Cookies, cookies, cookies.
Wherever you go, everyone wants cookies. Before you get snacky, I’d like to give you a heads-up!
The cookies I’m referring to, come without any chocolate or cream and they probably cost you a lot more than any cookies you’ve ever eaten!
Yes! I am talking about the cookies that contain your data and are only delightful for business websites & advertisers. 😅
Think about this, If I ask you about the biggest online retail business, what name comes to your mind?
Amazon! (And I bet) you’d be just as busy, successful & rich if your clients came knocking at your door just as they do theirs!
Now, what exactly does Amazon have that you don’t?🤔
Well, Amazon does so well because it uses first-party data & is incredibly rich with traffic.
Listen, what’s dire here is to understand that no matter what industry you belong to, the future of marketing solely depends on the said cookies, data & traffic!
What is first-party data, and how it is the future of healthcare marketing, well you better hold your water & sit tight because that’s something we’re going to discuss in today’s episode & it’s not something you wanna miss! 😼
For the record, I am Abi Cool, CEO of Marketing Wind Healthcare, and today we’re going to dig deep into the science behind consumer data, its relation with healthcare marketing, and its role in your healthcare business’s survival in the near future.
Before we get caught up in this labyrinth of data, I’d like to welcome our new listeners to Marketing wind’s second podcast. We are a digital marketing agency that helps healthcare businesses stay on top of their game (whether or not they join hands with us!)
Yep, that’s right! Just spreading positivity & information! 😅
Right, so coming back to the topic!
Is first-party data really the future of healthcare marketing?
What exactly is it?
Let me give you an example!
When you visit a website, it usually wants to know your first name, your middle name, your last name, your email id, where you live, and in some cases a hundred other things, and so on!
IT’S CRAZY! I KNOW! 🤯
But as alarming as it sounds, since they get this information directly from you, with your consent, it’s perfectly alright! 👍
This is the first-party data where your information is directly being used by the company, which means that your secrets are safe with them!
What’s actually chilling, is when a company sends your personal data to another company.
Which you know nothing about! Shocking, right? 😨
And yes! That is exactly how social media operates too!
These so-called free social media apps lurch on your personal data, how much time you spend, what you scroll through, what you watch, what ads interest you, and a million other things!
And all of this information, or in other words consumer behavior analytics is sent to other companies so they can profit from it! This is actually third-party data, where your secrets or your personal information is no longer yours!
Sounds pretty unfair, right? 😕
Companies buy this third-party data from various vendors just so they can reach out to more people who might be interested in their products!
That being said, first-party data is not only good for the companies but also for the consumers! ✅
I’ll explain.
If you run a fancy restaurant, who would you serve as a priority? The customers who are actually sitting inside your restaurant? Or the ones that just might be hungry? Or those that just happen to pass by? The answer is obvious, you will serve the hungry customers sitting inside your restaurant first!
Not to mention, using third-party data comes with a lot of risks, and completely depending on such data, is like driving a car at full speed without a seatbelt & crash cushion! That’s exactly why third-party data is always a no-no option.
For one, your possible leads may or may not be your possible leads! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! 😐
Think about the cybersecurity risks that are a part of this deal. And for the healthcare industry, these risks are worse than the plague as your patients’ financial & personal data is at stake.
Then there’s Intellectual Property Theft, which means that someone else might steal your patients, your ideas, or even your frameworks, causing you to lose business growth and your competitive edge!!!
Now, who would want that?! Right? 😕
And on top of that, with third-party data, there’s no way to know how this data was collected. It could be low quality or it might not match your existing data demographic. Or it could actually be illegal! 😨
Bet you didn’t know that!
And the worst part is, that your competitors might purchase the same data! So purchasing Third-Party data without any Risk management is like riding a bike in death well, as your whole business is on the line!
However, with first-party data, you have the authority of storing, managing, and utilizing it however you please & you can ensure its accuracy and integrity as well!
Best of all, you own this data, and your competitors do not!!!
Which is a relief! 😌
Now what’s hot & happening is that Google has decided to stop tracking third-party data cookies!
As more and more people are becoming aware of their privacy being violated, Google Chrome being the most used browser has taken this step to stop tracking their data, which means that Web activities won’t be tracked anymore and businesses will soon lose their prospective client pool!
Yes, that’s right! 😢
Well at least thank Google for waiting till the end of the year 2024 to phase out 3rd party cookies, and giving advertisers time to adjust to the new changes. Otherwise, we’d all be in a very sticky situation! 😶
This brings us to the fact that it is time that we start to prepare for our own data collection! Since 3rd party-data is no longer an option, businesses would have to rely on the customers they already have in addition to attracting new patients directly.
This calls for updated marketing strategies that can acquire first-party customers and as always it’s Marketing Wind to the rescue with some juicy tips & tricks! 😅
Alright first of all – let’s talk about how you can get a hang of a new client pool!
Number 1
Let’s say you’re a dentist.
Start by offering a free 15-minute consultation at your clinic where all the client has to do is fill out a form with their email address. If not a consultation, how about offering your patients free dental tips for a sign-up?
A free brochure? or even a discount on a service? This little act of kindness will give you an insight into who is your current target audience & what is the most common area where service is required!
Consider it a crowdsourcing adventure! You can do this online as well! People love discounts & free stuff. As funny as it sounds, just as children are tempted by candies, adults are tempted by free stuff! 😅
Number 2
How about a little sneak peek into what people are saying? 😏
Comments & reviews are a great way of analyzing gaps and recognizing demands! And not just your comments, check what people are saying, asking, and appreciating on your competitors’ sites too!
Number 3
You know how sometimes there are friends who keep reaching out to you even when you don’t talk to them?
Maybe you don’t need them right away, but when you do, you know that they are waiting for you! Become that friend!
Do not, I repeat do not take your current clients for granted! Send them emails, incentives, offers, and coupons as much as you can, whenever you can!
Number 4
Okay, this isn’t something new! But then again, it can’t be stressed enough to invest in SEO, optimizations & power pages.
Look at how many clicks the first links on Google get! That’s cause people trust these links so much! And that is exactly what your business is going to need!
Number 5
Think about this, what are people doing every day, all day???
Using social media! Whether they’re working, resting, using the toilet, or anything! People are literally always on their phones! And you can use that to your benefit! 😎
Depending on your target audience you can use the correct mediums and correct content to appeal to them! You should just know what to say & where to reach them! Remember, always promote the benefits of your products & services, and people will seek you out! ✅
Number 6
Think about it, why do people pay thousands of dollars to actors and influencers to market their products? Simply because people already like them and they wanna be like them!
When it comes to your healthcare marketing you can use the same tactic but with a twist! Try partnering up with big medical organizations & companies that your clients already trust.
Number 7
If you are thinking about hiring an ad agency, only, I repeat, only work with the ones that have consent-based data collection methods.
Remember, It’s better to be safe than sorry! ✅
Number 8
Imagine going to the market to buy a new phone!
When you come out of your store, you see another shop that sells fantastic phone covers and customized phone accessories. Even when you didn’t think you needed it, you’re gonna pop into this shop to check out the products & might end up buying something.
This is contextual marketing, a condition where your product or service is advertised in places related to your niche. And because of this factor, people might find you click-worthy!
Now that’s smart marketing! Isn’t it?! 😅
Number 9
When you walk into a clothing store, chances are you’re gonna buy something.
That’s just human instinct! When they see something that appeals to them, they buy it! Whether they need it or not. 🙃
Imagine if your ads could also change to appeal to the consumers! That would create huge waves when it comes to generating leads! You can achieve this customized marketing with facebook’s dynamic creative optimizations where you can create up to a thousand creative ads!
YES, that’s right! ✅
Number 10
The last seal of approval I’m giving off is to the Direct Response Advertising which means including urgency in your marketing or something that requires direct action!
You can do this by offering a discount upon referring your product or service to friends or family, by offering a discount coupon for leaving a review, or by offering a better product or service for a slight increase in money, using other incentives such as giveaways, or by the use of Google Ads and unbelievably creative Pop-ups, and finally, using chatbots too!
Oh well, I’m sure by now you must be thinking these marketing strategies are not rocket science! 🤔
Right???
Keep your shoes on, I haven’t actually reached the scary part yet! And it’s two folds!
NUMBER 1
The thing is, Google has got almost all the balls in its court already!
Such a buzzkill, right?🙄
With its initiatives such as Privacy Sandbox & Performance Max, it holds too much authority over the safely collected data and who gets to use it! Let’s just say that the highest bidder will have the most advantage!
All the more reason to resort to 1st party data! ✅
And number 2
Alright, so you have successfully done everything. You have added all your mint to coke and shaken the bottle just right, are you ready to handle what comes next??? All of the tactics that you have applied are going to work but do you have the right tools to handle what’s coming?
First and foremost, you’re gonna need tools like
Website Analytics, Google Analytics, Scroll tracking, Google Tag Manager, and so on. And you’re gonna need these to monitor the traffic and its behaviors and most importantly to adapt according to your client’s demands & needs!
Keep in mind, the best part about first-party data is that it is HIPAA compliant!
The bottom line is that in the coming years, your healthcare practice will have to anchor its own ship! The more genuine & concentrated traffic you have, the better! 😊
Well, there you go, folks.
Hopefully, our comprehensive list of advanced marketing strategies will land you the first-hand traffic that your business needs!
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