Category Archives: Healthcare Marketing

INBOUND and Pharma: Who has the power?

Last week, as INBOUND 2013 was getting ready to start, I pondered the question…  Is the pharmaceutical industry ready for inbound marketing? My answer then was yes; my answer now is absolutely.

INBOUND 2013 was an awesome week of networking, new ideas and exploring different perspectives. It was enabling and motivating. I came back with a few takeaways to share with the pharma industry.

INBOUND Takeaway: The Audience is the Hero

Communications expert Nancy Duarte, told us the audience is the hero in the stories we tell, not the speaker. The audience holds the power, not the speaker. She went on to tell us that successful presenters and communicators will keep this dynamic in mind when sharing information. If the audience rejects your information, you communication fails.

This got me to thinking about the health consumer. They are the heroes; they hold the power, not the pharmaceutical industry. They want non-biased information they can use to make personal health decisions, they want to be educated and supported. Health consumers are driving the engagement; successful pharma companies will listen and respond with content that provides value.

I see a wonderful opportunity for pharma to go inbound. What do you think, should pharma be engaging with the health consumer?

Inbound marketing, does it have a place in the pharmaceutical industry?

As I travel to Boston for INBOUND 2103 I can’t help but ask myself, is my industry – the pharmaceutical industry – ready for inbound marketing? I believe, without a doubt, that it is ready. Unfortunately concerns around patient privacy have made pharma a cautious business. Personally I can’t think of an industry more in need of inbound marketing and I see the empowered patient as the catalyst.

The patients and health consumers of today are educated, savvy individuals that seek out information to better manage their own health. They want to know about preventative care, they want to understand their different treatment options, they want be an active participant in their own care – and they should be. They are after all, intimately involved in this process we call healthcare.

For more on the topic:  CROWDPulse: Searching for health information online 

I see some raised hands… What exactly is inbound marketing? Good question and one we should answer before this discussion goes any further. According to HubSpot, the undisputed authority on all things inbound, it’s the best way to turn strangers into customers. 

In a nutshell, inbound marketing uses quality content to draw people into your company or business. Share information that’s valuable to your customers and they’ll come to you. Who doesn’t want that? Also seems like a good fit for the pharma industry – patients that want information and companies that have a wealth of knowledge and resources to share.

INBOUND 2013 kicks off tomorrow and while I understand the HIPAA and FDA constraints placed on the pharma industry I’m excited to apply some new thinking to engaging and connecting with the health consumer. Stay tuned, there’s more to come on pharma and inbound marketing efforts.

Are you a pharmaceutical marketer attending INBOUND 2013? Drop me a message via the awesome INBOUND app and let’s connect.

10 Digital Marketing ‘Pearls’ for Pharma

A week ago I was at Interactive Day San Diego (IDSD) exploring all things digital marketing. Excellent way to spend a day… interesting content, dynamic and motivating speakers interspersed with some enjoyable networking opportunities.

During the closing networking session everyone was talking about what they found most inspiring. Several people asked, who was my favorite speaker? The one that really got me thinking and making notes about different things I wanted to incorporate at InCrowd? My answer was easy, Rand Fishkin from Moz. His talk, The Nudge is Mightier than the Sword, was spot on target and worth the time to review.

In my post prior to the conference, I noted that coming from the pharmaceutical industry everything discussed at IDSD would not be an exact fit. That was true, but there were definitely digital marketing ‘pearls’ we can put to good use in the pharma space. Here’s my list of learnings from the conference and it’s a pretty good bet you’ll find a few of these pearls in use at InCrowd.

10 Digital Marketing Pearls We Can Use in the Pharma Space

  • “Focus groups suck, everyday is a focus group.” We agree! Talk to your customers in real time.
    • John Durham from Catalyst S+F made this comment during the morning keynotes; was the best quote of the day.
  • Fill the information void.
    • If you’re not talking and communicating with your customers, they’ll fill the information void on their own – often with incorrect information. Be part of the conversation
  • Multiple, shorter, requests for action work better than one long request.
    • People need to digest information. Giving them short ‘informational snacks’ results in improved message uptake.
  • Content is currency.
    • Information has value, share relevant and interesting content with your customers. Engage and discuss, just be sure the information isn’t all about you.
  • Focus on the user experience.
    • How a customer feels about your brand has little to do with what you tell them and almost everything to do with their experience using your product. Think like Apple, it IS about the user experience.
  • To differentiate your brand, tell a story.
    • Set the stage; help your customers relate to why they need your product or service vs. simply highlighting features and benefits.
  • Limit choices; don’t fall into the paradox of choice.
    • Too many choices create a state of indecision; make it clean, clear and easy for your customer to make a choice about your product.
  • Conversational tone is important.
    • Write and communicate as if you’re having a conversation with a friend. Truly engage; don’t talk at them, talk with them.
  • Marketing is all about the nudge.
    • Convert with information, data, content sharing.
  • Mobile is a must.
    • People today are born mobile. Daily they make purchases and search for information on their mobile devices. Can you interact with your customers via mobile?

This post originally appeared on CROWDTalk.