links to relevant pages on your site. You’ll have them going down the medtech rabbit hole soon enough.
- Don’t forget about SEO. That’s right, search engine optimization (i.e., choosing all the right keywords to trigger a search engine’s response) works on infographics, too. For best results, incorporate popular COVID-related search terms for 2020 and the latest and greatest keywords for 2021. Of course, you’ll first have to research just what those popular search terms are, but with the right SEO keyword tools, that tends to be a relatively straightforward process.
Revamp Your Medical Marketing with Snap Agency
2020 really drove home the point that medical marketing matters. That isn’t going to change come 2021, so go on, get a headstart on the new year and develop that successful digital ad strategy today. With the right bloggers, graphic designers, and social media-savvy individuals on hand, doing so will be a breeze. Contact us today to start perfecting your medical marketing—and drive better ROI for 2021 and beyond.