Keeping up-to-date with modern digital technology can be a challenge for healthcare brands, but as patients and caregivers increasingly turn to the internet for information, an incredibly active online community has emerged.
According to Econsultancy, health-related internet use is now one of the top three online activities worldwide. This means that creating an online portal to provide important health-related information can be a great opportunity to interact with and influence this growing community.
One of the most important considerations with any information portal relating to health is how to build trust and establish credibility. Because of this, online healthcare communities, such as Aetna´s Intelihealth, take great care to create quality digital content at all times.
Content increasingly has the power to elevate or damage a brand’s credibility, so a well thought-out, layered content strategy is vital. It’s important that all aspects are covered by expert opinion so brands need to carefully consider their area of expertise and stick closely to what they know.
In some instances, content may need to be impartial to be viewed as truly trustworthy so a brand may need third party content to maintain integrity. For example, making a product comparison may not be a suitable topic for a healthcare provider, but an independent expert could provide this information without being seen as unprofessional. It’s worth noting that Bloggers are sometimes required to be transparent about their relationships with healthcare companies.
In recent years, with the penetration of social media into consumers´ everyday life, the importance of blogging is also increasing and healthcare blogs have started to appear alongside the official NHS website, WebMD and other official sites in the search results pages.
In summary, all brands should be aware of building and maintaining credibility in all marketing activity, and this is particularly true for Healthcare providers. Engaging content of consistent quality and integrity can be highly influential, and help your brand take full advantage of the opportunities digital marketing brings.