Inbound Marketing focuses on attracting the right audience
Traditionally, marketing efforts have been focused on reaching out to the masses, hoping that out of the hundreds or thousands of healthcare professionals who hear your message, a few of them might become customers. Recently, however, that has changed. Inbound Marketing places focus on creating engaging, valuable content that attracts people who need what you are selling. Medical device professionals can benefit from Inbound Marketing by following these three steps to get started.
Step 1: Set up Social Media Pages for your medical device
Studies have shown that 72% of all internet users are on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. Chances are that medical professionals such as hospital administrators and physicians are on these sites as well. Take advantage of this by ensuring that your company has pages on these networking sites.
Facebook is useful for sharing articles, videos, and important messages regarding your medical devices. Use your company’s Facebook page for generating discussions related to your products. Develop a community with your customers, and in turn they will spread the word about your business!
With a 140-character limit, Twitter is designed for quick, short messages. Use Twitter to share important links, and to make announcements about your product. For a quick and easy way to build a following and generate interest, try hosting a Question and Answer session with your followers over Twitter, encouraging people to ask questions about your medical device.
All medical device companies and its employees should have a LinkedIn account. LinkedIn was designed specifically for business professionals. Display your credentials to potential customers who are searching for information about you, your company, and your medical devices. Like Facebook, LinkedIn allows users to post links and participate in discussions.
Step 2: Email Marketing
Emails provide a direct way for you to reach out to potential customers. There are many platforms available, such as MailChimp that allow you to manage an email list and send your messages out to large groups. To gain mailing lists, be sure to put the option for your audience to sign up in places that are easy to find, such as on your website and landing pages.
But don’t many people find mass-emails to be spam? Yes and no. Effective, inbound marketing-driven emails follow specific guidelines that will help you to keep your audience engaged and interested in continuing to receive and read your emails. First, be sure that your subscribers know what to expect in your emails. If someone signs up for emails about trends in cancer treatments, they are likely to click “unsubscribe” if they find their inbox full of emails about heart rate monitors. Second, do not let your emails go to waste. In each email you send out to your targeted audiences, include a call to action, such as a link to a free download or a special offer that encourages a purchase. Third, do not buy any lists. Build your own even if this takes longer.
Step 3: Blogging
In 2012, 92% of businesses who blogged on a regular basis saw an increase in leads and sales through their blog. A blog, the shortened form of “web log,” is an easy way to inform your potential customers about your medical devices. Blogging platforms such as WordPress and Blogspot offer simple interfaces that make it easy for anyone to get started.
Many companies have utilized their blog successfully just by answering questions. Consider the common questions you might receive when demonstrating your medical device to a potential buyer. What are concerns and questions that physicians and patients have? Blogs can also be written to introduce something new, or raise discussions about some aspect of the medical device industry. Blogging allows you to establish yourself as an authority in your field, leading to greater trust from your potential customers. Medial device companies are slow to create their own blogs. Medtronic is an exception. They had creates a blog, called The Loop especially created for patients with diabetes which is reflecting positively in their brand.
Following these three steps is an easy way to get started in Inbound Marketing, which in turn will get your company started on its way to generating valuable, lasting customers.
Photo: MikeBlogs