Healthcare marketing skills your marketing agency should have

The best agencies have the necessary healthcare marketing skills to help you build awareness and trust. They also know how to create outreach campaigns promoting your services, treatments, and providers in ways that attract new patients (and retain and delight your existing ones).

An effective healthcare marketing strategy empowers individuals to make well-informed decisions about their health while fostering a strong, positive relationship between healthcare providers and those they serve. The most talented healthcare marketing experts do this in unconventional and highly-surprising ways.

Unfortunately, most healthcare companies don’t have a strong marketing strategy in place. Only 66% of companies consider their content marketing efforts as effective, and 28% don’t have a clear content marketing strategy at all.

Partnering with an experienced healthcare marketing specialist can be a game-changer for healthcare organizations wanting to get results.

With so many healthcare marketing firms out there, how do you know which ones have the healthcare marketing skills needed to do the job?

In this article, we will cover healthcare marketing skills, why it’s so important to partner with an experienced healthcare marketing group, and the essential healthcare marketing skills you should seek in your next healthcare marketing agency partner.

What are “healthcare marketing skills”?

Healthcare marketing skills encompass a blend of medical knowledge, communications finesse, digital experience, regulatory awareness, and ethical responsibility—all while speaking to the target audience in a way that builds understanding and trust.

Healthcare marketing skills provide the foundation for enhanced customer engagement, growth, and success.

Why is having strong healthcare marketing skills so important?

When a healthcare marketing agency has an arsenal of sharpened skills, it can benefit your healthcare organization in many ways, including:

• Clear direction
• Focused efforts and strategy
• Competitive advantage
• Increased patient satisfaction

Clear direction

Strong healthcare marketing skills provide clarity to your team, helping them to align their efforts and work toward a common purpose.

Focused efforts and strategy

Experienced agencies have teams with healthcare marketing skills necessary to do the job (and do it well). Their experts know how to identify audiences and segments, enabling marketers to create tailored messages and campaigns that resonate with specific customer groups.

Competitive advantage

Healthcare marketing skills help organizations understand competitors and market trends. This allows healthcare organizations to position themselves effectively and differentiate their offerings from competitors.

Increased patient satisfaction

Agencies with effective healthcare marketing skills know how to talk to their audience, making patients feel heard, engaged, and understood. As such, this contributes to their overall satisfaction with their healthcare experience.

7 essential healthcare marketing skills

Healthcare is a specialized industry, so marketers need specific skills to build successful promotions. As you are looking for an agency to partner with, keep the following healthcare marketing skills in mind.

Creativity is an essential healthcare marketing skill because it breathes life and uniqueness into campaigns. With creative marketing campaigns, you can capture your audience’s attention and create deeper connections.

In a world where consumers are bombarded with information, creative approaches spark curiosity, evoke emotion, and drive engagement, making messages more compelling and relatable.

Take OrthoIndy’s “This is Your Way Back” campaign, which won the Indianapolis chapter of the American Advertising Federation’s prestigious Judge’s Choice award. This creative effort helped OrthoIndy attract new patients and increase conversions in their marketing efforts.

A healthcare marketing agency’s attention to detail is paramount, ensuring seamless execution of campaigns and projects. Every element, from messaging to design, must align perfectly to convey your intended message.

Attention to detail includes:

• communicating clearly and often with your organization,
• hitting budget goals,
• meeting deadlines,
• helping with planning, and
• providing suggestions for marketing plan adjustment as needed.

In a competitive marketplace, attention to detail skill demonstrates professionalism and commitment to excellence.

Data analytics skills are pivotal for healthcare marketers. Through data analysis, marketers can interpret the results of your marketing efforts. It allows them to understand customer behavior, preferences, and trends—and tailor campaigns in real-time.

A healthcare marketing agency with solid marketing skills ensures you get a return on your marketing investment. They transform raw data into actionable intelligence, identifying what is working and what needs adjustment.

Healthcare regulations—like patient privacy laws (HIPPA), advertising restrictions, and compliance standards—are complicated. That’s why it’s so crucial that the healthcare marketing agency you choose understands the ins and outs of this regulatory world.

While healthcare organizations still need to make decisions with the help of a legal team, an experienced agency can point out potential pitfalls to reduce risks.

Great stories grab attention, pull at the heartstrings, and cut through the noise. They help you connect with your audience on a deeper level. Stories go beyond simply conveying the facts and figures. They help create an emotional bond that engages the imagination and leaves a lasting impression.

An effective healthcare marketing agency can transform mundane messages into something that resonates with people’s values, aspirations, and experiences. It is about crafting a narrative people want to be part of.

Storytelling isn’t just a skill. It’s the magic that turns a brand into an experience your audience can’t forget.

Having strong interpersonal communication skills is a must-have for any healthcare marketing agency. Being able to connect, collaborate, and understand your organization’s needs (as well as your target audience’s needs) is vital.

Clear and effective communication builds trust and ensures everyone is on the same page. It includes active listening, empathy, tailoring messaging to different stakeholders, and addressing concerns timely.

When all parties are communicating well, it leads to:

• successful healthcare sales and marketing efforts
• satisfied customers, and
• a positive reputation in your community.

Are you looking for a new healthcare marketing agency?

If your team can’t quite reach its marketing goals, it might be time to work with an agency with healthcare experience.

At TBH Creative, we specialize in strategic marketing services for hospitals and healthcare organizations that take their efforts to the next level. We have nearly 20 years of experience in the industry. Client confidence and satisfaction are the foundation of our business.

TBH Creative has the healthcare marketing skills you need in a partner

We know the healthcare marketing landscape. We know what works and what doesn’t. That’s why we always work hard to learn about our clients’ needs. This understanding helps us bring fresh ideas to the table—every time.

If you’re ready to take the first step with an experienced agency by your side, contact us and let’s talk.