4 content types to incorporate into your healthcare marketing strategy

Although organizations in the healthcare field are devoting more financial investments and other resources toward their marketing plans, many still need clearer documentation for their actual strategy. According to current statistics from Accenture, while 42% of companies in other industries have a well-documented content marketing strategy, only 4% of organizations in the medical technology field, and 11% of pharma/biotech firms could say the same.

A documented strategy is key, and among the considerations to build into this strategy is the type of content that will be used to support messaging and attract readers. There are a few kinds of content that work well, particularly in the healthcare and pharma industries.

1) Informative blog content

No content marketing strategy is complete without blog content. Blogs can be considered the forerunner of your strategy, as these are incredibly versatile pieces of content that can be used to inform readers and bring them through the conversion funnel.

A blog can be used for all types of purposes. This content can serve as a standalone piece that discusses a trending industry topic, or an informative article based on a study or interview. Blogs can also serve to provide a sneak peek into longer-form content, and encourage your audience to delve into the longer piece (i.e. a white paper or an infographic) for more information.

What's more, as Lyfe Marketing pointed out, blogs are one of the best content assets for improving a site's Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and are ideal for driving traffic from top search engines. In fact, a website that includes a blog generally has a whopping 434% more indexed pages than a site without blog content.

Try out these content types within your healthcare marketing strategy.

2) Longer-form white papers

Where blogs are usually shorter-form articles, longer and more in-depth content can be served up within a white paper. This type of content is ideal for the healthcare and pharma industries, as content for these audiences can deal with more complex subject matter that requires deeper exploration and explanation.

Overall, white papers are much longer than blogs, are typically very dense and detailed and include a considerable amount of research, facts, statistics and information. These aren't for casual readers, but for members of your audience that are particularly savvy in their knowledge of the subject matter and require more depth and detail.

As part of the content strategy, it's good practice to gate white paper content and use this type of content asset to generate more concrete leads. Providing a snapshot or sneak peek of the white paper through a shorter blog, and then leading readers to the dedicated white paper landing page will encourage them to complete the form fill. In this way, they get access to an in-depth information piece, and you get more qualified lead information.

3) Infographics

Breaking away from word-heavy assets like white papers, infographics can provide a change of pace and are highly in-demand among target audiences today. In essence, infographics are more visual content that include statistics and other data, but typically have much less written content than a blog. The focus, instead, is on the key data included in the graphic, and visual elements created by graphic designers.

Infographics are ideal for breaking down data-driven concepts, and are perfect for sharing on social. These can also be supported with blog content that explores the infographic topic in a more in-depth way, while still showcasing the data included in the graphic.

4) Videos 

Video content is also gaining popularity, and is another content type that is particularly well-suited for healthcare marketing. Videos can be used to visually explore an array of concepts and topics. Consider using a video for an in-depth demo, an interview with an industry expert, or even an animation to showcase a new product or process.

As you work to build out and document your content strategy, consider incorporating these content types to engage with your audience and improve awareness and recognition. Connect with Elsevier today to learn more!