Content creation and distribution are two parts of a healthcare practice that are often ignored for flashier alternatives. But in a world where healthcare journeys are first and foremost starting from the browser of a consumer, medical content creation becomes extremely important. 

More and more people now rely on the internet to find out more about their health, and by providing such information healthcare professionals can set up the stage to stand apart from their competitors.

Why is medical content important?

Healthcare is a field that is constantly evolving based on the technological advancements being made. Advancements not just in medical practice but in allied fields and other more disparate areas of research. One of the biggest changes to healthcare has been through the advent of the internet, and its recent rapid dissemination to the wider public. 

More and more people are relying on the internet to find information about their healthcare issues and a significant portion of patients start their healthcare journey with their web browser. 

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009 a total of  61% of the adult population had looked for health or medical information on the Internet. On top of that, 49% had searched for websites in particular that contained information about specific medical conditions or problems. 

As the usage of the internet has become more widespread through the rapid adoption of smartphones and faster telecommunications networks, the share of individuals looking for health information online has increased rapidly as well. 

The pandemic has only further hastened this fact and an increasingly large number of people now are looking for medical information online, with some estimates suggesting that 8 out of 10 US adults look online for medical information.

The modern-day healthcare consumer first turns to the internet and only then to a healthcare professional. 

Healthcare professionals in response have also increased their presence on the web, but in a sea of competition, it can be hard to stand out easily. It is for this reason that healthcare professionals need to implement medical content creation into their practice. 

What benefits can it have?

Brand Awareness
One of the biggest benefits of creating medical content and distributing it appropriately is the fact that healthcare professionals are able to create their brand on the internet. A web page for a healthcare practice is an advertisement for the brand and one of the first touchpoints that a consumer connects with. 

Most consumers will first look up a practice on the internet before committing to any further relations. By having content like various medical articles, blogs, posts, and more, healthcare professionals are able to put their best selves forth on the internet. 

The lack of an internet presence can also be detrimental to the practice. Studies have shown that consumers place a significant amount of importance on the social media presence (which includes the presence of websites and blogs) for choosing a healthcare provider. Patients have also stated that internet presence also indicates that a healthcare practice is offering cutting-edge technology.

Patient Loyalty, Retention, and Evangelism
Creating medical content also allows healthcare professionals to create trust and loyalty among consumers. Patients are more likely to trust a healthcare provider whose content they have seen and perused in the past, than one with whom they have no prior interaction. 

Patients are also more likely to stay with the same healthcare provider if they have found them through their medical content. As consuming the medical content builds trust even before engaging in a patient-provider relationship, most patients prefer to stick to the healthcare professional they already trust. 

In a highly competitive market, keeping the patients you find is an important factor for your practice. 
Patients are also more likely to engage in customer evangelism for your healthcare practice if they have content to back their words to other potential consumers. Word-of-mouth recommendations are likely to have a stronger impact if they are backed up with tangible evidence.

Help with targeted marketing
By creating medical articles that specifically talk about the areas of specialization or the services that they offer, healthcare providers can directly put their brand in front of patients that need them. 

This is advantageous over other traditional forms of televised and print marketing, by allowing healthcare providers to directly communicate with the patients that are looking for their exact services. 

Using sound digital marketing strategies on top of adding topical content can also lead to the website content being made more visible to consumers from a particular area and looking for a very particular set of services. 

All of this combines to reduce the cost per patient acquisition (CPA). By distributing medical content through the proper channels, healthcare professionals are able to reduce the money they spent to attract new consumers by a considerable margin.

Pitfalls

Just like any other content, healthcare professionals need to be judicious in the ways that they are creating and distributing their content. Their content should not just be for the sole purpose of marketing their brand and service, but also to provide value and information to consumers.

While it can be hard to avoid the pitfalls associated with content marketing, the advantages far outweigh the potential drawbacks. Healthcare providers can also partner with experts to make their content creation and marketing process much easier for themselves.

BraveLabs

BraveLabs helps healthcare professionals not only create the perfect healthcare-related content that will be best suited for their practice but also distribute the content through omnichannel processes.