Building your business in the health industry can be a stressful process if you are unfamiliar with the world of marketing and advertising. One of the hardest aspects of marketing your brand is the task of identifying your best consumer, or rather, patient. An important tenet of branding is as follows: In order to build a healthcare brand that is appealing, durable, and overall successful, you cannot ignore the female patient. As many companies before have learned, profiling the female population is not always an easy or predictable journey. Fortunately, there are some guidelines that can help.
First, never rely on stereotypes.
The advertising world can be a confusing and tricky place. Regardless, it is an important realm to conquer when attempting to create a thriving business. Health care today especially requires a focused branding process. Stereotypes are dangerous assumptions to follow, when it comes to predicting a consumer’s behavior. Women comprise roughly more than half of the world’s population. It stands to reason that what appeals to one woman may not work for the next. Age, demographics, educational background, and familial status are just a few of the many identifying categories of what defines a woman’s interest.
Do your research.
If not all women are going to respond to your brand, then the next logical step is to gather research. This can be a tedious and complicated process, but it is certainly worth the investment. Gathering a copious amount of data on your best patient will help you narrow your advertising efforts and guide you in your branding process. If you are unsure where to start, it could be very helpful to find a marketing firm that has both the experience and the tools to conduct your research and frame the process of building your health care brand.
Consider your niche.
Research shows that women not only search meticulously for their own health care, but the majority also coordinates the health care of spouses and/or children. So even if you have a practice that is geared primarily toward the male population, you should find a way to brand your business that captures the attention of both sexes. Focus on the practicality and design of your message that will appeal to both men and women.
Focus on the differences between men and women.
This is where the process of branding can become muddled. Going back to the previous points, you should avoid stereotypes and you should try to frame your brand in a manner that appeals to both sexes. However, you should also not neglect some of the more subtle differences between men and women. These differences can be the catalyst to a great marketing strategy. Understanding what motivates the women who will most likely be attracted to your facility comes from, again, diligent data collection and research.
In general, though, statistics show that women have not been historically drawn to the more generic forms of advertising. They are instead, looking for a stronger image. Utilize the tools at hand to build your brand to appeal to women: do not neglect the Internet and the power of social media.
