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Healthcare Marketing Budgets 2016: 5 Must-Watch Digital Trends

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Healthcare Marketing Budgets 2016: 5 Must-Watch Digital TrendsAs healthcare marketers plan for 2016, what should they be concentrating their digital budget on? Which tactics deserve additional spend?

Broadly, the impact of non-traditional channels is projected to increase across the board in 2016. Goldman Sachs recently released a report—“The Digital Revolution Comes to U.S. Healthcare”—whose title succinctly captures the high expectations for these platforms in the near future.

For healthcare marketers, this transformational change is exciting and also daunting. In particular, it presents a growing challenge: digital is rapidly changing every aspect of healthcare, not just the marketing elements.

Some 80% of U.S. consumers say they already use digital platforms to interact with healthcare organizations, and that number is expected to grow in 2016. This means digital experiences—websites, email, social media, apps, etc.—are increasingly serving double-duty as both brand-building outlets and utilitarian tools.

In other words, marketers can no longer view digital platforms as solely promotional; they’re now a core part of each organization’s offerings.

In this e-book, we’re focusing on a set of digital tactics that are expected to both grow rapidly in 2016 and which will increasingly impact the entire user experience. These five areas aren’t comprehensive by any means, but we believe that if you invest additional time and budget in each of them, you’ll be well positioned for the year ahead—and beyond.

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Section 1Invest in informative content: Welcome to “DIY” healthcare

Section 2Build tools and experiences: Consumers expect utility

Section 3Do a device audit: Who is doing what on which platforms?

Section 4Democratize social media: Expertise should be shared

Section 5Get your data in order: Be prepared for the next decade

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Table of Contents

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Digital is becoming a primary source of healthcare services and information, not a supplementary one

71% of American adults search for health information online

1. Invest in informative content: Welcome to “DIY” healthcare As consumers increasingly adopt new platforms, and become comfortable with them, a major shift is occurring: digital is emerging as a primary source for healthcare services and information, not a supplementary one.

A recent PwC report christened this “DIY healthcare” and declared it to be the biggest current trend in the space. In part, this has to do with the use of devices such as Apple Watches and Fitbits to monitor health, but more broadly, it concerns the increasing use of content to self-diagnose and treat.

Searching online for information is the top digital healthcare-related activity consumers engage in, with 71% of American adults saying they do so. Moreover, 40% of people say they take action on their own with the information they find.

This trend is especially pronounced with Millennials: 79% of adults ages 18–34 think the digital world has made it easier to manage their health and 74% say they create their own customized health plans.

Consumers increasingly expect informational content from healthcare brands. This means to engage and build connections with your audiences, it’s essential to present pieces that are in-depth, high-quality, and—most importantly—useful.

Section 1

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It’s essential to invest in developing digital products in 2016, not just content and ads

50% of American adults say they’ve used online platforms like ZocDoc and Healthgrades to research providers and schedule visits

2. Build tools and experiences: Customers expect utilityIf you want to understand how consumer expectations are shifting in the digital realm, look no further than Starbucks. A decade ago the company was a chain of coffee shops where all interactions were in-person. Now it’s possible to use a unified mobile app to find a store, order ahead of time, pay, get a receipt, earn/redeem rewards, and even send a gift card.

Healthcare is headed in a similar direction. For example, CVS Health recently released a suite of digital tools that allows consumers to take a photo of a prescription and send it to the pharmacy, scan insurance cards with a mobile phone, and set reminders for refills through digital calendar integrations.

Companies like CVS are developing these tools because consumers increasingly expect them. Some 50% of American adults say they have used online platforms like ZocDoc and Healthgrades to research providers/schedule visits, and 17% say they use digital apps to track their health.

For healthcare organizations, it’s essential to invest in developing digital products in 2016, not just content and ads. Interactive tools and experiences can be a challenge—they’re often time- and resource-intensive to create—but they can have a huge payoff if executed properly.

Section 2

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3. Do a device audit: Who is doing what on which platforms?Here’s something you probably already know: mobile devices are transforming digital and it’s no longer safe to assume that every customer is using a desktop/laptop computer to access your offerings.

Some 68% of American adults now have a smartphone—almost as many as have a computer (73%)—and 45% own a tablet.

However, while the increased use of smaller devices is clear, the rise of mobile doesn’t mean that everyone is using a smartphone or tablet for everything (yet). Instead, the shift is complicated, with behavior varying from group to group and even person to person.

For example, Baby Boomers are the age group most likely to use tablets to access information, Gen Xers are the biggest computer users, and Millennials are (not surprisingly) the top smartphone users.

Even among mobile-savvy Millennials, the use of devices is nuanced; 50% use smartphones to research products/services, but most continue to purchase via a computer.

All of this means that before you rework your digital strategy to be mobile-first, take a step back and do a device audit.

By looking at your analytics, and perhaps doing some research/testing, you can find out how your particular audiences are using smartphones, tablets, and computers with different parts of your offerings. Once you understand which device is used when, you can optimize your experiences appropriately.

Section 3

The shift to mobile is complicated, with behavior varying from group to group and even person to person

68% of American adults now have a smartphone—almost as many as have a computer

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4. Democratize social media: Expertise should be shared

Section 4

For many healthcare organizations, social media is viewed as having both great promise and great risks.

Sure, there are the benefits of deeper engagement with consumers, but there are also serious concerns about saying/doing the wrong thing—especially in this heavily regulated and litigious field. That’s why posting has generally been handled by a small number of people and not incorporated into most employees’ responsibilities.

It’s time to move past that and democratize the use of social media within your organization. Why? Because consumers are desperate for information/advice related to their health, and you already have the expertise in-house that they seek.

Recently, a number of forward-thinking healthcare organizations have taken the plunge and opened up their social accounts to more of their experts. For example, the Cleveland Clinic has launched Twitter chats with cardiologists and the Auburn Medical Group hosts daily “Ask-a-Doctor” streams on Periscope.

Making social media accessible to more members of your organization is scary, but doing so can result in much stronger connections with consumers. Also, you don’t have to send your employees out into the digital wilderness unprepared. A few hours of basic social media etiquette training, including examples of what does and doesn’t work, is usually effective for most people.

For those staff members who will be featured regularly, or who may increasingly handle social accounts, there are now in-depth classes for healthcare professionals, such as a new partnership program between HubSpot and the Mayo Clinic.

Opening up social media to more members of your organization is scary, but doing so can result in much stronger connections with consumers

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5. Get your data in order: Be prepared for the next decade

Section 5

The potential for data is vast. However, it is only valuable if it can be used

58% of marketers say they already struggle with the quality of their current data

Finally, a piece of advice that’s essential for succeeding in two years, five years, and even 10: get your data in order.

Healthcare organizations are already drowning in data, and more is set to come flooding in. As consumers increasingly use digital tools, including personal health monitors and apps, the amount of data available will be almost unfathomable.

How big is Big Data? Really, really, really big. Global traffic over digital networks has increased fivefold over the past five years, and is projected to increase threefold over the next five years. Overall, it is expected to grow at an annual rate of 23% through 2019.

The potential for this data is vast; healthcare organizations will have the ability to provide superior services using it (such as condition diagnosis/prevention), and it will also enable whole new areas of marketing targeting and automation. However, the data is only valuable if it can be used.

Some 58% of marketers say they already struggle with the quality of their current data, and that number is sure to rise as more sources are incorporated. Given that, we suggest using 2016 as a time to ensure that your organization is prepared to organize, store, cleanse, access, analyze, and act upon Big Data.

Also ensure that your data is secure—especially certain types of health information. More than two-thirds of consumers say security is more important than convenience when it comes to results of medical tests, doctors’ notes, and prescriptions. In contrast, 68% prefer convenience to extra security when it comes to things like diet and exercise results.

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The year ahead promises to be an exciting one for healthcare marketers.While the digital areas covered in this e-book—content, experiences, mobile, social media, and Big Data—may seem daunting, they also have the potential to have a significant positive impact on your business. By smartly and consistently investing in each, you’ll open up fresh opportunities to reach and engage with consumers.

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Sources: https://rockhealth.com/research/

http://www.scbio.org/resources/Documents/Internet%20of%20Things%20-%20Volume%205%20-%20The%20Digital%20Revolution%20

comes%20to%20US%20HC%20-%20Jun%2029,%202015%5B1%5D.pdf

http://mobihealthnews.com/39747/pwc-predicts-diy-healthcare-will-be-the-top-trend-of-2015/

https://cassandra.co/

http://www.pwc.com/us/en/health-industries/top-health-industry-issues.html

http://hitconsultant.net/2015/11/18/cvs-health-unveils-new-digital-health-pharmacy-tools/

http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/29/technology-device-ownership-2015/

http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/life-sciences-health-care/us-lhsc-mhealth-in-an-mworld-103014.pdf

http://www.slideshare.net/NuanceInc/how-millennials-shop-for-healthcare-in-a-digital-world?utm_source=millennial-patient-press-

release

http://mdigitallife.com/how-three-innovative-physicians-use-periscope/

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/health_systems_and_services/the_big-data_revolution_in_us_health_care

http://ascend2.com/home/latest-report/

http://hitconsultant.net/2015/08/17/report-consumers-are-willing-to-share-health-data-for-insurance-discounts/

http://www.pwc.com/us/en/health-industries/top-health-industry-issues/privacy.html

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/visual-networking-index-vni/VNI_Hyperconnectivity_WP.html

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