Coronavirus pandemic made the entire world go into quarantine. All industries have taken the hit, and the healthcare industry is not an exception.
People refuse to use the services of healthcare and wellness professionals for fear of getting infected with COVID-19. That’s completely normal, but it’s something that’s financially destroying businesses.
Coronavirus has impacted healthcare in several ways, some of which include the implementation of new technologies, such as telehealth, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and similar.
On lockdown, marketing professionals working for the healthcare companies cope with the situation, just like clinics are dealing with a lack of patients due to the pandemic. They need to come up with new strategies if they want to be successful.
Most Marketers Didn’t Respond Properly
Many marketers and companies working in the healthcare industry seem to have failed to accept that we are all struggling with the pandemic. If they don’t need medical assistance, that doesn’t mean that others are in the same situation.
According to the CDC, 84.3% of US adults visited a healthcare professional in 2018. The coronavirus pandemic isn’t changing the fact that people might have all kinds of health problems, but can’t go to the doctor.
Businesses compete against each other for every patient. Yet, some marketers didn’t make a significant effort to convince people that hospitals are prepared for the pandemic. They also didn’t show an understanding of the situation. If you struggle with this issue, here’s a little help.
What Should Be Done?
During these tough times for everyone, every marketer should focus on a few things. Let's take a look at some of them.
Prepare for Better Times
Some companies have forced marketers to chase profits by all means. That’s a bad strategy for everyone, as nothing can be accomplished that way. Employees will be demotivated, and patients put in danger no matter how careful the clinics are.
What they should do is to prepare for the times when the coronavirus is out of the picture. According to statistics, 25% of non-emergency surgeries have been postponed. Still, 80% of people plan to go through with those surgeries after the pandemic is over.
That means that patients are not gone, and their health issues haven’t disappeared. Everything is postponed for some better times. As a marketer, you need to prepare your strategy for those times.
Offer Advice and Care for the Community
Since there’s not much you can do now, it’s best to offer health advice and care for the community. That’s a great marketing strategy, and, at the same time, it’s the most humane thing a healthcare professional can do. Acts of kindness will gain patients’ trust and loyalty.
Be Active on Social Media
Even though physicians are not too fond of being active on social media for professional purposes, this is the time when things should change. In 2019, only 34% of them were active on social media platforms. This year, the number is 46%. Having in mind that people are quarantined and spend a lot of time on the internet, it’s wise for everyone to share knowledge.
Conclusion
One of the most important things at the moment for all marketers is to adjust. This is no ordinary situation. It has never been seen before in the marketing world. Waiting for the right time to continue with marketing campaigns is the smartest strategy at the moment.
Trying to force profits is the worst thing to do, so be active on social media, but post content that is valuable to the community.
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My name is Laurice and I’m a writer based in Los Angeles, CA. I’ve been passionate about writing ever since I was young, crafting fiction stories and journaling about my life.
