You’ve seen it before. A yellowed sign reminiscent of an old business card plunked like a gravestone outside a modest house or small office building. Maybe there’s a minimalistic representation of a sun or tree beside the name. But these generic images meant to attract visitors spark no emotion in you. It used to be that all of a company’s marketing efforts went into signage, billboards, and maybe radio or–if they have big money–television. But things have drastically changed, especially in the last few years with the rise of telehealth and the convenience of online scheduling systems.
Ask yourself honestly: Will you attend a healthcare facility based on the signage or will you Google one in your area and make your decision based on the digital elements presented? What do you think your patients will do?
Like the dull signage representative of complacent marketing, healthcare businesses without thoughtful branding exist in a bygone era. When a problem arises, patients turn to Google for fast solutions. If your branding isn’t instantly recognizable, welcoming, or inviting, it’s time for a healthcare branding makeover.
Why Is Healthcare Branding So Important?
Branding is essential to the success of any business, but we would argue it’s even more important in healthcare.
Generally speaking, the purpose of branding is to:
- Help clients instantly recognize your business
- Establish your expertise and authority
- Speak to the emotional needs of your target audience
- Build trust
- Attract new leads
You’ve probably already noticed why these elements are especially important to healthcare branding: because patients must trust their healthcare professionals more than any other profession.
Often in healthcare, patients come in anxious, expecting the worst, yet hoping for the best. They want to know they and their loved ones will be cared for, heard, and respected.
Branding is the first impression. Do you want to feed their fear with cold, fluorescent branding, or alleviate their anxiety with a hopeful, gentle style? That’s the power of healthcare branding.
What Does Premier Healthcare Branding Look Like?
The logos of healthcare brands, like Walgreens’ mortar and pestle or the red feathery logo of Cardinal Health (emphasis on the cardinal), speak to an image’s ability to spring a brand’s services to mind.
But healthcare branding is so much more than just a logo.
Excellent healthcare branding has these features:
- Consistency across all channels
- A clear mission
- A distinct look and feel that speaks to its target audience
- Professional design and messaging elements
Let’s use UnitedHealthcare as a case study. Their logo is both a U for “united” and a series of shields, signifying the protection they offer their patients. If you look deeper at their online content, you can see how the words they’ve chosen emphasize their mission: to help protect families.
Protection. Family. Help. Unity. These are the tenets of this brand and it’s evident everywhere they connect with their target audience. Just check out their Twitter or even their Instagram.
How to Implement the Perfect Branding for Your Healthcare Practice
Not sure where to start? We’ve got you.
Excellent healthcare branding starts with your mission. Your mission will serve as the foundation for all of your branding. Your mission will help guide you and your employees to follow your values.
So, ask yourself: what values are most important to your business? Community? Integrity? Innovation?
Next, establish yourself as an authority. Are you a local leader? Are you the unequivocal expert in your field? Does your office have cutting-edge technology? Are your nurses the most caring in the business? Find what you do best, what sets you apart, and incorporate it into your mission.
Armed with your mission, you can now approach a healthcare marketing agency or healthcare web development team to assist you in the design and development of your logo, website, newsletters, paid advertising, and social media profiles.
The goal is to ensure that every single way you connect with your audience aligns with your values, and that is shown by keeping it consistent across all platforms.
Unsure How to Build a Brand? Looking for an Update? We’re Happy to Help
At Snap Agency, we understand the challenges of marketing a healthcare business and developing a brand that helps you stand out. We also understand the unique needs of your patients. A professional, trustworthy appearance combined with informed, strategic messages will bring in more leads and help your business grow. If you’re unsure how to get started on building a brand–or updating your brand mission–for the right audience, our team has the experience and resources necessary to get things moving on your behalf.