In today's competitive healthcare industry, good marketing practices are essential to attract patients, build strong relationships with doctors, gain trust, and stand out from the competition.
The "Wheel of Change in Healthcare Marketing Practices" is a framework that emphasizes the continuous improvement of marketing efforts through three interconnected components: (a) preserving proven strategies, (b)eliminating outdated or ineffective tactics, and (c) adopting innovative approaches. This cyclical process ensures that healthcare organizations can effectively reach out to  their target audiences while adapting to industry trends and patient needs.
1. Preservation of Proven Marketing Strategies
Leveraging Established Successes: In healthcare marketing, certain strategies stand the test of time. These might include patient referral programs, community outreach initiatives, BTL initiatives & branding. The first component of the Wheel of Change focuses on identifying these proven strategies and ensuring their continued use. Preserving what works well provides a stable foundation upon which new initiatives can be built.
Maintaining Brand Consistency: Preservation also involves upholding a consistent brand identity across all marketing efforts. Consistency in messaging, tone, and visual identity helps build trust with patients and reinforces the organization's values. By preserving these elements, healthcare providers ensure that their brand remains strong and recognizable, even as they explore new marketing avenues.
Maintaining Trust and Reliability: In hospitals & diagnostic services , trust and reliability are paramount. Proven marketing strategies that emphasize the accuracy, speed, and reliability of  results should be preserved. This includes maintaining strong relationships with healthcare providers, who rely on consistent, high-quality service for patient care, and ensuring that branding highlights the lab’s expertise and reputation.
Continuing Education and Outreach: Another key strategy to preserve is ongoing education and outreach efforts aimed at doctors, patients, and even the broader community.
2. Elimination of Ineffective Marketing Tactics
Streamlining Communication Channels: The healthcare industry (hospitals & Â diagnostics in particular) is often marked by complex communication channels between services providers, physicians and patients. Streamlining communication channels might include phasing out ineffective traditional advertising methods, reducing redundant messaging, and eliminating slow or unreliable information dissemination processes if any.
Removing Low-Impact Strategies: It’s essential to continuously evaluate the ROI of various marketing tactics. Strategies that do not yield meaningful results—such as low-engagement digital campaigns, underperforming partnerships, or outdated promotional materials—should be eliminated. This allows the marketing team to focus resources on initiatives that more effectively reach target audiences and drive engagement.
Assessing Marketing ROI: Not all marketing efforts yield the desired results. The second component of the Wheel of Change involves a critical evaluation of current marketing practices to identify tactics that are no longer effective or are underperforming. This could include outdated advertising methods, ineffective social media campaigns, or content that no longer resonates with the target audience.
3. Adoption of Innovative Marketing Approaches
Leveraging Data and Analytics: In a field driven by precision, marketing strategies should also be data-driven. The third component of the Wheel of Change emphasizes the adoption of innovative approaches, such as using advanced analytics to segment audiences, personalize outreach, and optimize campaigns. By leveraging data, providers can better understand their clients’ needs, predict market trends, and tailor their services and marketing messages accordingly.
Embracing Digital Transformation: The healthcare industry is increasingly digital, and marketing practices must evolve accordingly. The third component of the Wheel of Change emphasizes the adoption of innovative marketing strategies that leverage new technologies and trends.
This could  also include the use of data analytics to personalize patient outreach, Social media & digital marketing ,implementing AI-driven chatbots for patient engagement, or exploring new platforms like telehealth to reach patients where they are.
Staying Ahead of Trends: Healthcare marketing is not static, and staying ahead of trends is essential. This might involve experimenting with emerging social media platforms, utilizing influencer marketing, or creating virtual experiences for patient education. By being proactive in adopting innovative strategies, healthcare organizations can differentiate themselves in a crowded market and create more meaningful connections with their audiences.
The Wheel of Change in Healthcare Marketing is a continuous process. As new strategies are implemented and tested, they must be evaluated to determine their effectiveness. Successful tactics are preserved and integrated into the ongoing marketing plan, while those that fail to deliver are eliminated. This cycle of evaluation, preservation, and innovation ensures that healthcare marketing practices remain dynamic, relevant, and effective.
Article compiled & contributed by Raj Sehgal, a healthcare management & marketing practitioner with 25+ years of industry experience in India & International Markets
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