Category: Content Development & Strategy

With vast amounts of information pouring in from electronic health records, wearable devices, and genetic testing, healthcare organizations are swimming in data. However, raw numbers and statistics alone mean little until they are transformed into compelling stories.

Data storytelling allows healthcare marketers to take complex data and craft narratives that resonate with their audiences. By combining insights from data with powerful storytelling techniques, healthcare organizations can help diverse stakeholders better understand the human impact behind the numbers. Effective data storytelling fosters deeper comprehension of critical healthcare issues and inspires actions that ultimately improve patient care.

What is Data-Driven Storytelling, and Why Is it Important?

Data-driven storytelling is the practice of using data and analytics to create compelling narratives that help communicate insights, trends, and findings in a way that resonates with the audience. It combines the power of data visualization and storytelling techniques to transform complex datasets into engaging and easy-to-understand stories. This approach is increasingly being used in pharma content marketing to effectively communicate the benefits and value propositions of pharmaceutical products and services.

In the context of healthcare, effective data storytelling is crucial for fostering understanding among stakeholders. Healthcare data can be vast, complex, and often overwhelming. Storytelling with data helps break down intricate information into digestible pieces, making it easier for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and patients to grasp the significance of the data and its implications.

Furthermore, data storytelling empowers decision-makers to base their choices on evidence and insights derived from the data. By presenting data in a compelling and relatable manner, this approach contributes to evidence-based practice and quality improvement efforts in healthcare. It also enhances patient engagement by using storytelling with data examples to educate patients about their health conditions, treatment options, and the importance of adherence to care plans. Well-crafted narratives can help patients better understand their personal health data, leading to increased engagement and better patient outcomes.

Data storytelling plays a crucial role in healthcare analytics as well, helping communicate complex analytical findings to diverse audiences. It bridges the gap between raw data and actionable insights, facilitating data-driven decision-making across various healthcare domains. Additionally, data and storytelling can be powerful tools for advocating change in healthcare policies, practices, or resource allocation. By presenting compelling narratives backed by data, healthcare organizations can build a strong case for necessary changes and drive positive transformations.

Main Elements of Data-driven Storytelling

Data-driven storytelling revolves around three key elements: data, narrative, and visuals.

Data

The foundation of data storytelling is the data itself. This includes raw data from various sources, such as electronic medical records, clinical trials, patient surveys, wearable devices, and other healthcare data repositories. Effective data storytelling requires careful data collection, cleaning, and analysis to extract meaningful insights and patterns. What is the core message or insight you want to convey? What is the most compelling or surprising finding from the data? What problem are you trying to address or what opportunity are you highlighting? Who is your target audience?

Narrative

The narrative element is what transforms raw data into a compelling and relatable story. It involves crafting a coherent storyline that connects the data points and insights in a way that resonates with the target audience. A well-structured narrative should have a clear beginning, middle, and end, guiding the audience through the data while highlighting the key messages and implications. The narrative should also incorporate storytelling techniques, such as using analogies, metaphors, and emotional appeals, to make the data more accessible and memorable. Effective content operations strategies ensure data-driven narratives are consistently produced and distributed across channels.

Source: SAP

Visuals

While data and narrative are essential, visuals play a crucial role in making the two more engaging and easier to understand. Studies suggest that as much as 78% of students are visual learners. Data visualization techniques, such as charts, graphs, infographics, and interactive dashboards, can help simplify complex information and reveal patterns that may not be immediately apparent in raw data. Effective visuals should be clear, intuitive, and aligned with the narrative, enhancing the storytelling experience rather than distracting from it.

How to Craft a Compelling Narrative Using Data Stories in Healthcare Marketing

Effective data storytelling in healthcare marketing is not just about presenting data, it’s about crafting a compelling narrative that inspires action, fosters understanding, and ultimately contributes to better patient outcomes and healthier communities. Here’s a roadmap to crafting a compelling data story.

Know your audience

Tailor your narrative to resonate with your target audience. Consider their level of data literacy, background knowledge, and personal experiences. Creating a content map can help structure your narrative for the specific audience. Adapt your storytelling approach accordingly, using language and examples that will resonate with them. For instance, if you’re writing for policymakers, it’s best to concentrate on the big picture, like recommendations and implications of the data you’re presenting. And if you’re writing for researchers, you may be more specific and dive into details, like methods and limitations of your various data sets.

Identify the core message

It’s crucial to define the central message you want to communicate through your data story. This could be highlighting a successful treatment approach, demonstrating the impact of preventive care, or raising awareness about a particular health issue. Ensure that your core message is clear and aligns with your marketing objectives.

Build a captivating story

Like any good story, your data narrative should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Start by setting the context and introducing the problem or opportunity. Then, present your data-driven insights and evidence, building towards a climax or turning point. Finally, conclude with a compelling call to action or resolution.

Effective storytelling involves more than just presenting facts. Utilize techniques such as character development, conflict and resolution, emotional appeals, and descriptive language to captivate your audience and make your data story more memorable.

Connect your data story to tangible outcomes and real-world implications. Demonstrate how the insights derived from your data can improve patient care, enhance treatment efficacy, or drive positive changes in healthcare practices.

Select the right visuals

Visuals play a crucial role in bringing data stories to life and enhancing their impact in healthcare marketing campaigns. Here are some effective visuals you can consider incorporating into your data-driven narratives:

• Charts and graphs
• Infographics
• Heat maps
• Pictograms and icon arrays
• Annotated images and illustrations
• Video and animation

Where possible, incorporate interactive elements into your data story. This could include clickable visualizations, multimedia components, or opportunities for audience participation. Interactivity can enhance engagement and create a more immersive experience.

Revealing Insights and Deriving Value: Examples of Data Storytelling

We’ve talked a lot about how influential data storytelling can be and how to achieve a good narrative and visualization. But let’s show and discuss data storytelling examples.

UNODC

Source: UNODC

The alarming rise of synthetic drugs, such as opioids and methamphetamines, has escalated into a global health crisis, demanding immediate attention and action. Recognizing the urgent need for awareness, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has crafted an interactive page that captures the far-reaching impact of this issue across the globe.

This awareness campaign exemplifies effective data storytelling, seamlessly blending data visualization and compelling narratives. As you navigate through the interactive page, you are immediately drawn to a world map.

Scrolling down, information unfolds layer by layer, detailing the realities of substance abuse, linked to the countries it afflicts. As you delve deeper into the page, the world map becomes a tapestry of data points, each contributing to the overarching narrative — a sobering reminder that this crisis transcends borders and affects nations globally.

Spotify 

Spotify is known for its data storytelling. Just think of the Spotify Wrapped we get each year that turns our listening habits into dynamic visual and audio experiences. It’s similar for the artists, and Spotify’s 2022 Fan Study is a prime example of good data storytelling. This report provides musicians with relevant data insights into how listeners’ habits and engagements can influence their follower count and music streaming numbers. The main page seamlessly blends data visualizations, such as infographics and line charts, with concise explanations, offering a comprehensive understanding of the data trends.

One of the key components of a good data story is the ability to provide context and tell a compelling story with the data. Spotify for Artists achieves this by breaking down the report into subsections like engagement, merch, and release, each section offering data-driven insights and tips to help musicians grow their fanbase and reach a wider audience.

Successful data storytellers not only present the data but also evoke an emotional response by highlighting the human element behind the numbers. Spotify’s report achieves this by focusing on the personal connections between musicians and their listeners, emphasizing the importance of understanding and catering to their audience’s preferences.

Furthermore, the user experience is enhanced by creative visuals, such as animated text on scrolling, making the data presentations more engaging and memorable.

National Geographic

The National Geographic article, “Visualizing 500,000 Deaths from Covid-19 in the US,” is a poignant example of effective data storytelling. When dealing with large and abstract numbers, such as the staggering loss of human lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be challenging to comprehend the true magnitude of the data. This article masterfully addresses this challenge by employing data visualization techniques that make the data relatable and emotionally resonant.

In a good data story, it’s also important to provide context and frame the data in a way that resonates with the audience. In this case, National Geographic achieves this by comparing the 500,000 COVID-19 deaths in the US to familiar subjects and settings that people can easily visualize and relate to.

For instance, the article visualizes the loss by comparing it to all fast food cooks in the country. By anchoring the data in relatable contexts, the article enables readers to grasp the sheer scale of the loss in a way that raw numbers alone cannot convey.

Summing Up

By harnessing the power of compelling narratives, data visualizations, and emotional connections, pharmaceutical companies can effectively communicate complex healthcare insights, treatment effectiveness, and data trends to a wide range of stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the general public.

Effective data storytelling in the pharmaceutical industry goes beyond mere data presentation, it involves uncovering key insights, providing context, and weaving a cohesive narrative that resonates with the audience. This approach not only enhances understanding but also fosters trust and credibility, essential components in an industry where lives are at stake.

As data scientists, pharmaceutical companies must master the art of data visualization, utilizing tools such as infographics, line charts, and interactive dashboards to bring their data to life. By presenting complex data in a visually compelling and easily digestible manner, they can communicate intricate concepts, highlight patterns, and show key ways to drive informed decision-making.

Looking ahead, the role of data storytelling in the pharmaceutical industry will only continue to grow in importance as the industry grapples with an ever-increasing volume of data and the need for effective communication across diverse stakeholder groups. By embracing the art of storytelling with data, pharmaceutical companies can unlock new avenues for innovation, foster trust and transparency, and ultimately contribute to better health outcomes on a global scale.

We here at Viseven can help you create data-based storytelling that is bound to make your audience interested. Our content experience platform, eWizard, enables you to create powerful content, and reuse it on multiple platforms, not only providing an exciting visual experience to your audience but also saving you time and resources. Contact our team below to get a full demo!

According to the FDA, there are up to 300,000 OTC drugs marketed in the U.S. alone. Without a solid digital marketing strategy in place, how can you expect to stand out from such a massive crowd, drive sales, build brand awareness, and cultivate long-term customer loyalty?

Consumers are increasingly turning to digital channels for research, purchases, and engagement with brands. Rising healthcare costs have led to a surge in self-medication, with 27% of patients across 17 international markets choosing OTC drugs over prescription drugs due to expense, as revealed by a YouGov survey. This trend presents opportunities for OTC brands to connect with consumers through tailored digital experiences.

Source: YouGov

To stand out in this highly saturated OTC market, you must embrace digital transformation, harness data-driven insights, and deliver personalized, omnichannel experiences that resonate with modern consumers’ needs and tastes. 

In this article, you will discover digital marketing strategies for your OTC brand to help you establish meaningful relationships with your target audiences.

What is a Digital Marketing Strategy?

In the past, businesses used to communicate with their target audience through marketing channels like television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and outdoor advertising.

Digital marketing strategy refers to using online channels (such as your website, social media, organic search, paid ads, and other platforms) to improve your online presence and reach your marketing goals, like enhancing your business’ visibility and gaining new customers.

Let’s explore the topic further with this digital marketing strategy example. Imagine you want to increase traffic to your website by 25% in the next 12 months. First, you would define your target audience analyzing everything from their demographics to interests. Then you should pick the digital channels you’re going to involve. For instance, paid social media advertising, Google search ads, and content marketing. Your key strategies would be:

• Paid social and Google ads to drive website traffic for high commercial intent searches
• Use social media posts and videos to nurture the audience and showcase products
• Create high-quality blog content optimized for SEO to build organic traffic

You can test social media ad creatives and audiences, multivariate landing page optimization, monitor top organic traffic sources, and put an emphasis on what works best. To help you launch and successfully run omnichannel campaigns while having a strategic overview, you can employ content experience platforms like eWizard.

Importance of Digital Marketing for OTC Brands

OTC drugs are essential for public health as they provide accessible solutions for common health problems. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the eCommerce sales of OTC drugs spiked, with people giving preference to shopping online over going to physical stores due to its convenience and competitive pricing. With the consumers’ tendency to search for information online before making purchasing decisions, OTC brands must leverage digital marketing to reach customers where they spend their time to educate them on their products.

Digital marketing enables you to build closer relationships with your customers through multiple channels like your website and social media. Moreover, you can precisely target specific consumer segments, based on demographics, behavior, and interests using digital marketing tools. They allow to create personalized messaging and product suggestions, enhancing relevance and engagement. On top of that, with robust analytics OTC brands can accurately measure engagement, conversions, and ROI, as well as continuously optimize their strategy based on their performance data.

As eCommerce disrupts traditional retail, OTC brands must differentiate themselves from the competition through compelling digital brand experiences, content, and consumer value-adds their competitors may lack.

Besides, digital marketing can be highly cost-efficient compared to traditional channels while enabling OTC brands to reach a much larger audience through organic, paid, owned, and earned media strategies.

Main Components of Digital Marketing Strategy

An effective digital marketing strategy should consist of well-thought-out paid advertising, social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and web analytics. Let’s discuss them one by one.

Paid Advertising

Numerous platforms can be utilized for paid advertising. Each of the platforms may have different ad types available, like search ads, display ads, native ads, video ads, and others. This diverse range of paid advertising formats enables brands to develop integrated strategies that span several platforms in order to meet awareness, engagement, and conversion goals.

Social Media

As of 2022, it was estimated that over 4.59 billion people were using social media worldwide, and spending almost 2.5 hours there daily. This is why OTC brands have to leverage social media in their marketing efforts. They can reach a wide audience there and raise awareness about their products and their benefits. Moreover, social media provides a channel for direct interaction and customer engagement.

SEO

Search engine visibility is paramount for success in today’s digital landscape. Google Health Vice President reports that an estimated 7% of Google’s daily searches are health-related, equivalent to 70,000 every minute. Both patients and doctors look up and research products, symptoms, treatments, and insurance questions using search engines.

Web Analytics

Web analytics provide quantitative insights that OTC brands need to refine their digital presence, enhance user engagement, and drive conversions. Analytics tools such as Google Analytics show how people interact with the brand’s website and content, which includes metrics like traffic sources, popular pages, conversion paths, and bounce rates. In addition, analytics can reveal where your visitors tend to abandon the website or purchase process which will let you know where optimization is needed. 

How to Create a Digital Marketing Strategy

Creating a proper digital marketing strategy takes experience and expertise, so be ready to test your theories, and don’t get discouraged if your first campaign doesn’t get the traffic you wish. With so many other brands competing for customers’ attention, it’s crucial to consider what can set your product apart and highlight it in your marketing content. And if you want to involve experts to create your digital marketing strategy, drop a message to Viseven.

Let’s go through the key steps to creating a pharma digital marketing strategy.

Determine your target audience

Digital marketing allows you to reach new audiences. However, not all of them are going to be interested in what you have to offer. You need to conduct market research to identify your buyer personas whose interests and preferences match your offerings. Personalization is a big trend with consumers now, so you also have to think about segmenting your target audience into smaller groups to customize your messaging for each of them.

Engage and educate through content

Content marketing is essential for your brand for a few reasons. First, well-optimized content can bring you organic traffic from search engines, spreading the word about your brand and products. Secondly, both providers and patients use the internet to find information about symptoms, treatments, and products. By providing them with interesting and educational content targeted to various groups, you can not only address their pain points and concerns but also establish your brand as a thought leader.

In-depth blog articles, innovative email marketing campaigns, and engaging social media posts can all play a crucial role in your content strategy. Additionally, high-quality content helps build trust and credibility with your audience, positioning your brand as a reliable source of information. Moreover, content marketing can support your lead generation efforts by attracting and nurturing potential customers through the sales funnel. Finally, it allows you to showcase your expertise, differentiate your brand, and foster stronger connections with your target audience, ultimately driving better brand awareness, loyalty, and conversions.

Gather and utilize data

The beauty of digital marketing for OTC brands lies in the wealth of data it generates. Website analytics reveal traffic sources, user behavior, content performance, and audience insights vital for optimization. Search data displays consumer intent and common queries to guide content strategy. Social media listening unlocks brand sentiment, product perceptions, and messaging opportunities.

During marketing campaigns creation, OTC marketers can leverage this data to shape targeting, develop resonant messaging, enhance user experiences, plan digital marketing tactics, and measure performance. An insights-driven approach fueled by tangible consumer data allows continual campaign refinement and improvement over time.

Current Landscape of the OTC Pharma Market

The OTC drugs market size is estimated at $137.39 billion in 2024, and is expected to hit $163.10 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 3.49% during the forecast period. 

The OTC drug market is witnessing substantial growth, primarily driven by the escalating costs of prescription medications. As healthcare expenses continue to soar, consumers are increasingly turning to self-medication with OTC drugs as a more affordable alternative.

According to Bloomberg, the average American spends an astounding $1,300 per person annually on prescription drugs, with the launch price of a new drug in the US reaching an average of $180,000 for a year’s supply in 2021. This massive rise in Rx drug prices is fueling the demand for self-care solutions through OTC medications.

Self-medication with OTC drugs is becoming a global phenomenon, with prevalence rates ranging from 11.2% to 93.7% across different countries and target populations. This growing trend towards self-care is further propelling the growth of the OTC drug market.

As the cost of prescription medications continues to rise, consumers are embracing the accessibility and cost-effectiveness of OTC drugs, enabling them to manage minor illnesses and maintain their overall well-being without breaking the bank. This shift in consumer behavior, coupled with the increasing approval of new OTC drug options, presents a significant growth opportunity for the industry.

Furthermore, online sales of OTC medicines through e-pharmacies, retailer websites, and marketplaces like Amazon are booming, necessitating an omnichannel marketing approach for brands. 

To remain competitive in this landscape, OTC pharma brands must leverage digital marketing capabilities, focus on consumer education, eCommerce enablement, and innovative product offerings aligned with self-care trends.

Best OTC Pharmaceutical Marketing Strategies

Here are several ideas that can help you map out and execute a more efficient digital marketing strategy.

Think Outside the Box with Mobile

56% of shoppers globally use their smartphones to shop or research items while in a store. The majority of pharma brands already provide mobile-optimized sites to boost their mobile presence. However, few utilize mobile in creative or innovative ways. This is your chance to set yourself apart from the competition. For instance, Pfizer offers a mobile app that allows patients to track their injections, log symptoms, set medication reminders, and access a wide range of resources to help them set and maintain goals throughout treatment.

Engage with Health Apps & Wearable Gadgets

The adoption of mobile health and fitness applications witnessed a surge in recent years, propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, these apps were utilized by 23% of consumers in the United States. However, specific categories like health tracking, workout apps, and meditation apps saw broader adoption, reaching approximately 36% of the U.S. consumer base. 

When it comes to wearable tech, in 2021 it was estimated that about 526 million wearable devices were shipped globally, with more than 80% of consumers believing that wearables are beneficial to their health.

OTC brands can tap into the health tech-savvy user base by leveraging targeted advertising within popular health and fitness apps, as well as forming partnerships with leading health tech companies and influencers in the digital wellness space.

Allocate Resources to Both Time-Specific & Ongoing Marketing Efforts

Undeniably, OTC medications are intrinsically linked to seasonal cycles as consumer needs fluctuate throughout the year. Flu, colds, allergies, and sports-related ailments resonate with different consumer segments during their respective peak seasons. To capitalize on these cyclical demands, OTC brands can implement ongoing marketing activities and tailored time-specific activations. These initiatives not only foster brand loyalty by addressing timely health concerns but also provide a strategic avenue to highlight the seasonal benefits of their OTC offerings. 

Ongoing marketing efforts can include subscription-based models or loyalty rewards that incentivize repeat purchases aligning with the ebb and flow of seasonal ailments. Targeted time-specific activations can consist of a multi-channel marketing blitz, spanning digital marketing campaigns, in-store promotions, influencer collaborations, and educational content tailored to the relevant health issues of that period.

Develop and Share Valuable Online Content

Content is king, and it’s vital for all industries, especially for pharma where people may rely on it to improve their well-being. With consumers’ tendency to research their symptoms and possible treatment online, it’s crucial to share valuable content about your products, what they do, and how and whom they help. Consider branching out from just full-blown blog articles to videos and infographics to bring variety and originality to your content. 

Your content distribution plan is of the same significance. It doesn’t matter how great your content is if your audience doesn’t see it, so make sure to think through your distribution and repurposing plan.

Utilize Social Media Platforms

With approximately 50% of users considering health information obtained from social media as reliable, OTC pharma brands have a prime opportunity to utilize this channel effectively. OTC brands can reach out to this large, health-conscious audience by sharing educational content on health conditions and self-care tips, highlighting product information and usage guidance, engaging with customers through responsive service, collaborating with influencers for credible endorsements, gathering consumer insights through social listening, running targeted advertising campaigns, and seamlessly integrating social efforts with their broader omnichannel strategy.

For instance, P&G’s Vicks and Metamucilt have vibrant presences on Twitter and Instagram. Vicks frequently shares cold/flu season remedies and collaborates with influencers, while Metamucil focuses on digestive health through recipes and expert advice on social.

Summing Up

At the end of the day, the digital world opens up a huge playing field for OTC pharma brands to really connect with their customers in new and innovative ways. But it’s not just about blasting promotions everywhere. It’s about using data and consumer insights to have totally relevant, engaging conversations across channels like search, social media, and eCommerce.

As consumers keep evolving, craving more personalized experiences, a focus on preventive wellness, and digital self-care solutions, the brands that truly tap into the digital marketing game will be the ones calling the shots. They’ll have built genuine relationships and empowered people to take control of their health journeys. The future belongs to the brands that can adapt quickly, get creative and innovative, while always putting the consumer first in their digital approach.

Did you know that 46% of drug launches in the United States between 2012 and 2017 failed due to an inadequate understanding of market and customer needs?

As it turned out, companies didn’t understand the types of patients who would respond well or the types of physicians who would be high versus low prescribers for the new drug or underestimated the difficulty of converting customers from existing therapies.

It was a valuable lesson for everyone in the industry because over 70% of pharma and life sciences leading companies see improving customer trust and satisfaction as one of their top priorities, while 52% are moving toward a personalized customer-centric model where content mapping has an essential role.

What is Content Mapping?

Content mapping is a marketing technique that allows companies to complete their business goals more efficiently by tailoring content to each customer and fulfilling their needs with the help of a content map.

What is Content Map?

A content map is a plan to personalize journeys and create real value for customers by developing relevant content and providing it at the right moment and via the preferred channels based on data-driven insights.

Why Create a Content Map in Pharma?

Content marketing is booming worldwide across dozens of industries and markets, and pharmaceuticals and life sciences are no exceptions.

Why do some content strategies work and some don’t?

Here’s an obvious fact – 80% of marketers and business owners who consider themselves very successful in content marketing had their strategy documented.

Getting back to the question: content strategies work because they’re defined. And what is content mapping? That’s what makes a content strategy distinct and clear.

And that’s not the only reason why you should create a content map in pharma.

Consistent Communication with Each Customer

A content map is a key to a clear understanding of a target audience’s profile: what customers like and dislike, what channels they prefer for content distribution and messaging, and what days of the week and hours are the best for interaction.

With such a clear understanding, pharma companies deliver the best customer experience by eliminating content duplication and spam and enabling fully automated communication.

High-Quality Content and Digital Maturity

Content mapping, by definition, combines multiple content formats and channels. It encourages content marketing specialists to improve standards for content creation and find more powerful ways of content development and storytelling.

The only way for pharma companies to provide full automation and personalization in a communicative environment with a wide variety of content channels and formats is to increase the level of digital maturity. As of 2023, only 44% of pharmaceutical and life sciences leaders are executing on or have completed a digital transformation journey.

Positive Brand Reputation and Higher Profits

An effective content map helps pharmaceutical companies find weaknesses and turn them into strengths. The focus on human-oriented engagement with customers, a better awareness of their priorities on an individual level, advanced content creation practices, and a higher level of digital maturity result in higher conversions and more customers.

How to Build a Content Map for a Pharma Brand

To successfully implement a content mapping strategy, your pharmaceutical company needs a team that includes professionals with expertise in a few areas, such as marketing, sales, and search engine optimization (SEO).

Now let’s go through the main content mapping steps:

1. Reassess Your Target Audience and Create Customer Personas

The headline should have said: Identify your target audience.

But we’re talking about pharma, so you probably have some image of your ideal customers, or at least you thought you had it before the tremendous digital transformations in the industry.

Content mapping is successful only when you create content for your customers as human beings, not as wallets or ordinary figures in analytics. Everyone loves when a business knows about us more than they thought they knew.

And it doesn’t matter whether it’s a visit to a favorite restaurant, a purchase of sneakers on Amazon, or as in the case of a healthcare professional (HCP), an interactive e-detailer they didn’t expect to receive so soon after attending a webinar.

In a survey we mentioned above, 47% of marketers and business owners consider researching their audiences the leading factor in building a successful content marketing strategy.

The first step you need to reassess your target audience is to create buyer personas. Hereafter, we’ll call them customer personas because, unlike customers, buyers don’t usually involve themselves in decision-making.

A customer persona is an avatar that impersonates your typical customer. We recommend you create a few customer personas at once because you’ll need to segment your audience afterward.

Here are the basic characteristics that will help you create your customer personas:

• Background and Experience. Find more about your customers’ demographics, locations, occupations, and lifestyles.
• Needs, Intentions, and Challenges. Determine problems your customers have, figure out what they’re up to, and think about how your business can solve them.
• Interests and Dislikes. Discover whom your customers trust, what they care about the most, and what they don’t like and would like to avoid.
• Technology and Communication. Figure out what devices and platforms your customers use to search for the information they need to detect what messages match their intentions.

How can you get all this information about your target audience? Use these methods:

• Google Analytics. It’s the best software to get the most specific view of your customers on your website, including age, gender, location, interests, behavior, and beyond.
• Social Media Analytics. Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn offer analytics systems to track users’ basic activities.
• CRM Platforms. If you have multiple databases of existing customers, a customer relationship management platform (CRM) will help you sort all the data out and leverage it for creating your customer personas.
• Interviewing. You can ask your current customers, prospects, and referrals for direct feedback. Due to a different perspective on your company, products, and services, each of these target audiences can provide unique and valuable information on the needed characteristics of your customer persona.

2. Create a Content Marketing Funnel for Your Customer Personas

Now that you created your customer personas, you need to figure out how many steps it takes for them to make the final decision about your offer and what content you need on each customer journey phase.

A content marketing funnel is a model that helps pharma companies to leverage content across all the touchpoints of a customer journey, from meeting a brand to the point of turning into a brand fan, by understanding which type of content and at which stage they need to use to convert customers.

The content marketing funnel model comprises three stages:

1. The top of the funnel (TOFU): A customer has a challenge.
2. The middle of the funnel (MOFU): A customer is searching for a solution to solve the challenge.
3. The bottom of the funnel (BOFU): A customer is searching for a solution provider.

What content can fulfill the needs of your target audience, and at which stage?

To complete your goals and increase the number of customers who appreciate your brand, you should brainstorm and ask specific questions.

In the top of the funnel or the awareness stage, you should ask yourself: How can I create demand for my products and services with content, and what types of content should I use for that?

The solution at this lifecycle stage is to spread your online presence with appealing content through as many channels as possible without affecting the quality of your content. In other words:

1. Google what techniques can drive more organic traffic to your website through search engines and social media.
2. Focus on creating content for the channels your customer personas prefer the most.
3. Analyze main marketing trends and discover effective content development practices on these channels.
4. Create content for these channels as frequently as possible.

There are two essential things to focus on. First, hire as many content creators as possible. Second, don’t let the chase for quantity influence quality.

In the middle of the funnel or the interest stage, your goal is to get more customers interested in your brand. The question that can help you reach your goal is:

What types of content can encourage my customers to spark a genuine curiosity in my brand?

The solution is to solve the problems of the customers who noticed your brand by demonstrating unique benefits and original approaches to distinguish you from your competitors.

However, remember that, at this lifecycle stage, you should show customers only a slight view of the possibilities that can get with your company. It’s like demonstrating an awesome trailer to make viewers eager to wait and watch the entire movie.

Here are types of the content that can get customers interested in your brand:

• “How-to” content and other tutorials.
• Social media posts and comments.
• Reviews.
• Introductory webinars.
• Short videos.
• eBooks.
• eDetailers.
• Checklists.
• Infographics.
• White papers.
• Reports and surveys.

At the bottom of the funnel or the action stage, customers are ready to make the final decision.

Your goal is to make customers make that decision. To reach the goal, ask yourself: What type of content can encourage potential customers to convert and remain loyal?

You should show your target audience the big picture – unveil explicitly all the details about the solutions that can solve the problems of your target audience.

You can use pretty much the same content formats as at the interest stage, but you should focus on depth and comprehensiveness:

• Testimonials.
• Case studies.
• Live demos.
• Webinars on specific topics.
• Newsletters.
• Longer videos.

3. Conduct a Keyword Research to Find Content Ideas

People use Google and other search engines to enter specific keywords and keyword phrases and find everything they need, including information about your company and niche. 

Before creating a content map, your team should fill all the content gaps your company might have by conducting in-depth keyword research.

Keyword research is a practice that allows companies to discover search inquiries that are most popular among your target audience and find the content ideas that would be most relevant for current and future customers.

Your research strategy should consist of three stages. 

The first stage of the strategy is the existing content analysis. 

If your company isn’t new to the market, we assure you that you’ll find content waiting for improvements, updates, and fixing. It can be articles on your blog, information on your website pages, and beyond. 

The existing content analysis isn’t only about modernizing the content you have and refreshing it with new keywords. It will help your team know what topics and keywords you are missing.

The second stage of the strategy is the new content analysis.

It’s about researching the topics and keywords your company hasn’t used for its promotion yet. You ought to start your analysis by searching for general topics that evoke associations for your customers about your business.

For example, we at Viseven can use such topics as martech services, omnichannel marketing, pharmaceutical marketing, and beyond. Your team should do the same and collect up to ten general subjects about your business. It would be more than enough.

Once you have relevant topics, you should find keywords that describe them. Say we at Viseven take omnichannel marketing as a topic. The perfect keywords for it are personalized experience, communication automation, and so on.

How to find the keywords related to your topics? Here are a few main methods:

1. Use Google Search Console or the Keyword Planner tool.
2. Use any keyword idea tools within popular SEO platforms.
3. Type possible keyword ideas in Google autocomplete.
4. View related searches at the bottom of a Google results page.

You may end up chasing tens and even hundreds of relevant keywords. Which keywords are the best? To find the best keywords for your business, consider the following:

1. Search Volume. The metric shows the number of people who used a keyword during a particular period.
2. Competition. The metric defines the level of keyword reputation. In other words, it tells you how popular a keyword is among other websites.
3. Google SERP Features. SERP stands for a search engine results page. Subject to a keyword, a SERP can include featured snippets, knowledge panels, video carousels, and image packs.

The third stage of the strategy is the competitor’s analysis.

Competitors are a tremendous source for finding unique keyword ideas and creating content maps. After analyzing your competitors one by one using the same keyword tools you used to analyze your company, you’ll get a much broader perspective on your future actions.

Whatever results you receive from this analysis, keep in mind that you shouldn’t plagiarize your competitors. Instead, you ought to adapt their actions to the experience of your company by reading between the lines and disclosing their intentions about content planning.

4. Create Personalized Customer Journeys

Now that you know how to segment your customers, identify gaps in your content funnel, and create the right content for your brand, you can determine different conversion paths for different customer personas and map content.

Mapping content to the customer journey requires an advanced technological environment powered by software that can provide such opportunities as:

1. Data management. It will help your team collect and analyze your customer journey data in a single place.
2. Content creation. It will help your team optimize the content creation process by planning and delivering content for different audience segments and different geographies in a single place.
3. Automation. It will help your team automate all the steps and processes within each customer journey and target customers at the right moment and via the preferred channels.

Here’s how we streamline the content mapping process at Viseven.

How We Do Content Mapping at Viseven

Depending on goals, needs, and the level of digital maturity, we use different products, services, and solutions to help companies in pharma and life sciences create personalized content experiences for their customers across their journeys.

Digital Content Factory

Facing difficulties creating an optimized content map and producing content for your pharma brand at a large scale? Digital Content Factory can provide your company with full-scale content mapping services.

With over thirteen years of experience developing pharma content in multiple formats and for different purposes, we offer:

• Content Production. We can map existing content for you and produce high-quality at scale as long as your company needs.
• Content Analytics. We provide customized dashboards and advanced reporting for your team to monitor the performance of your content and understand the effectiveness of your content map.
• Full Flexibility. We react to any changes rapidly and without losing our efficiency.
• 24/7 Customer Support. A dedicated team of specialists is here to help with any possible inquiry at any moment needed.

In the long run, Viseven Digital Content Factory can save almost 60% of the costs allocated to content production.

Omnichannel Marketing

Have enough resources to create appealing content but have enough knowledge to create your own content map?

Our team can help your company create a content map and tailor content within one of the data-driven omnichannel marketing solutions:

• Technical infrastructure. We can create an end-to-end ecosystem that combines all channels to personalize communication across the entire customer lifecycle.
• Engagement strategy. We can analyze your customers’ behavior and create a unique plan for personalized omnichannel communication based on the existing strategy of your brand.
• Campaign execution. We can prepare and launch complex personalized campaigns inside a marketing automation platform.

eWizard and Modular Content

Powered by Viseven, eWizard is a content experience platform that provides all functionality necessary to implement your content mapping strategy:

• Campaign and content planning. Work together in one space and plan content, customer journeys, and campaigns using dashboard and calendar.
• Modular content. Reuse existing content by dividing it into modules and optimize the content production process with pre-designed templates.
• Translation automation. Optimize the translation process and reduce content production cost.
• MLR process optimization. Accelerate the process of medical, legal, and regulatory review by reducing the turnaround time.
• Publishing & delivery automation. Integrate with the most popular software to automate workflow and execution.

In summary, content mapping is a powerful tool for companies in the pharmaceutical industry, enabling them to deliver valuable information to their customers while navigating the complex regulatory landscape. With careful planning and execution, content mapping can help companies to build stronger relationships with their buyer persona and achieve better results.

For most businesses, a global marketing strategy is an ultimate dream.

Before entering the global market and becoming world-famous, each top brand name like McDonald’s, Volkswagen, or Samsung (you name it!) had a long and rough journey starting with something small in one country or city.

Today, becoming a part of the worldwide market with an original brand has become less complicated thanks to search engines, digital advertising, social media, and video platforms.

Despite the abundance of marketing channels and the tremendous opportunities of advanced technologies, going to global markets is still a challenge that takes consideration and resources.

In this article, the Viseven team will review everything that concerns global marketing. You’ll discover the main strategy types, the key advantages of conquering international markets, and the core components for implementing international marketing techniques.

What Is Global Marketing?

Global marketing is a set of measures aimed at producing, introducing, advertising, and selling products and services to more customers in different countries across the globe. It is the process of adapting the company’s strategies to meet the needs of customers in the targeted countries.

One of the global marketing examples is Pfizer. The leading pharmaceutical manufacturer aligns its marketing campaigns to satisfy the needs of customers with diverse cultural backgrounds. The pharma brand not only translates marketing materials into local languages but also considers cultural nuances to craft relatable and compelling advertisements.

In the past, global brand strategy was an option restricted to multinational corporations only. With the rise of the Internet and e-commerce, even startups can reach their potential customers worldwide.

To reach the foreign audience, all they need to do is to let them know that they are up and running. It is also essential to convince customers that a product or service is worth spending their hard-earned money on. This is when global marketing comes in.

Finding the Balance Between Global and Local

Marketing teams, especially in large businesses, may choose opposite tactics when it comes to globalization.

Sometimes, central departments take control over every single local market. In other cases, they focus on a specific local market, fragmenting their efforts and failing to see the whole picture.

Each brand that plans to go global should find the balance between accumulating a profitable business environment in the home country and concentrating marketing efforts in foreign markets.

Let’s consider this question more clearly below.

The Main Types of Global Marketing Strategies

There are a few ways companies can enter the global market:

• An international marketing strategy presupposes importing and exporting a product or service around the world with the assistance of foreign suppliers while keeping the physical facilities in their homeland. The capital market of an international business is the native country.
• Multinational marketing implies the positioning of the company’s offices and facilities across multiple countries intending to produce, promote, and sell a product or service in place and at local prices. Regional offices in multinational companies act separately with no coordination with each other.
• Global marketing involves activities of multiple offices in multiple countries that act together under the guidance of the central corporate office that has a global strategy for the brand.

In addition to that, there are two global marketing strategies used to spread brand messaging:

Standardization Strategy

Brands use the same standard message in every target market translating it into native languages. Standardization is about consistency in delivering universal experience to all the markets. Though this kind of global strategic marketing requires less control and resources, it may be difficult to use it in some markets due to high competition or local regulations.

Localization Strategy

Brands adjust campaigns to each target market considering the national, cultural, and individual peculiarities of customers. Though localization requires in-depth market research, this global marketing strategy allows brands to create a stronger connection with customers on a personal level which leads to a better customer experience.

What Are Global Marketing Advantages?

Let’s start with the most obvious thing. The first advantage of any global digital marketing strategy is a large scale of activity reflected in the continuously increasing number of customers and sales.

Along with that, a global brand has:

More Insights

Information is the most important resource for any global brand because it drives growth and expansion. The importance of global marketing lies in getting and analyzing loads of unique data that brands can use to:

• Understand strengths and solve weaknesses
• Learn about customers and improve customer service in different regions
• Figure out how to enter new markets
• Compete with other companies more efficiently
• Improve products and services

More Influence

Promotional techniques that global brands apply across different markets change lives, dictate lifestyles, and create trends that can last for years. By creating compelling campaigns, these brands can instigate conversations, challenge norms, and foster inclusivity. This way, they not only capture market share but also leave a profound, lasting impact on the way people think, live, and interact, shaping the cultural landscape for years to come.

More Innovation

Globalization marketing strategy allows companies to get enough resources to move their industries forward by inventing new products and shifting customer experience to the highest level using the next-generation approaches based on technological advancement. This strategy powerfully promotes collaboration across countries and experience exchange, paving the way for transformative breakthroughs.

The Core Global Marketing Strategy Components

Here are a few recommendations for building a successful global marketing campaign.

1. Define and Separate Global and Local Activities

A global marketing strategy should include general plans scheduled around the world and specific initiatives that happen on the local level.

Some sectors would rather be guided globally, namely branding policy, overall planning, and budgeting. Other sectors are better managed on a regional level. Such activities may include local campaigns, PR events, tactical initiatives, and communication across social media channels in the region.

Dividing the markets into layers can significantly improve your business perspective. It helps efficiently allocate resources both on global and local levels. Identify various areas within your marketing concern before you’re stuck with time and money issues.

2. Resonate with the Needs of Local Markets

One of the biggest mistakes marketers could make within their global marketing strategy is to ignore regional diversity. Global brands must constantly monitor current trends and the personal needs of customers across local markets.

Global and local teams must develop a single comprehensive approach to gain mutual benefits. The times of one-size-fits-all marketing initiatives applied internationally have gone. It’s no secret that the mentality and cultural background of people from the USA, France, and India differ greatly. Thus, you must concentrate on different customer values to meet their needs.

3. Build a Proactive Marketing Strategy

Identify marketing areas beforehand. Make an upfront analysis of all business activities from the viewpoint of a certain region. Consider local characteristics and customer behaviors, including legal systems and economic situations. It’ll save you from unreasonable costs and help plan an actionable marketing strategy.

4. Energize Your Local Marketing Campaigns

Local teams to build up an effective and scalable marketing plan. All departments must be well-trained and positively motivated to fulfill brand goals. Find an experienced global campaign manager who can guarantee workflow excellence and successful communication between a central office and affiliates.

Planning business activities must be clear and consistent. All the staff, from global execs to regional employees, must know the work schedule, project objectives, and deadlines. Consider different time zones in the countries where your marketing team will deploy campaigns. Keep your company calendar straight to time changes. Otherwise, everyone will confuse your global marketing business plan.

5. Keep Track of All Marketing Processes

Monitoring and coordinating activities in multiple markets. You need reputable brand officers to manage the performance tracking of your marketing campaigns.

Make sure you remember the following:

• Build KPI systems based on marketing objectives. Pick the most effective KPIs for global and local teams.
• Collect the KPI data separately. That’s how your brand will better understand the contribution level of each team to the overall success.
• Make the analytical information accessible on every level and review it regularly. The marketing strategy results will help the teams move in the right direction and drive a good deal of friendly competition between them.
• Deliver the best practices to every single department. Keep in touch with in-market teams personally or through your officers to analyze and make current decisions and tactics optimized.

6. Examine the Overall Impact of Marketing Actions

Conclude at the end of each global to local story. Estimate the insights you have gained. Reverse-engineer the most advantageous ideas to avoid pitfalls and outperform in the future.

It is also recommended to rely on advanced analytics to measure return on investment (ROI), evaluate conversion rates, and monitor customer engagement. Conducting A/B testing can be also a smart move to hone your strategy.

Do not underestimate the importance of customer feedback. Use surveys and social media monitoring to gain valuable insights. The use of automated solutions would help you process this feedback faster and more efficiently.

Adjust your global marketing strategy based on this data to timely respond to the market and customers’ needs. It is equally important to regularly reevaluate your approach, demonstrating agility in this ever-evolving environment.

7. Elaborate Consistent In-Between Interactions

Make sure local and global teams stay in touch even when the company has got through with the localization campaign. Close communication helps improve professional growth and keeps everyone informed about industry trends around the world. If your local marketing teams are far from the central office, you can connect them via digital channels.

It is pivotal to encourage knowledge sharing, allowing teams to look at issues through different lenses. You should strive to promote cross-cultural competence, while ensuring constant alignment with overarching common goals. This kind of interaction not only drives professional development but also actively supports the company’s adaptability to new environments.

Execute a Global Omnichannel Marketing Strategy With Viseven

At Viseven, we’ve assisted dozens of global pharma brands with their marketing strategies.

Are you planning to go global with your pharma company or have issues with a current global campaign? Our professional team will be glad to help you create a marketing strategy from scratch or enhance your existing plan regardless of scale and the level of digital maturity.

Based on an omnichannel marketing approach, modular content approach, and advanced technical infrastructure, we can improve the level of customer experience, reduce time-to-market, and save marketing expenses by:

• managing global-to-local content production
• covering the entire content lifecycle with KPIs for every channel
• streamlining the content localization and adaptation processes

• automating the content distribution and delivery

Fill in the form below, and we’ll get back to you shortly!

Content is king.

You’ve probably heard these three words many times. 

But only a few know that it’s the title of Bill Gates’ essay published on the Microsoft website in 1996. 

Here’s a little excerpt from it: 

The Internet also allows information to be distributed worldwide at basically zero marginal cost to the publisher. Opportunities are remarkable, and many companies plan to create content for the Internet. 

Now, it’s finally true for healthcare and life sciences. 

In digital marketing, medical content is experiencing groundbreaking changes. Having gotten through the COVID-19 pandemic, we realized the pivotal role of technology in human interaction and business engagement. 

The Clinician of the Future 2023 report made by Ipsos reflects these significant changes: 

• 73% of respondents see it as favorable for doctors to possess digital expertise, while 71% hold the same view for nurses; 
• 48% consider it desirable for physicians to incorporate AI into clinical decision-making; 
• 55% of clinicians view telehealth as favorable for serving as the primary method for routine checkups in the next 2-3 years, whereas 28% regard it unfavorably. 

More patients consider themselves customers. More healthcare professionals (HCPs) naturally require the same customer-focused attitude, where face-to-face visits are only the tip of the iceberg. 

It means that one of the healthcare marketers’ top priorities is to reconsider how they create and provide their medical content. Content management in Pharma has become more than just looking for the target audience and publishing suitable content; it now encompasses a holistic approach that integrates collaboration, data security, compliance, and many other elements. 

If you regularly google the equivalent topics to become a medical content ninja, you’re in the right place. Regardless of your target audience — patients, doctors, pharmacists, or any other group of HCPs — this tutorial will help you:

• discover the channels that are most necessary in medical content marketing;
• learn the tips to get started with these channels;
• grasp the practices to optimize your content strategy in healthcare and make it successful.

Prepare a cup of your favorite beverage, and let’s begin!

Most Vital Channels for Medical Content Creation

A customer-first paradigm has widened the boundaries of medical content, its creation, and its marketing. With that in mind, we highlighted the most vital channels for medical content marketers so far:

• Medical Websites;
• Medical Blogs;
• Landing Pages;
• mHealth Apps;
• SMS;
• Messaging Apps;
• Social Media;
• Email;
• Video.

Let’s analyze every channel and see how you can use them within your content strategy.

Optimize your medical website content

A website is a primary channel for any non-commercial institution or business in healthcare and life sciences. Most of the website traffic comes from search engines. That’s why when you create medical website content, you should optimize it according to the search engine optimization (SEO) practice called on-page SEO or on-site SEO. 

Also, any specialist who creates medical content for websites should comply with three factors that affect the website quality: 

• User experience (UX) is a set of practices applied to make websites more convenient to visit. In other words, UX is how people feel when engaging with a website and its content. Medical websites with better UX get more conversions; 
• User interface (UI) is the way people interact with a website. The typical UI elements of a medical website are menus, fields, tabs, buttons, and beyond. This specific type of medical website content requires in-depth analysis and research before creating. The level of UX mostly depends on UI; 
• Customer experience (CX) is an overall impression of customers over a business. In other words, CX is how a medical brand engages with its clients. Here’s where website content plays a crucial role, along with customer support. 

A medical website should have enough content resources to generate traffic and constantly increase it. There are three main types of medical website content resources you can use for that: 

• Webinars. Generate leads by inviting professionals and non-experts to online events to discuss various topics and trends; 
• Events. Tell how your team participates in offline healthcare events such as conferences and presentations; 
• Blog. Post about your business and niche using multiple kinds of healthcare content. 

Become an authority with an SEO-friendly blog

Blogging is the best way to grow a medical website organically.

If you regularly fill a medical blog with organic healthcare content, you’ll get the most influential source for increasing your website audience. 

At a proper pace, website traffic will increase, leading to more readers and conversions. More conversions result in higher profit. Here’s how to produce relevant, captivating, and high-quality healthcare content for this channel: 

• Master SEO techniques. Learn how search engines work to improve the content writing process and boost the positions of your medical content on search engine page results (SERPs). Start with search engine optimization basics such as crawling, indexing, ranking, keyword research, competitor analysis, and link building; 
• Write on multiple topics. Divide your content into a few categories to make it varied and engaging. These categories can include short articles about news and updates in your company (its services and products), research-based long reads, infographics about industry trends, and beyond; 
• Provide unique insights. Publish information that no one posted before to become an industry influencer. Google loves it when content writing on health has real value. It can be case studies about clinical research, articles that contain statistics, interviews with clients (or patients), and beyond; 
• Post regularly. Create content plans and schedule articles every month. The more you post, the more traffic you can generate; 
• Share content via social media and email. That’s how you’ll facilitate the growth of each channel; 
• Be patient. Keep posting no matter what. Blogging brings benefits in the long run. 

Create landing pages to convert your leads

A medical landing page is a single-page website where your leads land after you engage them with your medical content on any other marketing channel. The goal of a medical landing page is to convert a lead into a customer.

A medical landing page content depends on its marketing objective.

Must-have content elements for a medical landing page:

• A catchy headline that shows the value;
• A simple copy that evokes interest;
• An image that reflects the landing page goal;
• The lead form for filling the lead’s personal information;
• A call-to-action button for collecting the lead’s personal information.

Develop a mobile app to increase the target audience

As of 2024, the global smartphone user base is expected to reach 7.1 billion. 

In the United States alone, more than 90% of the population owns a smartphone. 

mHealth apps span various categories among the top five funded digital health sectors in 2023, with consumer demand steadily increasing. The mHealth market size is forecasted to reach $861.40 billion by 2030. 

Medical content development in mobile apps can increase the target audience of any institution or business that belongs to healthcare: 

• Health apps can be helpful to users who want to improve their health conditions; 
• Healthcare marketing apps can help marketers optimize their daily activities, such as task organization, team communication, customer engagement, results tracking, and beyond; 
• Doctor apps can streamline the medical affairs of healthcare professionals of any kind. In such an app, doctors can store documentation, track patient visits, provide instructions, etc.; 
• Patient apps can assist users in a clinic or hospital with health monitoring, medication reminders, and other features. 

Note: Viseven can develop a mobile health app of any type according to your requirements and needs.

Use SMS as notifications

Short Message Service or SMS is a traditional medical content channel used by HCPs to send: 

• Critical information like health alerts or test results; 
• Educational information like diet or pregnancy tips; 
• Reminders about appointments or prescription refills; 
• Feedback collection requests. 

SMS sending recommendations: 

• Choose the best sending time; 
• Send only the information that has value. 

Boost customer experience with messaging apps

As a decent alternative to SMS, messengers or messaging apps are an effective medical content channel to generate high-quality leads and make customer communication more personal. 

Here are a few tips to help your company connect with customers in conversation: 

• Develop live chat with a chatbot for your medical website. Boost customer experience and optimize the communication for visitors searching for simple answers for basic information; 
• Enable live chat widgets on your medical website. Allow customers to chat via the platforms they like. For instance, you can add Messenger and WhatsApp chat widgets to your medical website; 
• Test messaging ads. Launch targeted advertising campaigns as an alternative to social media ads. Targeting online ads via messengers can be a profitable opportunity to boost marketing results. For example, Messenger ads can have 61% higher message-per-reach than photo ads on Facebook. 

When creating content for your messaging ads: 

• Keep a copy short; 
• Use visuals that attract attention. 

When answering your customers in messaging apps, don’t forget to: 

• Respond quickly to gain their trust; 

• Keep the conversation personal and friendly. 

Boost social media to build stronger connections

Social media is an extraordinary tool that allows medical marketers to re-establish relationships with their audiences using a variety of content formats on multiple platforms. 

Three factors determine any medical social media strategy: 

• Social media platforms. Before creating medical content for social media, figure out which platforms are the most important for your clients (or patients); 
• Content formats. You’ll need to find the formats to bring more likes and impressions to your accounts. It can be anything from a text publication with a visual to an audio podcast; 
• The type of content. In addition to creating organic posts for free, you can use an advertising platform like Google Ads or Facebook Ads Manager to target different audiences with online ads based on particular advertising objectives. 

If you want to succeed in creating social media content for healthcare, always listen to the feedback you get in the form of comments and messages, use a positive tone of voice, and be simple and precise. 

Here are a few important content touchpoints: 

• Inform. Tell the news, schedule events, and do everything for everyone to stay up to date; 
• Educate. Provide professional tips on the topics related to your healthcare niche; 
• Inspire. Share reviews of satisfied clients (or patients), write human behind-the-scenes stories about your business and beyond; 
• Support. Answer people who contact your profiles directly. 

Have a plan for medical content sent via email

Email has always been a tried-and-tested channel in the medical world. However, the laws that worked a few years back have no power anymore.

Even die-hard marketing professionals should accept that the email creation process in healthcare has become more consumer-centric. 

If you’re a rookie in sending such emails, here are a few basic practices to get started: 

• Learn email marketing metrics. They’ll help you measure the success of your email campaigns. The primary metrics are open rate, click rate, bounce rate, conversion rate, spam score, return on investment (ROI), customer lifetime value (CLV), and cost per acquisition (CPA); 
• Choose an email marketing platform. That’s the place where you’ll create and optimize your email campaigns; 
• Segment your audience. It’s the first practice you should exercise once you choose your platform and set your goals. Email segmentation is necessary to send more relevant information and more specific offers; 

• Experiment all the time. This practice is called A/B testing. Test different audiences and content to improve your results. 

A newsletter is the backbone of the medical content you send via email. Before sending your newsletter, you must have a comprehensive content plan that should conform to three things: 

• Content. Plan the content to send valuable and attractive offers. The main thing here is to learn how to balance information and benefits in your content marketing for healthcare; 
• Time. Choose the best days of the week and time of the day to send your medical content. If you don’t know when to do it, A/B test it; 
• Frequency. Experiment with your emails to know the number of sending days. 

When creating your medical email, take into account the following: 

• Subject line. Keep it relevant, engaging, straightforward, and short; 
• Preheader. Find the golden middle between its length and the information you need to send; 
• Body text. Pick ready-made email templates from your platform. To get better results, test different templates to find the best option. 

Shoot videos with best solutions for content (for medical video)

Video marketing is one of the most powerful methods to promote healthcare products and services. It’s a perfect alternative to television which has been a traditional patient engagement channel for years.

According to HubSpot: 

• 86% of businesses use videos as a marketing tool; 
• 92% of marketers claim videos are an essential part of their strategy. 

Unless you want to launch advertising campaigns, video is a must-use healthcare marketing practice because it doesn’t require a budget. All you need is a smartphone with a last-generation camera and imagination. 

It’s okay to focus on several platforms, considering the information above. It depends on your goals, the time you’re ready to spend, and your brand voice. Here’s how content practices on the major platforms differ from each other: 

• YouTube — longer content that reveals the subject with lots of facts and details; 
• Instagram — Stories adorned with text and stickers or tiktokish Reels; 
• TikTok — concise, amusing videos. 

Here are a few golden rules you need to know before getting started: 

• Viewers got used to watching tons of content every day. Lure their attention within three seconds;
• Viewers love storytelling. Create stories, not promotions;
• Test live streaming as an alternative to short and longer videos;
• Watch the content of your competitors and other creators to get more expertise. Watch a lot. 

How to Optimize a Medical Content Strategy

Medical content can have an immense impact when created and targeted right. But here’s the question. What is medical content writing, designing, and targeting in its essence?

It’s a lot of conscious efforts and hard work because marketers must simultaneously engage with multiple channels and hundreds and even thousands of customers.

However, two advanced techniques can significantly simplify everything.

Build an omnichannel environment

Omnichannel marketing is a set of activities that provide customers with a personalized experience by integrating all online and non-digital channels into a single environment.

It allows companies to use medical content and fulfill their objectives more effectively thanks to the ability to: 

• Find out what content channels customers use and plan their journey in advance; 
• Segment customers into multiple target groups; 
• Tailor personalized information to customers at the right time and with no spam; 
• Build consistent communication and strong connections with customers 
• Automate omnichannel activities with the help of a single marketing platform. 

Master modular content creation

The modular approach is a marketing practice that streamlines omnichannel pharmaceutical content creation by breaking down content into the tiniest possible semantic pieces called modules.

A content creator can reuse, interchange, and customize modules across multiple channels and target audiences, which allows: 

• Reduce content production period; 
• Cut production costs and allocate smaller pharma content marketing budgets; 
• Come up with large-scale personalized segmentation strategies; 
• Accelerate the Medical, Legal, and Regulatory (MLR) review process for pharma content; 
• Dedicate more time to other advertising affairs. 

Monitor the performance of your content 

Track how well your medical content performs. How can a marketer always ensure your audience genuinely enjoys your content? First, define the metrics you will track, such as conversions or tracking. Then, choose the tools suitable for the type of content you work with. You can also use various other methods to gather information about the performance of your content, such as polls, surveys, reviews, and more. 

Keep up with industry trends 

Every month, at least one trend arrives that everyone will be talking about. So, make the most of current trends to attract more customers and engage with your audience. From personalized medicine to artificial intelligence, a myriad of topics creates tons of discussions all over the internet, and it’s worth adding them to your content marketing ideas for healthcare. 

Reach out to the community 

According to The State of Influencer Marketing 2024, 85% of marketers believe that influencer marketing is one of the most effective forms of marketing. Collaborate with experts in the field as much as possible. From writing blog posts in tandem to conducting interviews, collaborating with influencers and experts can significantly boost engagement and enhance your content’s credibility. By partnering with healthcare bloggers and professionals, you can also increase reach thanks to content creators’ large number of followers. 

End-to-End Pharma Content Management Solution 

If you want to use omnichannel and modular approaches to accomplish your goals with medical content. In that case, Viseven can develop a custom end-to-end healthcare content management system based on your strategy. Send us an email or a message via a contact form to get a full consultation, and we’ll get back to you shortly. 

Also, you’re welcome to test eWizard — our content experience platform where you can create modular medical content for multiple channels. 

Want to learn more about medical content and pharmaceutical content management? Fill out the form below to get a consultation! 

Once there’s an inquiry about improving pharmaceutical sales representatives’ performance, there’s a need to ask a simple question: “What does it mean to be a pharmaceutical representative? What is exactly a pharma rep’s responsibility zone?”. 

Looking for the answer, you may find that the key role of a pharma representative is to deliver the pharma company’s ideas and messages to the health care reps in a most efficient, understandable, and intelligible way. So, the best way to help pharma reps improve their service is to provide all necessary information, equipment, and opportunities to improve strategies relating to health care professionals. 

Let’s explore relevant ways to boost pharma sales performance. 

Who Is a Pharma Representative and How to Become a Pharmaceutical Rep? 

The pharmaceutical sector stands as one of the most significant assets in many regions worldwide, rendering it among the most promising industries to pursue a career in. And while there are many great opportunities for scientists and doctors, one role truly stands out: a pharmaceutical representative. 

A pharmaceutical representative, or ‘pharma rep,’ markets pharmaceutical products to healthcare professionals (HCPs) and educates them about new medicines. Typically employed by drug companies and manufacturers, their main goal is to build long-term relationships with HCPs, serving as a key source of information about new medications available in the market. 

Obtaining a degree related to this job is a crucial initial step toward becoming a professional pharmaceutical representative. The degree can be in any pharmaceutical-related field, such as chemistry or biology. However, earning a degree is just the beginning; there are several additional steps necessary to pursue a career as a pharmaceutical representative: 

1. Getting a certification. Many certifications provide learners with the knowledge and skills of a professional pharmaceutical representative, including information about laws, regulations, and standards. Certification is usually not required to get employed, but it will help your resume outshine your competition; 

2. Expanding a network. Attending events in the pharmaceutical industry, connecting with experts on social media, and making your account public are good ways to become acquainted with other professionals in the field and discover potential job opportunities; 

3. Acquiring the necessary skills. A professional pharmaceutical representative understands how to present to the public and swiftly build relationships effectively. This doesn’t necessarily require being extremely extroverted, but it does entail being adept at engaging with different types of audiences. 

The role of a pharmaceutical representative is an ideal career path for individuals intrigued by sales and eager to have a job in the pharmaceutical domain. By honing such skills as salesmanship and effective communication and gaining as much field experience as possible, individuals who aspire to excel as pharmaceutical representatives can quickly become the experts in the field. 

How to Increase Sales in a Pharma Company in 7 Steps?

Now, it is time to delve into specific strategies to take Medical Reps’ effectiveness to another level.

Start With a Customer-Focused Pharmaceutical Sales Strategy

The professional market situation is the driving force behind business as well as industry communication. So, in order to not spend countless hours trying to reach the doctor, pharmaceutical sales rep needs to shift focus toward the consumer model.

That said, sales reps utilizing the latest methods of extended interactions between customers in order to see success come their way tend to be on par with their strategy to reach HC providers.

One should not underestimate the power of free individualized interaction between pharmaceutical companies, providers and patients. So, there is a need for companies to make structural changes and research new driven approaches to the customers.

Integration of technology resources and insights can be of great help in many ways for a sales representative to turn to the patient-oriented system, to reach the target audience at any time, and deliver required information. In addition, it influences the knowledge building process. Not to mention the prolonged, continuing relationships with customers.

Equip Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives

The level of tech equipment shows the level of preparedness for companies in the industry. When the medical rep is standing at the doctors’ door, ready to knock and start the communication process, they should feel prepared in the way of presenting information and receiving feedback from providers. There’s no need to overload salespeople with tech stuff for every possible moment of life. However, providing a useful CRM solution and presentation platform is an absolute must-have.

CRM allows gathering HCP’s data more effectively, whether it is contact information, job description or specific feedback on a product currently on the market. The high-quality CRM solution should be able to provide med reps with a number of relevant communication opportunities, from making calls via VoIP to scheduling emails and messages. All of it makes the communication between med reps and HCPs more effective and efficient at any time and place of choosing. The smart presentation platform is also a necessary part of the communication technology stack for medical sales representatives. The eWizard platform is the best solution that allows both to manage presentations and show them remotely.

Prep Pharmaceutical Representatives

Your content database contains many different materials for doctors: interactive presentations, learning platforms, web conferences, training, and many more. It works great for HCP involvement and education, so it should also be available for medical pharma reps. You can provide reps with these materials daily as an educational measure to increase their knowledge by making surveys, videos, presentations, and more.

As well as the company’s materials education, you should provide them with the latest information about the pharmaceutical industry and sale tactics. It is urgently important for the medical rep who has not more than 3 minutes with the health care provider but must bring some results afterward. The main idea of improving your representative’s involvement level is never to let them say: “let me check this for you. I’ll get back”.

Motivate Pharmaceutical Sales Reps

Like any other sales representative, medical representativess highly depend on motivation and feedback. A representative’s work consists of many hours spent gathering information and trying to deliver it in the short term to someone who barely wants to listen. A typical sales representative nightmare looks like this: a lot of time and attention spent on something without getting any positive result. Unfortunately, this is not unusual and may lead to employee burnout, which is unacceptable for everyone.

Remember that your med reps’ team is a tool for delivering your message to the audience of the pharma industry. You may want to keep this team as healthier as possible: create a motivational ladder, give promotions, share your business plans, and look for a way to inspire every member. An inspired and motivated employee will look for solutions on his own.

Raise Awareness Among Pharmaceutical Sales Reps

As everyone has access to the internet — and, accordingly, the ability to self-develop — nowadays, HCPs are no exception when it comes to the pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, it’s critically important to gather intelligent data about HCP’s digital activities, responses, and feedback and provide your sales team with it. It works great even for strategic purposes — tracking med reps’ efforts in the chosen region (for example, by geographical criteria) might be made in a few clicks by just opening the correct sales data.

Each team, department, and person in the company should clearly understand their responsibilities, tasks, and how they are expected to perform them. Driving more alignment, agility, and productivity into the team conducts ongoing changes and meets the pharma market’s conditions.

Let Pharmaceutical Sales Reps Be Brave

Another serious motivational factor is the ability to hear ‘no’ and keep going to the next HCP’s door. Accepting failure is extremely important for every medical representative; no matter how experienced they are, they will always have a deal with the client’s denial. Missing a good potential sale leads to frustration which accumulates and, in turn, leads to burnout — this is a traditional way for any pharmaceutical sales rep to quit their job.

So, make your team learn from their failures and how to overcome them. The truth is the more you fail and learn from it, the better salesperson you become. Spend time to each your sales representatives to find a lesson in every rejection, so their delivery flow can be flexible and personalized for any difficult circumstances their customers have. Keep in mind that flexibility goes a long way, too many penalties for not making a plan, your employee will mostly think about how not to be fined instead of looking for effectiveness.

Keep The Sales Representatives Motivated

Great piece of motivation is always inspiring for every person. Try to motivate them in all possible way. There is no better thing, that the belief of team leader in colleagues. A good manager should be able to motivate people to work and be sure of future results. Colleagues are peers and the whole company – a community, a family.

Turn everyday work in enjoying process. Indeed, if to inspire employees to see real future goals and results, they will, undoubtedly, work harder, paying attention to every detail.

Takeaways

As you can see, there are many ways to influence your medical representative’s sales process, make it more profitable and increase pharmaceutical sales force effectiveness. In a nutshell, the best you can do for your team is to try to walk in their shoes and see this sales process from their perspective. This way, you can learn more about what they need, discover more about the inner world of pharmaceutical marketing and get new ideas to increase pharmacy sales. Does it sound good enough to try?

Please fill out the form below to contact us and learn about our approaches that will help you be a champion in healthcare engagement and bring your pharma sales force effectiveness to a new orbit.