Posts by Tatum Hindman

It’s that time of the year again. Kids are heading back to school, and COOs and CMOs at hospitals and health systems across the country are making plans for 2024 that not only sustain but fuel patient growth. Central to the success of all those projection work is the creation of a strategic healthcare marketing budget.

After a year of financial ups and downs in 2023, thinking about your healthcare marketing needs in 2024 may seem especially daunting, especially if you know that marketing funds will be squeezed. The good news is you’re not alone. Just about everyone is having to do more with less in this post-COVID era.

On top of all that, old solutions won’t cut it. What works (and what doesn’t) continues to evolve rapidly. Plus, there are more ways than ever to reach your target audiences, staffing continues to pose a very real challenge, and new technologies (like AI tools for marketing) are changing the way the game is played.

The healthcare sector has a unique set of challenges when it comes to marketing. Establishing trust, differentiating your services, and staying top of mind are goals most healthcare organizations have. Successful organizations that employ carefully planned marketing initiatives realize valuable healthcare marketing benefits.

Healthcare marketing plays a crucial role in today’s competitive healthcare landscape. According to recent trends, 82.8% of patients use search engines to find a healthcare provider, 94% of people use the Internet to seek out information about medical conditions, and 79% of people use social media to answer specific personal health-related questions.

As chief marketing officer (CMO) of your healthcare organization, you’re the creative healthcare marketing expert that facilitates growth, sets measurable KPIs, and drives profits through strategic marketing plans. That’s a significant workload to oversee and execute, even for the most capable executive, without a team of professionals to help you. Most CMOs will benefit from partnering with a skilled healthcare marketing group that has the experience and techniques to help them become a marketing success.

Retaining and attracting new patients to your healthcare organization isn’t easy, but understanding the distinct differences between group practices and private practices in healthcare marketing can be a game-changer (and help you stand out from the competition) when it comes time to put together a winning strategy.

When done right, marketing customization can provide significant results, such as enhanced engagement, improved conversion rates, higher return on investment, competitive advantage, and stronger data-driven decision-making.

Are your campaigns and advertising efforts going nowhere fast? You may need the help of a healthcare marketing expert if:

You’ve been struggling to come up with new, innovative ideas that actually work,

You’ve been throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks (e.g., you don’t have a real strategy), and

You’re spending tons of time and energy for little or no return on investment for your healthcare marketing dollars.

If you can relate to any of the statements above, you’ve come to the right place. This article will help you understand when to hire a pro and what to look for in a new partner.