As CMO of iSalus Healthcare, Renae Rossow is responsible for overseeing the planning, development and execution of the marketing and advertising initiatives. Working closely with the Chief Strategy Officer to generate revenue by increasing sales through successful marketing for the entire organization using market research, Renae leads on pricing, product marketing, marketing communications, advertising and public relations.
Ahead of her presentation at the Digital Marketing in Healthcare Summit this May 22 - 23, we sat down with Renae to discuss marketing within the healthcare industry, from the key tenets of any strategy to the technology set to make an impact going forward.
In healthcare or otherwise, what do you see as the key tenets of any digital marketing strategy?
There are three that stick out as the most important principles that set the foundation for the rest of the strategy. Digital marketing is different and yet very much the same as traditional marketing in that you absolutely must understand your target audience before anything else. In many
The next principle or tenet would be the foundation for your messaging. There are so many people talking about what they do. The internet is a very noisy place. To create a real connection from an ad on a computer or mobile phone takes a message that matters. Every campaign created, no matter if it’s on Adwords, YouTube, an email or your website, the messaging needs to come from the same foundation. That foundation should not be based on what you do, but rather why you do it. In the end, people buy a brand more than they buy a product. Everyone needs healthcare so why do they choose one practice over another? Communicating from the passion that is the underlying reason your practice or organization exists will create true connection throughout each campaign in your strategy.
The final of my top three tenets would be that you consistently provide more value than you take. If you’re going to provide a piece of content in exchange for an email address, make sure it’s a really good piece of content that is more valuable to the user
What are the problems with using customer data in what is a regulation-intensive industry?
Doctors and healthcare providers across the country already have the data they need inside the electronic health records they are using to document patient encounters. Unfortunately, we’re not to the point where everyone is using it and it’s an absolute shame. The United States spends more than any other country in the world on healthcare but has the worst results of all the countries similar in size and stature. Utilizing patient data is key to understanding how to reach and communicate and market to the very people you are trying to heal. Understanding key data points and using them to send the right messaging to patients could literally turn healthcare in the United States around and we’ll be seeing it more and more as population health continues to emerge. But, as long as we’re compliant and protect the patient’s privacy, it’s then that customer or patient data is invaluable.
What
I think we’ll see more and more wearables that connect to patient portals emerge as healthcare continues to veer towards integrating technology in a mobile way. I think wearables will play a key role in patient engagement too. We’ve already seen how technology like the Fitbit and similar products have gotten more people than ever simply willing to start moving again. Now we’re beginning to see wearable technology that tracks your breathing patterns, analyzes them and helps you reduce your stress levels. Orthopedic doctors can track a patient’s exercise compliance after a joint replacement procedure to make sure they are reaching their goals and adhering to their care plan at home.
There are wearable glasses coming out on the market that will help those who are visually differently-abled live more independently and we’re even seeing something in the automotive industry called the “CardioWheel” which is technology that is built into a steering wheel or even bike handles that can identify who is driving and track multiple cardiac pathologies. It can even give you insight
Hear more from Renae, along with many other leading marketers working within the healthcare industry, at the Digital Marketing in Healthcare Summit this May 22 - 23 in Philadelphia.
How easy is it to over-personalize in healthcare? Do brands risk being intrusive?
There’s always a risk
But what happens when you call the visitor Jane Doe instead of “Doctor” Jane Doe? This has happened to me. And the doctor was offended that I didn’t use her title, so she contacted my company and let them know that she was offended. Then marketing had to go digging to figure out how that happened. Now,
Personalization is a great thing in healthcare and for marketers across the industry – as long as you get it right. Get it wrong and it’s the quickest way a doctor can disenchant his patient or a vendor company like ours can bungle the relationship they are building with a provider that could become a future client. In the case I just mentioned, we were able to save the relationship with Dr. Jane Doe by simply apologizing and taking ownership of the mistake – and perhaps some thoughtful cookies were sent to her staff.
What social platforms, if any, do brands tend to use for healthcare marketing? What is the alternative, if the answer is none?
So this goes back to knowing the persona of your target audience. There are many different answers and
My personal experience in trying to reach physicians on the internet is that they’re not on there hanging out on Facebook and if they’re on LinkedIn it’s only in brief spurts. So, where are they? There’s research out there that shows most physicians use the internet for reading the latest clinical trials. So again, identify your target persona, if it’s a physician is it a specialty like a Urologist? If so, where do Urologists get their information from? National associations? Urological journals? Find out the answer and figure out how to get your brand in front of them using Google Adwords and the placement feature or contacting the site directly to buy ad space. It takes work, but the payoff will be much greater than wasting your time on social media.
What will you be discussing in your presentation at the summit?
My discussion for the presentation is about pioneering patient engagement. True patient engagement is much more than just having the patient make contact or read their test results through a patient portal. Achieving true patient engagement means, as a provider, you have a patient who is just as invested in their health as you are. When that type of relationship is accomplished, then it is true patient engagement. There are many ways doctors and other healthcare providers can work towards achieving those goals but, interestingly enough, marketers also play a key role in attaining this level of patient engagement. I’m going to share some of the tactics and tools available to help you make a strategy that really brings healthcare providers and their patients together so that true patient engagement can happen.