Content Strategy Basics Part III: 10 tips for building a healthcare content strategy
Summary: Understanding your audiences, knowing where to publish, and iterating to find out what works are just a few of the steps to creating an impactful content strategy for your healthcare brand.
This is the final segment of a three-part series on the need for healthcare entities to develop content strategy plans. In this edition, we provide ten tips that’ll help you get it done, stand out, and have an impact on patient lives.
As a digital agency, we understand the challenges, big and small, businesses face. Healthcare has a particularly unique set of issues to overcome, especially when it comes to communicating with consumers and patients, standing out, and having an impact. And while their overarching goal is better health outcomes, healthcare systems and providers must also attract new customers and grow revenue. A solid content strategy plan is an effective means to make this possible and build long-term success.
As noted in our last installment, every piece of content on a healthcare organization’s website should serve a purpose and contribute to the advancement of the patient journey. We have long partnered with hospitals and health systems to create frictionless, consumer-focused websites that increase patient acquisition. Key to that is content that answers questions in the clearest, most engaging way.
To help you navigate the content landscape and build a solid strategy, we've put together the following ten tips.
1. Define your goals: Start by identifying your business objectives and what you want to achieve through your content strategy. Whether it's increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or boosting patient acquisition, clear goals will guide your content creation.
2. Know your audience: Understand your target's needs, preferences and challenges. Conduct research, surveys and analysis and create detailed personas that represent your ideal patients. Know their pain points, physically and otherwise, and get a sense for the information that’ll matter most to them.
3. Audit content: Assess your existing content to identify strengths, weaknesses, and gaps. Determine which content performs well and aligns with goals, while identifying areas for improvement. Can certain pieces of content be removed? Can you merge anything together? Removing clutter gives key content a greater chance of standing out. Pay particular attention to weeding out medical content that’s outdated or give it a refresh.
4. Choose content channels: Select the best channels to distribute your content. Chances are you’re going to prioritize your website, but you need to consider your blog, social media platforms, email newsletters – anyplace your customers interact with you online. Tailor your content to fit each channel's unique requirements.
5. Create a content calendar: Develop a well-structured calendar that outlines what content will be published, when, and on which platform. This keeps your messaging and content delivery consistent and helps you plan ahead. It can also help you prepare and leverage recurring content for seasonal issues such as allergies, flus, and more.
6. Craft compelling content: Produce high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that resonates with your audience – especially on high-traffic pages. Mix up different formats like articles, videos, infographics, and podcasts to keep content fresh and appealing.
7. Implement SEO best practices: Optimize your content for search engines. Start with keyword research and include those that are relevant naturally in the copy. This helps improve organic visibility and increases the odds of reaching your target audience.
8. Monitor and analyze performance: Use analytics tools to track the performance of your content. Measure metrics like website traffic, engagement, and social media interactions to determine what is working best.
9. Iterate and improve: Continuously review your content strategy's performance to gauge effectiveness. Analyze patient feedback and adapt to their changing preferences and needs. Stay updated with the latest trends and industry developments to make sure your content is relevant. By regularly measuring and refining your strategy, you can fine-tune your approach, maximize its impact, and stay ahead of competitors.
10. Collaborate: Encourage communication and collaboration among team members involved in the content creation process such as writers, designers, and marketers. By getting everyone on the same page, you can ensure content is cohesive, aligned with your voice, and meets both patient and business goals. Regular brainstorming sessions, feedback loops, and open discussions allow for the exchange of ideas and different perspectives.
Remember, crafting a robust content strategy plan is key to thriving in today's digital healthcare landscape. By using these tips, you can pave the way for your organization to stand out and your patients’ voices to be heard.
Need content help?
If you need help, our proven team of experts are ready to lend a hand. We’ve developed customized plans for businesses of all sizes, addressing their unique needs and taking their content strategy to new heights. Get in touch today and we’ll show you how to get closer to your existing and future patients!