Open enrollment season is a great reminder to think about how you are communicating with your patients. As healthcare is top of mind for many consumers this time of year, healthcare marketers can leverage the increased focus on wellbeing to drive further attention to the primary and specialty services they offer.
While many patients will make no change to their annual health care benefits, end of year benefit deadlines and lifestyle changes create new opportunities to capture the attention of prospective patients transitioning on or off of plans, moving to a new location, searching for specialty services and more.
Here are three healthcare marketing tips to consider during open enrollment season as you’re planning your marketing strategy to drive new patient acquisition.
Develop a Deep Understanding of Your Ideal Potential Patients
Whether you’re a health system, dentist or specialty healthcare service provider, it is critical when you’re developing your marketing plan that you have a deep understanding of who your potential patients are. Through effective patient profiling you can go beyond demographic and basic patient data to get the full picture of your patients at the household level, looking at their lifestyle characteristics and consumer behavior.
Whatever the reason, not everyone in your area is destined to be your potential patient. Take time to understand what makes your patients unique and how you can better serve their health needs, while spending your marketing dollars wisely.
Tailor Your Messages to Your Patient’s Profile
One size does not fit all. Consumers have come to expect personalization in everything, and healthcare is no exception. In order to draw more attention and engagement from your prospective patients it is important that you target your messaging based on your patient’s unique needs. Build on your patient profiles by identifying patients you should be targeting based on services that are typically top of mind during open enrollment, such as reaching out to younger patients less likely to have scheduled their annual check-up.
Refine Your Messages by Advertising Channel
Just as important as the message you are using is the vehicle you will use to reach your potential patients. Some patients may be more responsive to direct mail, while others prefer email or mobile ads. By leveraging consumer analytics and your patient profiles, you can identify who, where, and how best to reach your prospective patients to drive patient acquisition.
Learn How to Acquire More Patients by Leveraging Patient Analytics
While open enrollment only occurs once a year, your healthcare marketing plan should stay fresh all year long. Learn how you can leverage patient analytics to drive new patient acquisition and increase patient lifetime value with Buxton.
Watch our on-demand webinar now.
