10 Tips for Healthcare Messaging Your Audience Hears
According to eMarketer.com American adults spent an average of 3 hours and 55 minutes per day on mobile devices in 2019, which was an increase of more than 11 minutes over 2017. Mobile use is expected to surpass TV as the medium attracting the most minutes in the US in 2019.
What does this mean?
The average consumer is exposed to more than 5000 branding or marketing messages per day (American Marketing Association). Fewer than 3% of those messages will make a lasting impression.
How can your organization increase the chances that you’re among that 3%?
Clearly identify your audience. Who are you trying to reach? What do they care most about? Find out what they want, what they know, who they like, why they like who they like, what they need and the whys behind their needs. The more you know, the better you will be at creating messages that are heard by your target audience.
Name the purpose and the intent of your message. Are you promoting a special event? Are you educating your audience about something they’re unlikely to be aware of? Are you wanting to showcase your services? Once you’ve named your intent, ask yourself: Will this message be of value to my audience? If the answer is yes, move forward. If it’s unclear, edit or start over.
Write like you speak. Spell out ambiguous terms. The messages that resonate most with audiences are those that use plain language and don’t require translation. So, avoid jargon and acronyms that your patient may not understand. User shorter sentences and smaller words. Don’t try to impress anyone with your advanced vocabulary. If it makes you sound smart, does it make your reader feel less so? That’s not your intention.
Where will your consumer be most likely to hear this message? Does your audience read the newspaper? Listen to the radio? Watch television? Spend a lot of time on social media? Media outlets generally know their audiences well, so they’re a good resource to use when considering media placement.
The service you’re providing likely presents a solution to a problem. What is that problem? What is the solution? Consumers are looking for solutions to their problems. Is their child with ADHD doing poorly in school? Is their aging parent having trouble hearing? Is your middle-aged audience ready for bifocals? What problems can your organization solve in your patients’ lives? Spell out what your solution is and why it works, and you’re likely to engage.
Invite Action. What is it that you want your audience to do in response to your message? Do you want them to sign up for a workshop? Join a class? Make an appointment? Read an article? Be sure your call-to-action is clear: “Reserve your spot today” or “Make an appointment now by calling ###-####.”
Be user-focused. Who’s the subject of your message? Is it your organization? Or is it your intended audience? Remembering who you’re speaking to and why they might listen is critical. As a rule, it’s better to talk about them (WIIFM – What’s in it for me?) than ourselves.
Consistency Matters. Be consistent with your image and branding. It is much easier for your audience to identify you and your messaging if it has the same look, feel, imagery, color schemes, fonts and overall appearance and voice.
Check your facts. If you’re quoting a subject matter expert or a study, go to the original source. Ensure that it’s a recognizable and credible source. Being accurate builds trust in your organization and is a fundamental component of good communication.
Listen to your audience. People tend to care more about organizations that clearly care about them and their needs. Plus, you can never know too much about your intended audience. So, Conduct a poll. Ask them questions. Go where they go on social media or in forums, facilitate groups so that you can listen to the needs of your audience more easily. If your content conveys a genuine understanding of your audience’s needs, they’re more likely to understand and hear your message.
Finally, all external messaging should be written with the following questions in mind:
Who? (patient/consumer)
What? (your message)
When? (event date or deadline)
Where? (details or contact)
Why? (solution)
How? (call-to-action)
To rise above the noise of the myriad of messages out there, yours must be concise, credible, compelling, and deliver value.
When your messaging follows the above-mentioned guidelines, you’ll probably notice that you have a lot less to say. That’s perfectly okay. This just means you’ll want to say it more often. It’s more than acceptable to say the same thing on multiple channels and to repeat the message every now and then. It often takes several impressions for a message to make an impact.
As Cicero said more than 2000 years ago, “If you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings, and speak my language.” This was true then, and it’s just as true today.
