The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst that thrust the healthcare industry toward a new frontier — app-based healthcare. More than 90,000 digital health apps were released in 2020. But with literally hundreds of thousands of apps available today, it can be overwhelming to customers and patients. So how can your marketing best communicate the benefits of your health app?
Simplify strategy
Healthcare can be confusing. The last thing a health app should be is another hurdle.
That’s why clear, top-of-funnel awareness messaging is so important for a health app. A marketing strategy that gets caught up in the mid-level engagement efforts will just further confuse your audience.
Don’t muddy your messaging. What you need is a top-level message and a strong call to action that drives downloads. Here’s our app, this is what it does, this is how you download it. That’s about it.
Who is your audience?
With every brand and every product, there is one piece of marketing advice that will never go out of style. Know your audience. There are many ways to help define your core audience. But it’s also important to think of secondary and tertiary audiences as well. And the right marketing partner can help you do just that.
Let’s say you have an app that helps you manage your diabetes. Of course, your primary audience will be people with diabetes. But maybe there’s room to market to family members who then will recommend your app. Or healthcare providers who realize your app allows them to provide more personalized care.
Whatever service your health app provides, having a precise plan for who you’re marketing to will strengthen your brand and stretch your budget.
Understand your strengths (and weaknesses)
For certain types of care, digital solutions can be a great answer. But a health app can only do so much. Overpromising what your app can accomplish can be dangerous — not just for your brand, but for your users as well.
A great health app should enhance traditional healthcare, not replace it. If you want users to use your app, you first have to understand exactly where your app fits into their health journey.
If you want to learn more about how digital health apps and telehealth are changing the healthcare industry you can read our recent blog. Or if you want to continue the healthcare marketing conversation, our inboxes are always open.