Key Takeaways:

  • Branding is about telling people what to expect from you
  • Branding triggers an emotional response
  • Healthcare branding should be about building trust
  • You need to know your target audience
  • You need to be authentic

Branding is essential no matter your business or industry, including the healthcare industry. Healthcare brands can no longer rely solely on a referral from a physician. Thanks to the Internet, patients now can research facilities just as they would any other product or service. To stand out from the competition and attract new patients, you need to create engaging healthcare branding. 

In this article, we’ll offer tips on how you can develop a brand that engages your patients and taps into their emotions and senses.

What do we mean by healthcare branding?

Every successful company built its reputation through branding. Branding is more than a logo. Branding is about telling people what to expect from you.

Think about some of the most famous healthcare brands in the world:

  • Johnson & Johnson
  • CVS
  • United Healthcare
  • Pfizer

All of these brands stand for something. They sell an idea or values. You know what you’re going to get.

Branding touches on the emotions to trigger a response, such as trust. It shapes how your organization is perceived by those who walk through the doors or find you on social media. 

Let’s discuss seven tips to help you build a healthcare brand.

1. Identify your target audience

Identifying your target audience is one of the most critical aspects of healthcare branding. In other words, who are the people most likely to need your healthcare services or products? 

Consider things like:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Location
  • Healthcare concerns 
  • Specialties they might need
  • Income level

We suggest developing a customer persona and then build your brand around finding and speaking to that particular individual.

2. Establish trust

Healthcare brands are built on the foundation of trust, which is communicated through transparency and branding strategies that support patients in their time of need. These strategies include all aspects of marketing, including how you interact with patients on social media and other online channels. It is important to convey consistent messaging, empathy and healthcare-specific expertise.

3. Study your competition

To develop a solid brand strategy, you must understand your competition. We recommend conducting a competitive analysis. Study what successful organizations are doing, whether local or across the country. What are they doing to stand out in your industry? Why have they been able to earn the trust of patients and staff? 

Once you’ve done your research, focus on what makes you stand out against your competitors. Ask yourself…

  • Which treatments/services/expertise do we offer that other organizations don’t?
  • Do we cater to a niche market?
  • What makes us different from our competitors? 
  • How do our reviews compare?
  • What do our patients/customers say about us?

4. Tell your story

A brand identity is essentially a story about your organization. It answers questions like who you are, why you exist and what you care about most. If you haven’t created a story and history, your patients and staff will ultimately do it for you, good or bad. 

When answering these questions, you can use visual elements, logos, taglines, ideas and written communications. Everything from an e-blast you send to how you reply to a comment on Facebook lets people know your values and commitment to patient care.

5. Know what matters to your patients

We touched on the values above, but we don’t just mean your values. Reflect on the core values of your audience. What do they care about most? If you don’t know, you won’t be able to engage with them in a meaningful way. Start with the things your patients care about and build out from there.

6. Emphasize your expertise

Think about some of the most renowned healthcare brands, like The Mayo Clinic or American Heart Association. Those entities emphasized their experience and expertise. Successful healthcare organizations have learned how to capitalize on their reputations for excellence. Some have even changed their business models to offer better services and higher standards of quality. 

7. Be human

Simply listing your services and attributes robotically and then waiting for patients to flood you with calls doesn’t work anymore. Today’s consumers are looking for human connection, especially regarding their health. Saying you’re “the best” or that “you care” carries little weight if facts do not support the idea. Explain why you’re “the best.” Demonstrate how you “care.” In other words, show how you are unique.

Build your brand to build your success

Building a brand will guide all of your marketing efforts. It will dictate where you advertise and how you communicate with potential and current patients. It will also show up in how you treat medical staff and employees. 

325 uses a strategic, design-driven method that helps our healthcare clients build strong brands and develop marketing strategies that allow them to solve problems and stand out from competitors. 325 will elevate your brand’s future. We bring brand-first digital solutions to biotech, pharma and healthcare to help you succeed. 

If you’re ready to take the next step, contact us for a free brand audit.