How to leverage multi-channel healthcare advertising

Multi-channel advertising strategies increase the likelihood that you will reach your target audience. Whether your target audience is consuming content for Practice-modifying information or disease-state education, this approach ensures your message is heard.

But is it really that simple? Does increasing the number of advertising channels automatically increase your return on investment?

It can - but it's more nuanced than that, especially when advertising to physicians.

Healthcare advertising insights
In an age where the internet dominates almost every aspect of life, it would be easy to assume that digital advertising is the king. Yet this is far from reality. A walk through almost any city street instantly reveals that print display media is still alive and well. Even smartphone app developers advertise their products on billboards and public transit - and they are marketing to an audience that, by definition, already possess a digital portal!

In other words, if app developers need to advertise in print, so do pharmaceutical and medical device manufactures.

In a 2016 survey, Elsevier found that 82.6 percent of media buyers had used a combination of digital and print advertising. In utilizing a multi-channel approach, media buyers seek to target their audiences wherever they consume media. In the medical industry, that often means peer-reviewed journals and email newsletters.

Digital advertising spend is expected to increase dramatically over the next five years. According to Statista, healthcare and pharmaceutical advertising spend was about $1.02 billion in 2011. By 2015 that number reached $1.67 billion and it's projected to increase to $3.1 billion by 2020. With all of that media buying taking place, advertisers will need to highly target their ads in order to stay visible in the crowded marketplace.

Medical professionals trust peer-reviewed journals.

Not all print ads are equal
The print side of multi-channel advertising can seem daunting in the internet age. Where are physicians consuming content? Is one print source as good as another? Simply put, not all print ads are created equal. It's true that physicians engage in the same activities as anyone else - they watch TV, drive past billboards and read the tabloids - but that still doesn't mean those are effective places to advertise.

Media buyers know that healthcare advertisements are heavily regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, an advertisement is still affected by the surrounding material. Media buyers should be aware of what type of journals their products are best suited for, which could depend on the medical specialty of the publication's intended audience.

When it comes to digital, mobile is important
Kantar Media's Sources & Interactions Study, September 2016: Medical/Surgical Edition discovered that 76 percent of physicians use a tablet for personal or professional purposes. About half of all physicians use a smartphone and a tablet. Physicians may not get much time to sit down in front of a personal computer each day, and they rely on smartphones and tablets to consume media and check their personal emails.

When considering the multi-channel approach, media buyers need to address the mobile market. That includes display ads on mobile sites, ads within mobile apps and ads in email newsletters.

A targeted strategy for pinpointing customers plus a multi-channel approach is a winning combination for media buyers. Doing so in a peer-reviewed environment gets you access to the healthcare professionals you want to speak to and earns your brand more prestige and respect.