Navigating the fast-shifting healthcare digital advertising landscape is daunting, and you need a trusted partner to help you stay current with the latest strategies and technologies. But what should you look for in a healthcare ad agency? We asked Brian Cauble, Spot On partner and head of digital advertising, to share how top healthcare digital marketing agencies can help you effectively manage your online ad campaigns.
Healthcare tech is a special breed of marketing. Your healthcare digital marketing agency must understand the complex decision-making dynamics and long sales cycle to implement industry-specific marketing strategies at various customer lifecycle stages to engage your audience, build trust, and drive conversions.
Your agency should benchmark your competitors and industry to identify gaps and opportunities and allocate your budget effectively. Additionally, it should know how to navigate healthcare regulations and industry nuances to avoid compliance issues that could derail your campaigns.
Your healthcare ad agency should understand the diverse nature of healthcare services and create a tailored advertising plan that aligns with your unique goals and challenges. For example, it should help you determine the right mix of SEO tactics vs. PPC ads to drive high-quality traffic, build brand authority, and achieve long-term success cost-effectively.
"The first thing your agency should do is to understand your goals. They should ask relevant business questions to learn about your objectives, target audience, and budget requirements. Then, they should help you structure your healthcare digital advertising strategy and prepare a plan," says Cauble.
Your healthcare digital marketing agency must adhere to healthcare advertising regulations to ensure all your campaigns meet legal and ethical standards. It should communicate how it implements compliance measures to avoid legal issues and protect your reputation.
Choose a healthcare ad agency with expertise in reaching and engaging industry-specific audiences. It should understand who your ideal customers are, their pain points and preferences, how they search for information, and what platforms and devices they use. It should also adopt a data-driven approach for precise targeting.
"Knowing your customers and their pain points is critical for targeting. The insights help you select the right words and show your ads on the right platform. A healthcare digital marketing agency must understand the business side of advertising and ask the right questions," says Cauble.
Top healthcare digital marketing agencies implement advanced analytics tools to monitor client campaigns in real-time and adjust their tactics to maximize results. They also help you define objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) and provide regular, detailed reporting on these metrics and campaign ROI.
"Transparency in reporting should be one of the top criteria when selecting a healthcare ad agency. For example, you should be able to access your data at any time and know how much your ads cost you. They should also be transparent about their fees. Beware of agencies that bill the ads on their credit cards and upcharge the clients — who'd never know what they pay for their ads," says Cauble.
From Artificial intelligence (AI) to virtual reality (VR), new technologies are changing the face of healthcare marketing. Your healthcare digital marketing agency should help you stay current with industry trends and incorporate cutting-edge technologies and innovative tactics to stay relevant.
For example, we've been incorporating AI tools to help our clients get the most out of their ad campaigns. Besides using AI to generate real-time insights from vast amounts of data and inform ad bidding strategies, we use generative AI programs to support content marketing and SEO.
Healthcare tech buyers search for solutions and engage with vendors on different platforms throughout a long sales cycle. Your healthcare ad agency should have the capabilities to execute integrated campaigns across various digital channels and optimize assets for platforms such as social media, search engines, and healthcare-specific websites.
Healthcare digital advertising shouldn't be mysterious. Your agency should establish open lines of communication to support collaborative planning and execution. Additionally, it should provide regular client updates and conduct strategy reviews to keep you in the loop.
"You should receive monthly reporting with a focus on the ROI and your bottom line. It isn't just about how many people saw your ad and visited your website. You should know how many people convert and what you're getting for your ad dollars," says Cauble. "Good reporting isn't about sending you 30 pages of numbers. Instead, it should highlight critical metrics and show how your ad budget was spent."
Your healthcare digital marketing agency should set measurable campaign goals and regularly assess their outcomes against your objectives and KPIs. It should also perform ongoing optimization based on performance data and industry developments.
"Your agency must keep up with technology and advise you on using new campaign types. For example, we've seen a trend of company and contact list-matching in recent years and are helping our clients explore the technique," says Cauble.
Working with a reputable healthcare digital marketing agency can help you leverage the latest strategies and technologies to maximize your ROI. Your healthcare ad agency should have in-depth industry experience and take the time to understand your objectives and challenges. It should tailor a marketing strategy to help you reach your target audience. Also, look for a partner that prioritizes transparency in communication and reporting and uses data to refine your campaigns continuously.
Spot On has extensive experience helping SaaS companies develop and implement healthcare digital advertising strategies. Book a meeting to see how we can help you create on-point advertising that resonates with your target audience and drives conversions.
