There’s a common misconception that physicians behave differently from other humans. This is particularly true in the marketing world, where many marketers fall for the myth that physicians respond to marketing messages differently than other types of audiences.
The reality is that physicians are not a monolithic group of people who all behave exactly the same. Instead, they are a diverse group of people who will have varying reactions to marketing messages, just like any other population.
So, with that in mind, how can you create marketing campaigns that physicians will read?
It starts by getting a broader understanding of physician behavior and how that can influence their interest in your marketing campaign.
Marketing Based on Physician Behavior
As we mentioned, physicians are not a monolithic group of people; you can’t apply just one approach to all physicians and expect good results.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t make some informed decisions based on typical physician behavior.
Consider the following when marketing to physicians.
1. They’re people too!
Yes, even though we might think of physicians as superheroes (a well-deserved title, in many cases), the fact is that they are people, just like the rest of us.
That means they exhibit the same behaviors as other people when they are online, such as scanning articles, only clicking on emails with interesting subject lines, and ignoring text messages the first time around.
As with other groups of people, physicians each have their own unique set of habits that dictates how and where they will see and engage with marketing materials. That’s why it’s a good idea to use an omnichannel approach since all physicians don’t necessarily use the same marketing channels.
2. They’re busy
No matter their specialty, we can all agree that physicians are a busy group of people. They don’t have time to sit through a long marketing pitch, and many prefer getting marketing materials through virtual formats (i.e., email, text messages) to scheduling in-person meetings.
3. They don’t know everything
Physicians have indeed gone through a lot of schooling to get to where they are. But that doesn’t mean they know absolutely everything! This is especially true for clinical information, including prescriptions and products just coming on the market. Marketers shouldn’t be afraid to provide educational content to physicians, especially if it relates to their specialty areas.
4. They don’t bother with spam
Like the rest of us, physicians don’t take the time to deal with emails that their email provider’s spam filter has blocked. That’s why it’s crucial to ensure your emails get through instead of getting trapped by spam filters. (Hint: HealthLink Dimensions can help with this! Our email deployment services ensure your emails get past spam bots and into physician inboxes.)
5. Physicians aren’t the only decision-makers
Although physicians make up a large segment of decision-makers in healthcare, they aren’t the only ones who can benefit from your messaging. In your marketing outreach, don’t forget about other healthcare providers, such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacists.
Need Help Reaching Physicians? Let’s Talk!
Hopefully, this article will help you see physicians in a new, more human light to support your marketing efforts.
However, you don’t need to do it alone. HealthLink Dimensions can help you reach physicians through different channels, including email, SMS, and programmatic marketing.
Our managed data services and engagement solutions are built on the most robust healthcare facility database, which will ensure that your marketing message gets seen by the right people at the right time.
Contact us today to learn more about how HealthLink Dimensions can help you with physician and HCP outreach.
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