At first glance, inbound marketing may seem daunting, but in reality the concepts are very simple and direct ways to turn website visitors into paying customers. With so many options, however, it can become easy to be overwhelmed, and some companies may end up damaging their efforts. Here are some common mistakes medical device companies make in their inbound marketing strategies, and some tips to avoid them:
At first glance, inbound marketing may seem daunting, but in reality the concepts are very simple and direct ways to turn website visitors into paying customers. With so many options, however, it can become easy to be overwhelmed, and some companies may end up damaging their efforts. Here are some common mistakes medical device companies make in their inbound marketing strategies, and some tips to avoid them:
Being inconsistent with your content
Imagine you are a physician with a specific question about a medical device. You do an online search and find the blog or Facebook page of a business that might be able to answer your question…but the page has not been updated in almost a year. Convinced that no one will be around to help you, you move on to a different company.
Imagine the online presence of your business as a sort of virtual office or storefront. Businesses that neglect their social media pages will appear inactive, or ‘closed,’ driving valuable leads away. Avoid this easily by producing and sharing high quality content on a weekly basis. For blogging ideas, check out Hubspot’s blog title generator.
Ignoring or alienating your audience
Your blog readers, page followers, and brand advocates are your driving force online. They will push your message further than any paid promotion can, because these days personal testimonials are more valuable than expensive advertisements. Engage with your audience as often as possible. Best practices include answering emails and direct messages promptly, and responding to public posts whenever possible.
Not including Calls to Action (CTAs)
A blog or social media post without a call to action is a wasted opportunity. Calls to Action, or CTAs, are invitations for a visitor to take action and invest time and information toward your company, making the transition from visitor to business lead. Any time you connect with your followers is a chance to ask them to take action. Here are some examples of CTAs:
- Asking your potential customers to subscribe to a mailing list
- Offering a free ebook about your medical device in exchange for an email address
- Asking questions in your blog or social media post
- Encouraging users to “like” your pages in exchange for more information or discounts on your medical device
Failing to utilize Buyer Personas
A buyer persona is an imagined profile of someone who might be interested in purchasing your product. For medical device brand, three primary buyer personas will be hospital administrators in charge of making purchases, physicians who influence the purchases made by a hospital or clinic, and medical patients who will use or receive treatment using your device.
Thinking about and understanding your buyer personas will allow you to target your inbound marketing efforts more effectively, increasing your chance of converting leads. Medical device marketers that ignore the use of buyer personas will find that they are having a much harder time reaching their targeted market.
Avoiding common Inbound Marketing mistakes is easy!
Inbound marketing has given great success to companies that follow a carefully considered strategy. Avoiding these common inbound marketing mistakes will help to keep your medical device brand on track to converting more leads and generating long-term relationships with doctors, patients and administrators!
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