In the ever-evolving world of healthcare, marketing strategies are continuously adapting to new changes to meet the expectations of both healthcare organizations and their target audience (B2B and B2C). The healthcare industry is all set to embrace new marketing strategies to cater to the growing needs of modern consumers. 

From tech to innovation and research, healthcare is becoming more patient-centered, data-driven, and tech-savvy. In this blog, together we’ll discover the healthcare marketing trends that are reshaping the way healthcare organizations are set to provide improved patient experiences, and healthcare outcomes in healthcare innovation, healthcare research, healthcare products/services, etc.

Personalization

Personalization is going to be a major healthcare marketing trend in 2024 and it will stay for years to come as consumers’ expectations are evolving day by day and nobody wants to consume generic information that does not address their needs.

Every patient is unique and so are their healthcare needs, genetic makeup, and lifestyle can vary significantly. To cater to the unique needs of patients/consumers, B2C and B2B healthcare organizations are leveraging various strategies of personalization. 

1. Segmentation of target audience based on demographics, preferences, history, age, gender, etc.
2. Creating consumer personas (ICP – Ideal customer profile) using data
3. Healthcare email marketing personalization 
4. Behavioral targeting and Geo-targeting 
5. Content customization 
6. Personalized website experience and customized landing pages for each segment of the audience 
7. Social media engagement 
8. Chatbots and virtual assistants 
9. Automated follow-ups, patient reminders, healthcare resources, etc.

Virtual hospitals and telemedicine 

Virtual hospitals and telemedicine are innovative approaches to healthcare marketing and we can also consider them as the healthcare tech trends. 

Many healthcare organizations are investing in efficient virtual hospitals as they provide convenient access to healthcare seekers from remote or underserved areas. It is also helpful in reducing unnecessary travel time and expenses for minor monitoring and consultations. 

Also, telemedicine and virtual hospitals are increasingly used by urban consumers as the healthcare facilities are easy to access amidst their busy schedules. 

Virtual hospitals and telehealth continue to evolve as the future trends. Healthcare organizations will invest in AI technologies to build specialized virtual hospitals for specific health conditions. 

Through this healthcare professionals will strive to provide improved patient outcomes and reliability. Also, healthcare organizations can effectively allocate their resources and accommodate physical hospitals for patients who need intense care.

Providing multi-channel experience 

Healthcare organizations will leverage multiple communication channels to keep their audience engaged, targeted, and informed. Providing a multi-channel experience to consumers is one of the major healthcare marketing trends that till now has yet to be leveraged to its full potential. But now, to remain relevant to the present-day and updated target audience, both B2B and B2C healthcare organizations will utilize a multi-channel experience. 

Healthcare organizations will leverage data to the fullest to understand the communication preferences of each audience segment and provide relevant content, information, and resources in ways that align with the needs and preferences of the audience.

Some of the best multi-channels for healthcare marketing are:

1. Website portals and mobile-friendly applications
2. Various social media platforms for different audience segments
3. Chatbots and virtual assistants 
4. Video content/ Video Marketing 
5. Creative notifications 
6. Podcasts and UGC (User-generated-content)
7. Patient support groups and social media communities 
8. Email communication and text messaging for emergency updates.

Providing insightful and reliable healthcare resources

Though “content” seems like an old strategy, its role in the healthcare industry is growing evidently. As discussed above, personalization and providing multi-channel experience are the major healthcare marketing trends, and the basis of these trends is the content. 

Healthcare organizations will invest in creating original and authentic content that genuinely provides value to consumers. The increasing use of Open AI has filled the internet with abundant random data and consumers are trusting information only from established resources, especially in healthcare. Hence providing valuable content and resources will continue to be a trend for healthcare marketing in 2024 and beyond.

Healthcare organizations can provide free health resources, how-to guides, mental health manuals, condition-specific patient guides, healing remedies, pre-operative and post-operative guides, etc. Also, it is evident that target audiences are increasingly consuming video content as it is easy to access (watch or listen) irrespective of literacy, and it is also entertaining. 

Hence, video content is going to be the major communication channel for healthcare brands to educate and engage their target audience. 

AI and predictive analysis 

AI and Predictive analysis is one of the major healthcare marketing trends leveraged by giant medical organizations. From patient care and diagnostics to operational efficiency and research, predictive analysis is helping healthcare organizations and shaping the future of healthcare with AI.

AI and predictive analysis are used in: 

1. AI algorithms can analyze huge amounts of patient data, analyze the previous medical history and genetic information, identify patterns, and predict the risk of developing diseases.
2. AI and predictive analysis can be used in personalized treatment plans, drug discovery, research, and development.
3. Predictive analysis can also be used in improving hospital operational efficiency by determining patient admission rates and optimizing in-bed and resource allocation.

AR and VR 

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality is going to be important trend in healthcare research, training, and patient education that provides an exceptional visual experience for students and patients.

VR can be leveraged explicitly for telehealth and telemedicine by creating virtual rooms and providing immersive therapy sessions for mental health and rehabilitation.

AR and VR are also used by giant healthcare manufacturers in providing effective product/medical device visualizations, interactive health and wellness apps that engage users, creating virtual and interactive booths for online healthcare events, etc.                                        

Conclusion 

As we explored in this blog, the emerging healthcare marketing trends and strategies will be game-changers for healthcare organizations and bring them closer to the expectations of their target audience.

From deeply understanding consumers and providing what they need in the form of personalization, to empowering consumers’ journey through authentic content, and improving engagement through various AI-driven strategies, the healthcare industry will proactively embrace and adapt these strategies to a higher level in the future.