Is content marketing causing you to lose your mind?
Well, if you’re doing it right, probably! Don’t get us wrong. We aren’t advocating for voluntary insanity here. But consistently posting helpful and captivating content presented in a unique and diverse way isn’t easy.
Quality content doesn’t fall from the sky—you need to invest a great deal of time and effort to write effective content that connects with your target audience. And if you’re being honest, content creation probably takes much more of your time and energy than you initially anticipated.
When you think about making content for your hospital, what’s the goal? Educating prospective patients? Getting backlinks? Establishing trust and authority? These are all important, but one goal of content marketing rises above the rest: lead generation.
The Intersection of Hospital Content and Lead Generation
The main reason you create content is to find more leads. Yes, you also pursue content marketing to build trust, establish authority, and get more backlinks. But ultimately, those outcomes are also aimed at boosting your lead generation efforts.
There’s no denying the connection between content and lead generation. As many as 92% of marketers believe content marketing is effective.1 Another 67% say they’ve generated leads directly from content marketing efforts.2
But not all content is created equal. You likely have content on your hospital website that has performed very well. And you probably have some that didn’t yield the results you were expecting. After experiencing both outcomes, taking a step back to evaluate your content with a lead-generation mindset is an excellent exercise.
So take a look at the different types of content you’ve created in the past and evaluate how they’ve connected with your audience. What kind of content generates the most leads for your particular hospital? Which type of content does your target market respond to?
There are several different mediums to choose from when creating lead-generating content. Regardless of whether you’re putting together written articles or an immersive video, your content should be approachable, well-arranged, and actively ask patients for what you want.
1. Connect with Prospective Patients
How do you speak to your hospital’s prospective patients via content marketing? With the authority of a physician, the care of a nurse, or the familiarity of a trusted friend? Whenever possible, use the latter voice!
Your patients want content to meet them where they are. The last thing they need, especially when they’re unwell, is to be talked down to or made to feel less than. Unfortunately, this approach is all too common in hospital marketing. Content is often a little too clinical, mired in industry speak, and sometimes lacks the compassion or empathy so many prospective patients need.
To combat this problem, many hospitals successfully use social media to talk directly to their current and prospective patients. Social media platforms are an excellent forum to break down the most common barriers in health care. And, they support engaging your audience with helpful, purposeful discussion.
In terms of social media, focus on creating plenty of video content. The visual medium connects with your hospital leads and provides the information they need to convert into new patients. Videos, especially short-form, are the most popular medium across all age groups and demographics. And they’re one of the most impactful ways consumers educate themselves!3
2. Lay Out Your Content Beautifully
How you display your hospital digital content has a major impact on the way users engage. Do you haphazardly post articles or videos without paying attention to the small details? If so, take a step back to analyze how your digital assets are arranged.
You’ve heard the saying, “What you see is what you get.” The same goes for your content marketing. If your website and other content channels are messy and full of low-quality images and videos, the perception of your hospital will inevitably diminish. This type of content hurts, rather than helps, your lead generation strategy.
On the other hand, when prospective patients are met with a site full of attractive visuals displayed in a clean and orderly fashion, they see your content as a positive reflection of your hospital. We tend to think of and speak about content marketing as supporting your hospital SEO strategy. But the way you present and share your content has an impact on the perception of your hospital’s brand.
3. Actively Request Action
One of the biggest mistakes hospital marketers make is failing to ask for action. You spend so much time creating the perfect piece of content, hoping the results of your hard work will attract new patients. So don’t neglect giving them the chance to actually become one!
Your audience is savvy. But if you don’t directly ask users to fill out a contact form, call you, or make an online appointment, they won’t. These crucial calls to action are the lifeblood of lead generation and are a must-have in every piece of content you publish.
Ready to improve your hospital content marketing plan to generate more leads? Dreamscape Marketing can help. Schedule a strategy session with us by calling 888.307.7304.
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