From continuous blood glucose monitors to smart asthma inhalers, the medical devices industry works at the cutting edge of science to make life easier and healthier for millions of people. We take a look at the “three Cs” of engaging B2B buyers in the healthcare sector: credibility, content, care.
From continuous blood glucose monitors to smart asthma inhalers, the medical devices industry works at the cutting edge of science to make life easier and healthier for millions of people.
But getting the word out there while working within some of the tightest regulations in the industry can sometimes result in marketing paralysis.
It doesn’t have to be that way, and with some simple “dos” and “don’ts” you can design innovative campaigns that add as much value to public health as the products themselves.
We take a look at the “three Cs” of engaging B2B buyers in the healthcare sector: credibility, content, care.
Credibility
It’s often said that there is no such thing as bad publicity, but this is certainly not the case in healthcare.
In a saturated market of trend products and over-inflated claims, any healthcare company needs to prove its worth by holding itself to the highest possible standards in all marketing activities.
When a product is classified as a medical product under the Medical Devices Regulations 2002, marketeers need to ensure all claims are backed up by “robust evidence” — that’s clinical trials, hard data and proven facts.
Being branded “misleading”, especially if the label comes from Advertising Standards Agency or the MHRA, can spell a credibility blow that puts buyers off before you’ve even got started.
By focusing marketing materials on how the product improves patient outcomes, companies can build the credibility they need to stand out from the crowd.
Content
A recent study from Hubspot found that B2B companies that create and share content attract more leads that those who do not.
Any valuable medical device will solve a problem or make a patient’s life easier, and the best brands use quality content to communicate that.
Of course, that means regular blogging, but a programme of in-depth insight reports and white papers can demonstrate you understand the problem your device has set out to solve.
It can also generate specialist press coverage that places your company as a key opinion leader.
The US medication adherence platform company HealthPrize Technologies, for example, has put itself in front of its target audience by crunching the numbers on the cost of non-compliance to the pharmaceutical industry.
This kind of thought leadership marketing works especially well in knowledge industries such as healthcare. When done well, it succinctly outlines the problem while positioning the author’s company or product as a natural solution.
Care
Ultimately, the B2B marketing of healthcare devices is about demonstrating your company cares about the end-user – that the product can help them live a better life.
That means having a sound understanding of the unmet needs among your patient population and keeping up-to-date with all the latest research and technology.
Remember, healthcare is a community so companies need to ensure all leads are nurtured over the long-term.
Sharing links to recent content and any new data that builds on your evidence base through social media and email channels will keep you in front of the right people.
And that is what will turn leads into sales.
For more advice on medical device marketing, get in touch with our team, or look through our most recent healthcare projects.