No where else have consumers become more accustomed to a customized experience than in healthcare. Each of us carries a unique medical history and physical makeup, so we don’t expect a one-size-fits-all approach.
A person’s health represents a unique challenge in need of a personalized solution. The same should apply for healthcare marketing. Recent studies show that more than 70% of consumers prefer ads targeted to their interests, which is reflected in the 2x higher click-through rates from personalized ads vs. generic ones.
Knowing you need a personalized solution is easy, but creating it can be difficult. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, better known as HIPAA, regulates what personal health information (PHI) can be shared without customer’s consent. As such, marketers are often limited in what data they have access to, since they can’t buy Big Data to provide a unique experience.
With these limits in hand, many healthcare marketers are turning the tables on consumers by asking them to opt-in with their personal information. Nearly 50% of consumers have gone so far as to say they would be willing to give up personal information like their email or address in order to receive a more personalized experience.
Mobile healthcare apps present a great opportunity to incentivize a consumer’s release of PHI. By offering tips to manage a chronic health condition through a mobile app, companies can capture information to later target these consumers in a personalized way.
Successfully encouraging consumers to release information is key, since healthcare companies often rely on long-term relationships with their customers, instead of a single-sale approach. As with any relationship, the more you show you care by personalizing your message, the better your relationship will be.
Take it from me: I’m a doctor marketer.