Unveiling the Power of Inbound Leads in Healthcare Marketing

The Power of Inbound Leads in Healthcare Marketing

Tired of shouting into the void? In the world of healthcare marketing, it’s not about who can shout the loudest, but who can connect the deepest – forging meaningful connections that drive sustainable growth.

Inbound marketing is your secret weapon to attract patients who are genuinely interested in your services, with inbound tactics generating 54% more leads than traditional outbound practices. It’s about building trust, not just generating leads.

In this post, we’ll break down what makes inbound marketing the superhero of your marketing strategy and how it can transform your healthcare brand.

Inbound Leads: They Come to You

Imagine if patients came looking for you, instead of the other way around. That’s the magic of inbound leads. It’s not about interrupting their day with a sales pitch, it’s about being there when they need you.

When someone searches for information, a solution, or a service online and connects with your brand, that’s an inbound lead. It’s the start of a genuine conversation.

Outbound vs Inbound Leads

The primary difference between inbound and outbound leads lies in how they come to be. While outbound leads rely on outbound marketing efforts to reach potential leads, inbound leads leverage compelling content, search engine optimization, and other digital marketing strategies to attract prospects naturally.

Inbound Leads:

Initiated by individuals actively seeking information or solutions
Generated through channels like search engines, social media, and content marketing
Reflect a higher level of intent and interest from prospects
Tend to result in higher quality leads with greater potential for conversion

Outbound Leads:

Initiated by the healthcare brand through proactive outreach
Generated through methods like cold calling, email marketing, or advertising
Require targeting specific demographics or segments
May encounter resistance or skepticism from recipients due to the intrusive nature of outbound marketing – they weren’t necessarily actively seeking a solution

The Impact of Inbound Leads in Healthcare

In the context of healthcare marketing, where trust and credibility are key, inbound leads offer a unique advantage. By aligning content with the informational needs and interests of target audiences, you can position your company as an authoritative resource and attract highly engaged leads.

Educational Content as a Magnet

Inbound leads gravitate towards informative and educational content tailored to address their healthcare concerns or interests. By crafting valuable resources such as blog posts, whitepapers, or webinars, your brand can establish trust, nurture relationships, and ultimately convert leads into loyal patients or clients.

SEO and Visibility

A key aspect of inbound lead generation is improving online visibility through SEO. By strategically incorporating relevant keywords, optimizing website structure, and producing high-quality content, healthcare brands can enhance their visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract qualified inbound leads actively searching for healthcare solutions.

Businesses that apply inbound marketing tactics can generate as high as 126% more leads than those that don’t. And, according to inbound marketing statistics, leads gained through SEO have a close rate of 14.6% as opposed to just 1.7% with outbound.

Social Media Engagement

Social media platforms serve as fertile ground for cultivating inbound leads in healthcare marketing. By engaging with audiences through meaningful interactions, sharing informative content, and fostering community involvement, your company can capture the attention of potential leads and guide them through the conversion journey.

Effective use of social media allows healthcare providers to build trust, demonstrate expertise, and create a loyal following, which can significantly boost lead generation efforts. One particularly powerful form of inbound lead generation is through referred leads, which seamlessly integrates with social media strategies.

The Role of Referred Leads in Healthcare Marketing

Picture inbound leads as eager visitors who knock on your door, ready to chat. Referred leads, on the other hand, are like when your friend spreads the word about how awesome you are. They stem from connections, satisfied patients, or trusted networks, bringing along a hefty dose of trust right from the start. Referred leads are a type of inbound lead, as they come to you based on the recommendation of others, often resulting in higher conversion rates due to the pre-existing trust and validation. Leveraging referred leads in healthcare marketing can enhance credibility and foster long-term patient relationships.

Harnessing the Power of Referrals

Referred leads often come with a higher level of trust and credibility, as they are based on personal recommendations or endorsements. Your brand can lean into this trust by incentivizing referrals, fostering positive experiences, and nurturing existing relationships to drive a steady stream of referred leads.

Integration for Optimal Results

Inbound and referred leads are not mutually exclusive; they can complement each other to amplify lead generation efforts. By integrating referral programs with inbound marketing strategies, healthcare brands can create a holistic approach that maximizes both reach and credibility, ultimately driving sustainable growth and fostering long-term relationships with patients or clients.

We’re Here to Help!

By understanding the nuances of inbound leads and their differences from outbound and referred leads, you can harness their transformative potential to attract, engage, and convert leads effectively.

Our digital marketing agency specializes in crafting tailored strategies that leverage the power of inbound leads to drive sustainable growth for your brand. With a deep understanding of industry intricacies and a commitment to innovative solutions, we empower our clients to thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Schedule a Discovery Session today to develop a game plan to propel your healthcare marketing journey to new heights.

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April 29, 2024

A Radiant Guide to Planning the Ultimate Team Trip!

Planning The Ultimate Team Trip: A Radiant Marketing Guide

As a remote team, fostering strong connections and camaraderie can be challenging. Last year, as the Client + Team Success Lead, I organized an in-person team event for our distributed team at Radiant Marketing. This endeavor not only tested our organizational skills but also highlighted the importance of teamwork and personal interaction in building a cohesive unit.

There were many decisions to make: How long should the trip last? Where should we go that’s convenient for employees across the U.S.? What are the best lodging options? How can we stay within budget? Most importantly, what goals did we want to achieve beyond just team building?

Admittedly, I had never organized a team trip on this scale, but I was eager to face the challenge. And if I could do it, so can you and your remote team! Here are my tips, strategies, and free templates to help make your team bonding trip a success.

Set a Budget and Timeline

First, set a budget and give yourself plenty of lead time, at least a few months (more if you have team members traveling out of state). There are a lot of details to coordinate, and you want to ensure everyone on your team can be fully present at the events you’ve worked hard to plan.

Choose Your Destination Wisely

We knew we wanted our team to meet in Arizona for several reasons:

That’s where Radiant Marketing is based
We already have two members there
And the beautiful weather, scenery, and convenient airport make it easy for people to fly in from out of state

We considered three cities: Queen Creek, Phoenix, and Scottsdale. Ultimately, we chose Queen Creek, and it was a fantastic decision! We got to see some of our team’s city from their perspective, which deepened our connections. Moreover, leveraging local knowledge helped tremendously with transportation costs—thanks to Karen and Natalie (who needs Ubers?)

Remember, if you choose this route with your team, don’t forget to reimburse them for mileage and show your appreciation!

Outline Your Goals

When you only have a few days with your team, every minute counts! While team bonding was a major focus—especially meeting some coworkers in person for the first time—we also had professional goals. We planned to host a brainstorming workshop for our website redesign and get professional photos of our team.

Engaging your team in the planning process through surveys or quick polls to choose destinations and activities ensures that the itinerary resonates with everyone’s interests and preferences.

Create a Balanced Itinerary

While activities are important, finding the right flow is crucial. Allow time for breaks and rest, and ensure there’s a balance between work and play. Selecting the right activities is key to fostering teamwork and camaraderie. These activities should encourage collaboration while providing a fun experience for everyone involved.

Also, ensure everything is relatively close to your central location to minimize travel time.

Budget Carefully

Carefully calculate estimated costs. This meticulous planning can be a huge help. Consider every possible expense, such as mileage for team members to get to the airport, flight tickets, hotel reservations, team meals, activity costs, snacks, etc.

When the event is over, go back and see how you did! Where did you come in under budget and where do you splurge a bit too much? Reviewing the expense report can be incredibly helpful in planning your next trip!

Over-Communicate Trip Details

Create an itinerary that answers every possible question. Some questions to consider:

What should they wear to each event?
When should they arrive?
What should they expect with each event?
What do they need to pack/bring?

It’s better to provide too much information than not enough. Remind them to set out-of-office messages and inform clients or other necessary parties about these dates to keep everyone in the loop.

Capture Marketing Content

This is a unique (and sometimes rare) opportunity to get LOTS of pictures and videos for your marketing team.

Take plenty of photos and videos during the trip so you can repurpose this content for future use. Prior to the trip, prep the team with content you’re hoping to pull together and let them know what you’d like to get from each of them.

Encourage team members to create Reels or blog posts about their experiences after the trip. This not only aids in content creation but also helps capture diverse perspectives of the trip. After the trip, organize a virtual gallery to share these moments company-wide.

Do a Post-Event Debrief

We cannot stress enough the power of a debrief! Conduct a debrief (aka “post-mortem”) after the trip and discuss these three questions:

What worked well?
What didn’t work well?
What will you do differently next time?

These discussions surface great insights for how to capitalize on the good and minimize any challenges experienced the last go around, making for an incredible next trip!.

Start Planning!

Ready to plan your trip? Here is the Google Sheet we used for organizing our trip, complete with timelines, budget estimates, and checklists.

Additionally, find our Canva template linked here to help you create visually appealing itineraries and promotional materials for your next team outing.

By keeping these steps in mind and starting early, you can ensure that your next team trip is even more successful and enjoyable than the last. Remember, consistent team-building efforts are key to fostering a strong, cohesive, and happy team.

Radiant Marketing – Uniting Through Meaningful Connections

In the evolving landscape of remote work, creating strong team connections remains a formidable challenge. At Radiant Marketing, we are committed to nurturing a culture of collaboration, creativity, and camaraderie through our dedicated team events. We’re innovating new methods to close the gap between our geographically dispersed employees, ensuring that each team member not only meets but truly connects with their colleagues.

Our commitment to authenticity, open communication, and work-life balance ensures that every team member feels valued, supported, and empowered to bring their full selves to work each day.

Want to stay up-to-date on our latest remote team-building strategies and receive more helpful marketing insights? Subscribe to our blog!

April 29, 2024

A Healthcare Branding Agency Doing Things Differently

In a world where marketing agencies often prioritize numbers over people, Radiant Marketing stands out as a beacon of authenticity, purpose, and kindness. At the core of our innovative agency lies a set of values that guide every aspect of our operations, from client interactions to internal culture.

Living the Values: Authenticity, Purpose, and Kindness

Radiant Marketing isn’t just about business; it’s about making a meaningful impact. Our commitment to authenticity means we operate with integrity, communicating openly and honestly every step of the way. This transparency builds trust with our clients and fosters genuine connections that go beyond the surface level.

Driven by a powerful sense of purpose, our team at Radiant Marketing believes in the transformative power of marketing to uplift individuals and communities. We see our work as more than just campaigns; it’s about connecting brands with buyers in a way that brings value and prosperity to everyone involved.

Kindness is the cornerstone of our culture. From our interactions with clients to our treatment of each other, kindness permeates every aspect of our operations. We extend grace and patience, fostering a supportive environment where everyone feels safe and can thrive.

Driving Results Through Data and Passion

While Radiant Marketing is guided by values and a people-first approach, we’re also results-driven. Our strategic and creative digital marketing initiatives are grounded in data, allowing us to measure success and continuously optimize our strategies for maximum impact.

But, what truly sets Radiant Marketing apart is our passion for what we do. Our team is fueled by a genuine love for our work and a desire to make a positive difference in the world. This combination of passion and industry expertise enables us to deliver exceptional data-driven results for our clients time and time again.

Embracing Curiosity and Building Relationships

Radiant Marketing understands that innovation thrives in a culture of curiosity. By fostering a playful, inquisitive mindset, we encourage our team to explore new ideas and think outside the box. This curiosity fuels creativity and drives us to find innovative solutions to complex problems.

Relationships are at the heart of everything we do at Radiant Marketing. We’re not focused on transactions; we’re committed to building deep, authentic connections with clients and colleagues alike. And, helping our clients build lasting relationships with their audience. By prioritizing relationships, we create a collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and supported.

Nurturing the Zone of Genius: Cultivating Joy in Work

At Radiant Marketing, we believe in the concept of the “Zone of Genius” – that unique intersection where passion, talent, and purpose converge. We strive to create an environment where every team member can tap into their Zone of Genius and experience true joy in their work.

Whether it’s through challenging projects, ongoing learning opportunities, or a supportive team culture, we’re dedicated to ensuring that everyone feels inspired and fulfilled in their roles.

“We believe everyone has their unique superpowers, and we want to make sure our team is using theirs to the fullest. Understanding and embracing the work that our team is great at and absolutely loves doing helps us tailor individual roles to do more of what each team member loves, right within our agency. We’re all about making sure our team feels energized, valued, and, most importantly, happy with the work they do.” -Karen Cummings, Founder & CEO

Happy Health Days: Balancing Work and Life

In an industry known for its demanding schedules and high-pressure environments, Radiant Marketing prioritizes the well-being of our employees. Through our “Happy Health Days” initiative, team members are encouraged to take time off to recharge and rejuvenate. This paid day off each quarter allows our employees to prioritize their physical and mental health without sacrificing pay or productivity.

By providing this dedicated time for self-care, we really practice what we preach, and demonstrate our commitment to work-life balance and employee well-being. This initiative not only supports the health and happiness of our team but also enhances productivity and creativity in the long run.

“I love how the Happy Health Days are truly structured with us in mind! Karen always asks for our input on when we should have them, and for one last year, she rescheduled it to coincide with a personal trip of mine so I could stay and enjoy the trip for an extra day. There is truly no pressure and you’re welcome to do whatever your mind and body needs during that time.” -Tess Goodwin, Marketing Assistant

Radiant Marketing: Redefining Healthcare Branding Agency Life

In a world where success is often measured by numbers alone, we’re proving that true success lies in the relationships we build and the positive impact we make on the lives of others. Through our commitment to authenticity, purpose, and kindness, we’re not just building brands; we’re building relationships and making a real difference in the world.

By prioritizing work-life balance, fostering curiosity, and delivering results with passion and integrity, Radiant Marketing is redefining what it means to be a healthcare branding agency.

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April 2, 2024April 19, 2024

Avoid These Success-Killing Mistakes When Creating Your Marketing Plan

>> Download the PDF here to read later! <<

Congratulations! You’ve decided to take a significant step in the direction of wild business success. You’re going to be creating a powerful and effective marketing plan. Now, this is no easy feat. There will certainly be obstacles along the way, maybe a tear or two shed, but if done right, the time invested in this critical key to success will be way beyond worth it in the long run. So let’s get down to what you’re here for.

The mistakes you need to avoid when you’re starting your planning. The success-killing mistakes that could throw you way off track and ultimately mean the demise of your marketing plan, or worse, your business. As startups or small businesses, every dollar and every day counts. So we need to be conscious of how we can most effectively spend our time to get us to the glorious finish line.

Unfortunately, there is no cookie-cutter road map to success. And because every business is different, every path to success will be different too. While we can’t tell you exactly what your business will need to do to see huge success no matter what, what we can tell you, is what NOT to do in order to avoid almost certain failure.

Avoid these 4 success-killing mistakes and you’ll be well on your way to creating an effective marketing plan.

Let’s set the record straight. We are ALL ABOUT big goals. And we are most definitely about promoting the dedication, commitment and hard work to reaching those goals. But we absolutely have to be realistic. There are four paramount pieces of this pre plan-building process that we need to make sure we’ve served ourselves a reality check on and those are:

MISTAKE #1 NOT BEING REALISTIC

According to The Content Marketing Institute, 25% is the average portion of a marketing budget dedicated to content marketing.

BUDGET

It is 100% vital that you are realistic when deciding on your marketing budget. Often times marketing budgets are limited, and in some cases, they’re non-existent. Many small businesses don’t include marketing in their business budget because they tell themselves one of two things:

I don’t have enough (or any) money to spend on marketing
I don’t know what to do, so I don’t know what to spend (as a result, I spend nothing) But, it takes money to make money! We can confidently tell you that spending money on marketing (the right way) is absolutely worth it – and essential to building your business. If your budget is small, that’s okay! Just make sure you’re spending it where it counts. Your marketing budget can take you far if you know where to put it. If you plan it out right, it will increase as your business grows as a direct result of your marketing efforts. But for right now, be realistic with how much money you can allocate to marketing. A small budget can accomplish big things in the world of digital marketing as the results of evergreen content can exponentially grow over time.

TIME

Just like any aspect of your business, marketing takes time and effort. As small business owners and entrepreneurs, you’re probably familiar with the feeling of being stretched for time and stretched too thin. So you’re probably thinking, “On top of the money I don’t have to spend on marketing, I definitely don’t have the time to dedicate to this project either!” But you need to escape that mindset right now. Yes, marketing your business will take time. But believe it or not, if building your business is a priority – you can find the time.

Wildly successful entrepreneurs don’t have more time in the day than we do, they just commit to spending their time on the most valuable, goal-oriented tasks.

Even if you only have 3-5 spare hours every week, you can still accomplish much more than you think. The number one thing to think about as you start your marketing planning is recognizing how much time you truly have to dedicate to your efforts. Don’t create a marketing plan that will require your full and undivided attention for hours a day if you only have one hour a day to actually implement it.

We want you to set yourself up for success, not failure. If you have a team, remember to consider how much available time they have too and how you can utilize their skillsets in your plan!

SUCCESS TIP GOALS

Step One of developing a marketing plan will always be goal setting. If you have nothing to work toward, it will be impossible to create a plan. Once you’ve finished designing your plan, you’ll need to analyze your efforts by determining your key performance indicators.

Your KPIs will tell you what is and is not working inside of your marketing plan. But it is absolutely vital that you select and evaluate the correct KPIs for your plan and business. Your business’s KPIs will be different from other businesses, and they will rely heavily on the goals you’ve laid out.

For example, if your main goal is brand awareness and you’re using Facebook as a tool to achieve that goal, there are certain numbers you’ll want to focus on, and others that are less important. In this case, Total Reach (number of Facebook users that viewed your content) may be a key metric. Focusing on the right numbers is crucial to your marketing success.

Your goals will be the core of your marketing plan. All of your marketing tactics should be working together to achieve not only your marketing goals, but your business goals too. All too often we see businesses on Facebook that have no true purpose. When we ask them why they created a Facebook account they say, “Well everyone’s on Facebook.” While that is true, if being on Facebook doesn’t help you achieve one, or all, of your goals, then you shouldn’t waste your time creating and managing a Facebook account. When creating your marketing plan, and as new opportunities (or distractions) come your way always always revisit your goals and ask yourself, “Will this help me get closer to achieving the goals I’ve laid out?” If the answer is no, go back and reconsider.

TIMELINE

Spoiler alert: success doesn’t happen overnight. If you’re reading that sentence and thinking “duh,” we want you to remember that fact when you’ve begun implementing your marketing plan. Marketing can be a bit of a waiting game. You will not see drastic change after one day of implementation. You might not even see progress after two or three weeks. But we can reassure you that your marketing efforts will be effective if you’ve planned them the right way, and stick to them. Do not get discouraged and begin changing your goals and tactics. If you continue to make changes every time you don’t see immediate progress, you’ll never achieve your goals. Just follow the plan you’ve laid out for yourself, and you’ll see a difference down the line.

MISTAKE #2 WATCHING THE WRONG NUMBERS

Every business has a target audience. Your business is no exception. For some companies, it can be easy to believe their product or service applies to everyone. And while it’s possible that everyone may be able to use your product or service, we’re willing to bet that there are certain segments of the market that could benefit much more than others, and need you much more than others.

Those are the ones you want to target. Why focus energy, time and money on ones that could use you or might use you – when you know there are individuals out there that desperately NEED you right now? We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, in marketing to everyone, you’re essentially marketing to no one.

That may sound backwards, but it’s the truth. The beauty of marketing in this day and age is that you can be very specific and targeted, and get your message in front of even the most segmented of audiences. And that’s exactly what you want to do. Do not fall prey to believing that marketing to the largest audience will result in acquiring the largest number of customers.

MISTAKE #3 BEING TOO MUCH FOR TOO MANY

You want people that fit into your target audience to believe that your product or service was designed specifically for them as an individual, because it was! Narrow it down and get specific with your audience. As you become more targeted, and better about defining that audience, and those individuals, your messaging will become much more powerful and much more likely to inspire, education and elicit action.

SUCCESS TIP

Pain points should differ between audiences! When identifying who your ideal markets are, the differentiating factor should lie within the specific challenges they are facing.

The reason for this is because that determines how you will position your messaging and your product in a way that connects with them at the deepest level. Inbound marketing expert, Laura Fitton, says, “Focus on the core problem your business solves and put out lots of content and enthusiasm, and ideas about how to solve that problem.”

Like we said before, marketing can be a waiting game. Once you begin implementing your marketing plan it could take a few weeks to a month before you begin to see change and progress. That is 100% normal. It may become difficult to maintain patience with your marketing plan once you’ve begun. You’ve invested time and money into this planning and you’re really banking on that ROI.

Trust us, you’ll get your ROI. But it won’t always be right away. Losing your patience, though, could be detrimental to your progress. It’s natural to want to change your tactics when you’re not seeing the results you want, but you have to give your marketing efforts time to take effect. Especially if you’re working on a limited budget, you need to consider the impact you can truly be having.

If you’ve driven 10 people to a landing page and none have converted – is that truly a sign of an ineffective landing page or offer? I’d say no, we need to see some real numbers before we make new decisions or change direction. We’ve seen our fair share of business owners who were impatient, and because of this, constantly changing their goals and tactics.

Unfortunately, they never fully achieved any of the goals they set out to accomplish…and ultimately lost sight of what their goals were to begin with.

MISTAKE #4 LOSING PATIENCE

On a more positive note, we’ve seen great success with clients who are willing to commit to a plan and trust the process. Beth Comstock said it best when she said, “Marketing’s job is never done. It’s about perpetual motion. We must continue to innovate every day.” We’re not asking you to sit idly by and twiddle your thumbs.

As long as you’re following the guidance of your marketing plan, and understanding the metrics that determine success and where your benchmarks lie, we are confident you’ll see the results you’re looking for. It may not feel like it, but you’re already ahead of the competition.

You may not have created your marketing plan yet, but you’re now armed with the knowledge of what NOT to do, and that is a huge asset. Learn from the mistakes of others, and start to build an effective marketing plan that will have a significant impact on your business and your bottom line.

Radiant Marketing was founded on the desire to assist small businesses in successfully developing and executing on powerful and strategic marketing plans and simplifying and streamlining efforts through marketing automation and inbound marketing.

Our vision is to change the world of small business by equipping entrepreneurs and small business owners with the platforms and tools they need to successfully implement effective marketing strategies built around their most powerful asset – their brand.

March 29, 2024

5 Ways to Convert Leads & Generate Sales for Your Health Brand

From Interest to Income: How to Convert Leads for Your Health Brand

Converting leads is like fishing. You can’t just throw your line out and hope for the best; you need a solid strategy, the right bait, a steady hand, and the patience to reel them in.

Your brand’s strength is measured by how well it can attract and keep fish….we mean, customers – despite the competition. To stand out and effectively convert leads and generate sales we must educate, engage, build trust, personalize the experience, and stay connected post-purchase.

Keep reading to learn how to do that!

Illuminate and Instruct

Unlike with fishing, the bait you use for marketing should not lead to something disastrous, but rather something spectacular. The ‘bait’ in this instance is engaging, valuable content that fosters trust with your audience. Here are 4 types of content to consider:

Benefits & Outcomes of Your Products/Services:

Illustrate how your products or services can enhance health outcomes, such as reducing pain, improving mobility, or enhancing overall well-being.

Example: A blog post detailing how regular use of your fitness app can lead to weight loss, increased energy levels, and improve cardiovascular health.

The Science Behind Your Solution:

Explain the scientific principles or mechanisms underlying your products or services, demonstrating credibility and effectiveness.

Example: A video presentation by a nutritionist explaining the physiological effects of certain nutrients found in your dietary supplements.

Holistic Ways to Elevate Your Audience’s Well-being:

Offer comprehensive advice on achieving wellness beyond your specific product or service, including mental health tips, stress management techniques, or mindfulness practices.

Example: An e-book providing a holistic guide to maintaining work-life balance, including meditation exercises, productivity tips, and healthy eating habits.

Research-Backed Examples, Strategies, etc., to Improve Their Lives:

Share scientifically validated strategies, case studies, or success stories demonstrating the efficacy of your offerings.

Example: An article featuring testimonials from customers who have experienced significant improvements in their health after using your OTC remedies, supported by clinical research data.

Entice a variety of prospects by providing this content in different formats. Publish it as:

Blog Posts & Articles: Regularly update your blog with informative articles addressing various health topics, product benefits, and lifestyle tips.
E-books: Compile in-depth guides or resources into downloadable e-books that provide valuable insights and actionable advice.
Videos: Produce engaging video content, such as tutorials, interviews with experts, or testimonials, to visually convey information and connect with your audience on a personal level.

Building trust is key to building your brand, as research shows the majority of people buy from brands they trust.. By becoming a credible source of information, you’ll build credibility and trust with prospects, making them more likely to convert.

Offer ‘Try Before You Buy’

Just like a fish testing out the bait before biting…people love trying before they buy, especially when it comes to health products. And, a whopping 6 out of 10 free trials convert to paid customers on average.

Offering free samples or trials allows potential customers to experience the benefits of your products firsthand, eliminating any doubts or uncertainties they may have. Whether it’s a sample-sized version of your supplement or a trial period for your health app, providing this opportunity can significantly increase the likelihood of conversion.

Additionally, collecting feedback from trial users can help you refine your product and marketing strategies to better meet the needs of your target audience.

Prove It! (With Social Proof)

In today’s digital age, social proof plays a significant role in influencing purchasing decisions. 88% of consumers trust user reviews as much as personal recommendation. Testimonials, reviews, and endorsements from satisfied customers can instill confidence in potential buyers and reassure them that your products deliver on their promises. Encourage your existing customers to share their experiences on social media platforms, review websites, or directly on your website.

You can also collaborate with influencers or experts in the health and wellness industry to endorse your products and reach a wider audience. By showcasing positive feedback and endorsements, you can leverage social proof to convert leads into sales.

“Social proof continues to reign supreme in shaping consumer choices. From heartfelt testimonials to glowing reviews, harnessing the power of satisfied customers can pave the way for trust and authenticity. Don’t just aim for sales, aim for connections.”
-Lauren, Radiant Content Strategist

Create a “Just For You” Shopping Experience

Crafting a personalized shopping experience tailored to the unique preferences and needs of each customer is not just a trend—it’s a proven strategy for success in today’s competitive marketplace.

Take Amazon, for example, whose recommendation engine analyzes past purchases and browsing history to offer personalized product suggestions, enhancing the overall shopping experience.

Similarly, Spotify utilizes data on listening habits to curate custom playlists for individual users, ensuring that each music lover feels understood and valued. By harnessing the power of data analytics and leveraging deep customer insights, businesses can genuinely connect with their audience on a personal level.

Whether it’s suggesting products based on past purchases, extending exclusive discounts aligned with individual interests, or curating recommendations that align with specific health goals or concerns, the possibilities for personalization are endless.

But, this isn’t just about superficial customization; it’s about genuinely enhancing the shopping journey for each individual, fueling meaningful engagement and creating life-long customers.

Stay Connected: Master Your Follow Up Game

Many leads don’t convert into sales immediately and studies show that only 10-15% of leads actually make it to the bottom of the sales funnel to convert into sales. Therefore, it’s essential to have a follow-up strategy in place to nurture leads and guide them through the sales funnel.

This could involve sending personalized follow-up emails or messages to remind potential customers about your products, address any concerns or questions they may have, or offer exclusive incentives to encourage them to make a purchase.

Implementing marketing automation tools can streamline the follow-up process and ensure that leads are consistently nurtured until they convert into paying customers.

“Creating automated yet personalized nurturing sequences is an effective way to increase revenue from existing contacts. While they may (or may not) have purchased from you in the past, it is often much easier and less expensive to focus on converting these leads than putting all of your resources into driving new visitors and leads.”
– Karen Cummings, Radiant Founder & CEO

Converting leads into sales for your health brand requires a strategic approach that focuses on educating, engaging, and building trust with potential customers. By implementing these five strategies, you can effectively convert leads and generate sales for your health brand, ultimately driving growth and success in the competitive health and wellness industry.

And, to ensure you never miss any useful marketing tips, or guides, subscribe to our blog!

March 13, 2024April 19, 2024

The Small Business Marketing Guide: For Scrappy Entrepreneurs

1. The New Entrepreneur
2. Your Brand Why
3. Brand Soulmates™
4. Brand Identity
5. Brand Positioning
6. Online Marketing Channels
7. Consistency and Focus
8. Marketing On A Budget
9. Goal Setting and Tracking
10. Organizational and Small Business Tools
11. Conclusion

>> Download the PDF here to read later! <<

Our Radiant Marketing Definition of ‘Scrappy’: Possessing a Determined Spirit (Fiesty)

The New Entrepreneur: There’s A New Entrepreneur in Town These Days and She’s Scrappy

And she’s scrappy. You have to be when you live in a world jaded by advertising and clever copy, new fads and quick fixes. But you’ve got an idea and you’ve got the gumption, so therefore you’re breaking your way into the market however you can. We get that.

As a small business marketing agency ourselves, we are constantly inspired, impressed, and rejuvenated by small businesses everywhere who are breaking a sweat to disrupt a busy marketplace. We find these new entrepreneurs so refreshing, in fact, that in 2011 we committed to helping them succeed. And today, we introduce to you our Small Business Marketing Guide for Scrappy Entrepreneurs – created with YOU in mind and packed with the insights and tips we’ve learned over the last seven years.

That’s right – the information in this guide is tailor-made to benefit your small business and get your marketing moving in the right direction for you. Our recommendations are based on the proven methods, strategies and tactics we’ve implemented for the many scrappy entrepreneurs that came before you! Now, let’s get down to business.

What you will learn in this guide:

- Crafting your Brand Why
- Defining, attracting and engaging your ideal audience of Brand Soulmates™
- Leveraging the power of Storytelling
- Building out your brand with Powerful Positioning using the right Channels
- The importance of Consistency & Focus Successfully Marketing on a Budget
- Goal Setting & Tracking
- Small Business & Organizational Tools (including our favorites!)

Your Brand Why

The foundation of your small business story is built on what you value most. And those values are intertwined throughout everything you do as a business – whether you’re aware of it or not – because it’s deeply ingrained in who you are. It’s built on your beliefs and the world you envision after your business has had the impact you’ve set out to have. Passion, and the “why” behind that passion, is key to small business success.

So as you’re sitting down to establish your “why” behind your business, consider these questions:

- What did you hope to accomplish when you started your small business?
- What value do you hope your customers will get from your small business offerings?
- What is the overall mission of your small business?
- How will you change the world?!

Establishing the true and specific answer to each of these can help you to rediscover the reason why you started your small business and help you to keep clarity around your big business goals and purpose – giving you the fuel you need to overcome the daily struggle of business survival.

Target Audience

Finding your target audience is a topic that has been presented in many different ways, a thousand different times. However, we feel it goes deeper than just finding the right platform where your demographic might be. We believe you have to start at the very core of your small business.

To find your target audience, or your Brand Soulmates™ as we call them, you must return to your “why”. The reason “why” you started your business, the passion that drove you to do so (and continues to drive you) is that same reason and same passion which customers must align with in order to fall in love with your brand and small business.

When your brand stands for something specific, you make your values and beliefs known, consumers can connect at a deeper level with who you are as a brand – because it’s a representation of who THEY are as a person.

So how do we connect the “why” and your Brand Soulmate™ together to increase impact and sales? Let’s break it down.

Brand Soulmates™

While commonly referred to as ‘target audience’, ‘ideal audience’, ‘buyer persona’ or even ‘avatar’, we like to refer to your small business ‘match made in heaven’ audience as your Brand Soulmates™.

And we feel this is the most apt way to describe that perfect brand-consumer fit as well. Think about it. These are people who feel so perfectly aligned with your brand, and share the same interests and values as your brand, that they’re inspired to take action and purchase from your business.

You are free to be who you intended yourself to be as a brand, and don’t need to apologize for it. You feel these connections in your gut – it just feels right! If you’re a service based business, you can probably think of which of these clients fall into this category, and which don’t. If you’re a product based company these are often the customers who repeatedly purchase from you, send other customers your way and spread the word about your brand online.

In understanding the concept of Brand Soulmates™, you also acknowledge that this connection won’t be there for EVERYONE. And that’s ok! Rather than broadly marketing to many without result, you’ll be powerfully connecting with a certain segment of the market.

A segment that is most inclined to purchase and repurchase from you time and time again.

To get started, ask yourself these questions when establishing potential Brand Soulmates™:

- What is my brand “why” (established in step one)?
- What values are at the core of your business?
- Does this individual also hold this same value/belief?
- WHY is this a value or belief of theirs? Dig deeper.
- What does my ideal customer value in a (fill in the blank) product or service?
- How does this individual evaluate solutions like the one I offer?
- What resources do they go to? Is my ideal customer male or female? Or both?
- What’s the age range of my ideal customer?
- What sort of spending power would my ideal customer have? Approximate yearly income?
- Would my ideal customer have any special interests (as pertains to your brand)?

Once you’ve completed the answers to each of these questions, you’ll find that you’re well on your way to creating your first Brand Soulmate™ profile.

To complete these profiles, you’ll want to:

1. Compile all of the information you have available to you through your experience in this industry and business

2. Interview your internal team – product, sales, marketing and leadership – to get their perspectives on challenges, complaints, common questions, product updates, etc.

3. Review your analytics for any trends in activity, search terms, referral sources, etc to identify opportunities

4. Interview your Brand Soulmates™ within prospect, customer and past customer categories to hear from them how they describe their challenges, pain points, values, benefit/outcome of solving their challenge

(Pro Tip: pay attention to commonly used phrases and keywords to explain this.)

Your small business marketing is dependent upon the creation of these Brand Soulmates™ because they allow you to identify your prospects and customers’ pain points and challenges (and address them), know where you can find your audience, and understand how they will move through the buyer’s journey.

Download or request a list of our Brand Soulmate™ interview questions plus interview template here.

Once you’ve put all of this information together, pick a name for your soulmate and create a profile to use internally and when working with any outside vendors, partners or agencies.

Storytelling

Did you know that you were going to become the Walt Disney of your own business when you started your small business marketing plan?

What we mean by this is that creating your brand, the messaging, the logo, the graphics, the imagery all serves to create your small business story. This story contributes to the experience customers will have when they interact with your brand. Ultimately this experience determines if the customer will become a fan of your brand, and in the end determine if they will buy from you.

Storytelling sets the foundation for every aspect of marketing your small business, so don’t neglect this essential task – believe us, establishing your “why” and tying that into your powerful story will make every future decision for your small business that much clearer and easier.

Brand Identity

Your ability to improve brand recognition and recall with your target audience is a huge determinant in the success of your small business. Famous brands got their start somewhere, and you can bet that their current success is still dependent upon customers being able to recognize their logo (and brand) from a mile away.

However, branding is more than just an amazing logo or graphic or font. It’s about:

- Who you are as a small business
- What makes you different
- Your brand personality and language
- Consistently sending this message across all mediums
- And design that allows you to positively connect with your target audience

Branding is much more than just pretty graphics – it’s about how your customers feel when they see your small business’ brand. The best part about it? You can build your brand without breaking the bank. Let’s dive in.

CONTENT

One of the main ingredients to creating show-stopping, click-worthy content for your
brand is having a brand voice. According to Dima Midon in an article on Entrepreneur,
“Brand voice is the intentional, consistent communication of your business identity.”
We’re pretty sure that’s the most succinct explanation of branded content.

Essentially, you need to establish a brand voice that’s so unique to your small business,
that when laid side by side with competitors, without any logo or design indicator,
your content would stand out as “something different” and something your audience
could easily recognize.

Your branded content also needs to be completely aligned with your brand vision,
voice, and value. When completing the groundwork for your first pieces of content, ask
yourself:

Who is my Brand Soulmate?
What types of content could I create that would be addressing their key
challenges, pain points, needs, etc that I uncovered when developing my Brand
Soulmate™ profiles?

How does this content relate to my small business and small business goals?
What should my brand voice sound like (based on my brand why and my
audience)? Funny and casual? Cool and professional? A mix of both?

Once you’ve done this preliminary work, start creating a brand guide that includes
vocabulary, tone, and phrases that pertain to your business specifically. This will help
you to maintain brand voice consistency as you start building your collection of
branded content.

Design

Last, but not least, ensure your brand design aligns with the why, the message and the
content you’re creating. Your brand design should bring all of those elements to life in
a clean, memorable visual display. Ask yourself if your visual elements:

1. Appropriately portray the brand values and personality? (i.e. creative,
risk-taking, etc)

2. Make my audience feel how I want them to feel? (i.e. confident, relaxed,
pumped, etc)

3. Will be easy to recognize and remember?

4. Are consistent across all channels – both online and offline? (i.e. website, social
media, logo, business cards, signage, menus, etc)

Brand Positioning

Once you’ve established your brand why, identified your Brand Soulmates and created your brand identity & messaging, you’ll have a MUCH clearer understanding of how you’ll position yourself in a crowded marketplace.

Positioning is all about identifying your ideal customer (you did that already), identifying their pain points (you did that already, too), developing powerful content (refer to Branding), and finally, it’s about getting clear about what makes you different from the competition.

In addition to focusing on your brand values, highlighting HOW you provide your solutions can be a powerful unique differentiator.

People believe in and trust systems and processes. If you’re delivering your solution in a specific way, that utilizes unique tools, resources, steps or technology – use this to establish your positioning statement.

You can also use these 5 ways to position your small business brand in the marketplace:

Specialize – put your focus on one product/service and focus on a specific problem. Your expertise could you set you apart from the competition.
Provide a full suite of services – if you don’t want to specialize and hone in on one specific thing, you could offer an entire bundle of services in an industry that’s rather fragmented with specialists. It really depends on your small business and the industry that you’re in (and your established buyer persona).
Be a rebel – not only is it more fun to be a rebel, but differentiating yourself using your unique brand story and background is a great way to make some noise if your product/service is similar to several others in the marketplace.
Focus on customer experience – if you can put your energy into proving that your product/service makes something easier and more efficient, you will win the love of customers everywhere.
Find a new tribe – more often than not, businesses strive to gain the attention of one particular demographic, which ultimately creates an intense amount of competition. We’ve talked about creating your Brand Soulmate™ but depending on your product/service, there may be additional opportunities to align with more soulmates. Maybe it’s time to seek out the pain points of a less noticed demographic and put yourself in front of them too. Identify any existing associations that may be limiting you and address them!

In the end, your positioning should do four things:

Define your audience
Clearly demonstrate the benefit
of your offering
Define the category
you’re in
Set you apart from the
competition

Online Marketing Channels

Once you’ve established what sort of demographic would most align with your small business mission and values, and once you’ve decided upon the best position to take, it’s time to distribute. But you can’t just distribute your brand and message willy-nilly. It’s important to take into account the type of channels and how accessibility and demographics can play a role here, too. If done correctly, you should have established to some degree what platforms and channels your Brand Soulmates™ are using both recreationally and to help them make decisions when it comes to your solutions. For example, are they active on Facebook? Do they regularly check their email? Are they using Google to get answers to their questions?

While there are many channels you can choose for distribution of your small business marketing messages, we’ve focused on two of the most widely used: email marketing channels and social media marketing channels.

Email

Some may claim that email is dead, but we beg to differ! When done correctly, email marketing is an invaluable resource for all marketers, but especially small businesses on a budget. Email marketing can be an inexpensive way for small businesses to reach a large number of contacts and customers for pennies per message. You can easily reach customers on mobile, since, according to a study from Forrester Research, more than 42% of email marketing messages are opened on a mobile device. Lastly, customization of your email marketing messages is easy. Using an email marketing service allows you to customize email templates to align with your branding and resonate with your audience. Some of our top email marketing choices include: MailChimp, Constant Contact, ActiveCampaign, and HubSpot.

Social Media

We will cover this in a bit more detail later in the guide (reference Marketing on a Budget) but it’s always good to reiterate a particularly useful or important point. Consistency and repetition are key, people!

There are several social media platforms that you can utilize as your small business marketing channel, including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Depending upon your ideal audience, you can advertise and network on any of these sites and engage the attention of potential customers. Social media is also a great place to connect with social influencers who could help you to promote your brand and product/service. Depending upon how influential they are, and the terms of the contract you come up with, this is another inexpensive way to promote trust for your small business and get noticed.

Consistency and Focus

As mentioned previously, consistency in branding (brand voice, brand tone, etc) is super duper important. So important, in fact, that we just described it as “super duper”. It was necessary. Please don’t judge us.

Using your brand guide and your small business mission as your touchstone, you need to be able to create content that has a focus and is consistent enough to be recognizable as yours.

The focus in the back of your mind when creating brand content should always be “what is my business goal” and “what is the goal of this content”? You need to understand your small business marketing goals in order to create strategized content to help you reach them, but you also need to understand what you want your reader to take away from your content and what their next steps should be.

Don’t just create content for the sake of creating content. Create it with consistency and purpose. Two strategies to ensuring consistency and focus Establish content themes These could be pulled from the research you did in your Brand Soulmates™ development phase Create an editorial calendar to help you to stay organized, consistent, and focused on the overarching marketing goal of your content creation. Plus, once you’ve mapped out several months (or a year) in advance, the writing process will become much easier.

Marketing On a Budget

If you’ve started your own small business, it’s likely you don’t currently have a lot of excessive, available capital. It’s for this very reason that many small businesses focus on their top pain points (i.e. managing cash flow, hiring staff, dealing with customer service issues, etc) and let their marketing efforts fall by the wayside.

We get it – you have priorities and limited funds to make them happen. However, we’re here to tell you that you can still successfully implement a marketing plan for your small business – even on a budget.

Here’s how to make the most of the funds you have: Leverage these four tactics to help ensure prospects who align with your brand values, and are searching for the solution you offer, can find you and convert into happy, paying customers!

Publish Amazing, Engaging Content – Whether for business or pleasure, the world of the internet is powered by websites with incredible content that draws readers back to their sites again and again for more.

Creating valuable content – (think of your Brand Soulmate™ and what they want!) will not only make your small business seem valuable, but it will also increase your authority online.

Why is this important?

Increasing your authority on a subject also increases consumers’ trust in you. And, people do business with the people they trust. By putting yourself “out there”, giving your brand a personality, and taking the time to research and present important updates and opinions that are helpful to your customers, you’re earning their trust.

If you’re writing and creating the content yourself it’s only the cost of time – and what better way to spend your time than tackling these important marketing tactics for growth. No need to stretch that marketing budget.

Create a ‘Google My Business’ Account

If you have a physical location (and even if you’re virtual), and you want your small business to be found online by individuals searching the interwebs for your services, then having a Google My Business account is key. Once you have set up your free account (did I mention “free”?), claimed and verified your information, you will be visible on a local search, Google Maps, and Google+.

Collaborate and Co-Market

Building a business from scratch can take a ton of time, energy, and money. Online advertising alone can cost you a pretty penny when it’s all said and done. Rather than starting your business by throwing money into online advertising right out the gate or completely alone, reach this same audience (or better) by aligning with established businesses targeting your same demographic.

Guest Post on Relevant (and Popular) Sites

One way to leverage these relationships and get your business in front of these audiences is by guest posting on similar established and relevant sites. While this does take some time, posting to a website with an established audience can have a much more significant impact on brand reach than focusing all of your efforts on your own site.

Run Complementary Email Promotions

Are you connected to any other businesses targeting your same audience? Explore opportunities to run a promotion via email that benefits their audience and gets your brand in front of new people. Depending on the promotion, you could request email addresses or drive visitors to your website. For example, if you’re the new boutique on the block, partner up with a few stylists to send out an email broadcast letting their contacts know if they mention the stylist’s name or use a promo code online, they get 10% off their purchase.

When you’re just getting started, overcoming the initial hump of no exposure to consistent and growing exposure can be frustrating and fruitless. Partnering with other businesses accelerates this exposure, builds a stronger sense of trust right out the gate, and improves your online presence with inbound links and more.

Social Networks

Create business accounts and participate in all the major social networks your audience is on, which may include LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Not only will building a solid presence on these platforms help you to network with other businesses and consumers, increase your online presence and build trust, it will most likely provide you with direct access to your target audience.

Remember, try not to bite off more than you can chew. If your resources and time only allow for one platform then choose ONE platform and kick its ass! It’s better to maintain a strong, valuable presence on one platform than a mediocre, ‘meh’ presence on 3 or more. Plus, if your budget will allow for it, you have opportunities to advertise on these social networks to drive traffic to your site or increase engagement with followers at a fairly low cost. There are a variety of ways to market on little to no budget (these are just a few), so there’s no need to sacrifice great marketing due to limited funds. It’s essential that you implement some form of marketing for your small business in order to promote growth and success.

Goal Setting and Tracking

Now, before you dive right in and start deciding if things are working or not, you must set some goals. We can’t stress enough the importance of this step. We’re constantly talking to business owners who have invested time, money and resources into their marketing initiatives and growing their business but have little to no idea if things are working. Or, they say things aren’t working, but have NO gauge in place to base this assessment off of.

While it might not feel like you’re “doing anything”, one of the first rules for setting yourself up for small business marketing success is to set specific goals. And they must be specific. A well-defined marketing goal can make a huge difference in how you make future decisions as well as how you manage and track your key performance indicators (KPIs).

What Do We Mean By “Well-Defined”? Well-defined means setting a goal that has a trackable, quantifiable performance indicator. Some examples of well-defined marketing goals include: I want 1,000 new visitors to my site, 3 leads, and 2 new customers next month in order to achieve my revenue goal of $500/month. (See how specific it is?) I would like to generate 6 new customers over the next 3 months from our current client list using email marketing. I want to reach $200,000 in revenue by the end of the year.

These goals have quantifiable results in mind and will allow you to create a more targeted strategy in order to achieve them. After all, why set goals if you aren’t going to do everything you can to knock them out of the park?

Getting Started with Goals

If you have little to no historical data to go off of in setting your goals, still set them but plan for 90-day periods of time compared to a full year. This will give you shorter benchmarks to determine if your goals are realistic.

Make it Stick with the WHY

As a new entrepreneur just getting started in your business, it may be easy to set ambitious goals – and even easier to forget them or neglect them when times get tough. To increase your chances of breaking through barriers and staying motivated when times are tough, dig into the reasoning behind your goals. Are you setting this revenue goal so that your family can take a much-needed and well-deserved vacation next year? Is the customer goal so that you can hire another team member to free up some of your time to focus on business growth rather than customer service?

Understanding the ‘why’ behind the goal is sometimes more important than the goal itself. So to successfully set your goals, start thinking about what you truly want to accomplish and then work backwards from there to determine what you need to do in order to make that dream a reality.

Tracking, Tracking, Tracking… Did We Mention Tracking?

What are goals without tracking? Nothing! We cannot stress this enough – without tracking in place, your lovely goals and ambitions are essentially non-existent and not useful to the growth of your small business. While some goals may be easier to monitor in the end (i.e. did I hit $200K in revenue this year?), most of them need tracking in place to help you establish if you’re working towards them in a realistic way. How will you know if you are reaching your goals and KPIs if there’s no way for you to see what’s actually happening with your marketing efforts?

Owning a business is not for the faint of heart – and neither is successfully marketing
that business. It takes a feisty, spirited, and determined person to make it happen, but
we believe in you, and most importantly, we’re here to help.

We hope you found this small business marketing overview to be beneficial and
thought-provoking as you take steps to further your small business growth and
success. Now it’s time for you to get out there, make these moves, and start seeing
results. Go get ‘em, tiger!

Ready To Take It To The Next Level?

We strongly believe that the success of small businesses lies in effectively defining
and sharing their Brand Why, maintaining a deep and intimate understanding of
their Brand Soulmates and creating a consistent and focused marketing plan with
specific goals and tracking in place. For this reason, we created our four online courses
for entrepreneurs: Business Success Starter Course, Your Brand Story, Your Brand
Soulmates™ and Your Brand Identity

February 25, 2024April 26, 2024

[Guide] Generate Sales: Sales Enablement for Healthcare

Generate Sales: A Radiant Guide to Sales Enablement for Healthcare

By Lauren Karwoski

>> Download the PDF here to read later! <<

Generate Sales Guide Sections:

Introduction
Building a Foundation to Empower Your Sales Team
Healthcare Sales Strategies and Measuring Success
Conclusion

Section 1: Generate Sales – An Introduction to Healthcare Sales Enablement

In the intricate world of healthcare marketing, the concept of sales enablement takes center stage, representing a strategic alignment of sales and marketing efforts to generate sales. Coined as “smarketing” by industry expert Dan Tyre, sales enablement is the fusion of sales and marketing activities, creating a synergistic approach to engaging potential leads.

Generating sales involves the strategic implementation of tools, processes, and resources to empower sales teams, ensuring they have the necessary information and assets to effectively communicate with prospects and generate sales.

This guide, created by Radiant Marketing, delves into the core principles of sales enablement for healthcare brands, offering actionable insights and strategies to elevate lead progression and conversion initiatives and results, including the generation of sales and new business.

A. Importance of Healthcare Sales Enablement to Generate Sales

Within the healthcare sector’s dynamic landscape, where relationships hold paramount importance and decisions bear substantial weight, the significance of sales enablement cannot be overstated. A study found that organizations who focus on sales enablement achieve a 49% win rate on forecasted deals, compared to 42.5% for those without. Strategies to help generate sales become vital in the success of marketing endeavors by fostering collaboration between sales and marketing teams.

Healthcare sales enablement extends beyond traditional lead generation, focusing on equipping sales teams with the expertise to navigate the intricacies of compliance, effectively communicate with diverse stakeholders, and address the unique challenges presented by the healthcare landscape.

As healthcare consumers become more informed and discerning, the need for a cohesive ‘smarketing’ strategy is critical. Sales enablement not only enhances the efficiency of lead generation but also contributes to building trust, nurturing meaningful connections, and ultimately influencing positive patient outcomes and business growth by generating sales.

Understanding the pivotal role of sales enablement in the healthcare industry lays the groundwork for a comprehensive approach to lead progression. This approach goes beyond transactional interactions, emphasizing the building of enduring relationships in the ever-evolving and vital healthcare sector.

B. Understanding the Healthcare Sales Landscape

Current Trends and Challenges in Generating Sales in Healthcare

The process of generating sales in healthcare – both B2C and B2B – is undergoing significant changes, especially in the aftermath of COVID-19. In the pharmaceutical and field marketing sectors, there’s a notable shift towards virtual and technological advancements. For instance, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly leveraging virtual platforms for sales presentations and engagement with healthcare professionals. This change not only aligns with the evolving preferences post-pandemic but also enhances accessibility and efficiency.1

Companies like Pfizer have adopted virtual engagement strategies to connect with healthcare professionals. Webinars, online presentations, and virtual conferences have become integral parts of their sales approach, adapting to the changing landscape.

Regulatory Considerations for Generating Sales

Navigating the healthcare sales landscape requires an awareness of regulatory considerations. This includes adherence to industry standards, compliance with healthcare laws, and a commitment to ethical practices.1 Ensuring that sales strategies align with regulations is crucial to building trust and maintaining the integrity of the healthcare brand.

Key Stakeholders in the Healthcare Sales Process

When it comes to generating healthcare sales, various stakeholders play pivotal roles. These include healthcare professionals, patients, payers, and even regulatory bodies. Understanding the needs and expectations of each stakeholder is essential for crafting effective sales strategies.

For example, tailoring sales pitches to address the concerns of healthcare professionals and providing clear information for patients contribute to successful healthcare sales.

The Mayo Clinic prioritizes a patient-centric sales approach in their strategies. By considering the needs and preferences of patients in their communication and service delivery, they build trust and enhance the overall sales process.

C. Patient-Centric Sales Generation Approaches

Understanding the Patient Journey

In patient-centric sales approaches, understanding the patient journey is key. This involves recognizing the various stages a patient goes through, from awareness to decision-making and post-purchase engagement.2 Through a deep understanding of this journey, healthcare brands can tailor their sales strategies to meet patients’ specific needs at each step.

The Mayo Clinic excels in understanding the patient journey. They focus on providing clear and accessible information at every stage, ensuring patients feel supported and informed throughout their healthcare experience.

Personalized Sales Strategies for Individual Patients

89% of consumers buy based on the overall sales experience, regardless of price or functionality. This means that unlike traditional sales approaches, patient-centric strategies must prioritize personalization and the overall experience. Tailoring sales efforts to the unique needs and preferences of individual patients is paramount. This may involve customizing product or service recommendations, adapting communication styles, and considering the patient’s specific health concerns.2

Cleveland Clinic offers personalized health screenings tailored to different demographics. This personalized approach ensures that individuals receive recommendations and information relevant to their specific health needs.

Incorporating Patient Education in Sales Processes

Patient education is a core element of patient-centric sales generation. Healthcare brands focus on providing educational resources and information to empower patients to make informed decisions about their health. This may include detailed product information, online resources, or even interactive tools that aid patients in understanding their options.

Healthline implements patient education through email drip campaigns. By delivering relevant and educational content over a series of emails, they engage and nurture leads, promoting informed decision-making among their audience.

D. The Role of Data Privacy in Healthcare Sales

Ensuring Compliance with Data Protection Regulations

In the world of healthcare sales generation, adherence to data protection regulations is non-negotiable. Brands must ensure compliance with laws like HIPAA to safeguard patient information. This involves implementing secure data storage, transmission, and processing systems that align with stringent privacy standards.3

Epic Systems prioritizes HIPAA compliance in their healthcare information technologies. Their systems adhere to strict regulations, ensuring the secure handling of patient data.

Safeguarding Patient Information in Sales Processes

Safeguarding patient information is a critical aspect of ethical healthcare sales generation. Sales processes should incorporate robust security measures to protect sensitive data, including encryption, access controls, and secure communication channels.3

Ochsner Health System implemented stringent data privacy measures, resulting in increased patient trust and a positive impact on their lead generation and sales outcomes.

Building Trust through Transparent Data Practices

Transparency in data practices is crucial for building trust. Clearly communicating how patient data is collected, used, and protected fosters transparency. Healthcare brands that prioritize openness in their data practices contribute to a trustworthy and ethical sales environment.

GeneHealth Analytics excels in transparent communication about data practices. Their privacy policy clearly outlines the purpose of data collection and usage, fostering trust and compliance with ethical standards.

Section 2: Building a Foundation to Empower Your Sales Team

A. Defining Goals to Generate Sales in Healthcare

Defining clear sales goals is crucial for empowering your healthcare sales team. Whether it’s enhancing customer engagement, improving lead conversion, or streamlining sales processes, having specific and measurable goals provides direction and focus.

Pfizer sets sales enablement goals focused on virtual engagement and efficient communication with healthcare professionals. This aligns with their strategy post-COVID and reflects the industry’s shift towards virtual interactions.

Aligning Sales and Marketing Strategies (“Smarketing”)

In healthcare, the collaboration between sales and marketing, often termed “smarketing,” is essential. Aligning strategies ensures a cohesive approach, where marketing efforts complement the goals and activities of the sales team, ultimately driving more effective lead generation.

Establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

When generating healthcare sales, defining KPIs, such as lead conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and customer lifetime value, helps measure the effectiveness of sales strategies and track progress toward overarching goals.

B. Know Your Audience

Buyer Personas in Healthcare

Understanding your audience is foundational. Creating detailed buyer personas in healthcare sales involves defining the characteristics, preferences, and challenges of your ideal customers. This ensures that your sales strategies are tailored to meet their specific needs.4

Cleveland Clinic segments its audience for personalized health screenings. By understanding the demographics and health concerns of different groups, they tailor their sales approach effectively.

Tailoring Messaging for Healthcare Professionals

In healthcare sales, messaging must resonate with healthcare professionals. Tailoring communication to address their unique challenges, preferences, and priorities builds rapport and enhances the effectiveness of your sales outreach.

Doctor on Demand tailors its messaging for healthcare professionals by highlighting the efficiency and convenience of virtual consultations. This addresses the busy schedules of healthcare providers.

Addressing Pain Points and Challenges

Identifying and addressing pain points is crucial. In healthcare sales, understanding the challenges faced by your audience allows you to position your product or service as a solution, creating value and meeting the specific needs of healthcare stakeholders.

C. Market Research and Competitive Analysis

Conducting Market Research in the Healthcare Industry

In the ever-evolving healthcare industry, continuous market research is vital for generating sales. Understanding market trends, consumer behaviors, and emerging technologies equips your sales team with the insights needed to adapt and stay ahead.

Analyzing Competitors’ Sales Strategies

Analyzing competitors provides valuable insights. Studying competitors’ sales strategies allows your team to identify industry best practices, assess market positioning, and differentiate your approach to gain a competitive edge.4

Ochsner Health System collaborates with various healthcare entities, including life science companies and digital health startups. This strategic collaboration stems from a thorough analysis of the competitive landscape, identifying opportunities for partnership.

Identifying Market Gaps and Opportunities

Market gaps present opportunities for innovation. Through comprehensive market analysis, your sales team can identify gaps in services or unmet needs, allowing you to tailor your offerings to fill these voids and capitalize on emerging opportunities to generate more sales.

The surge in telehealth services during and after the pandemic presented opportunities. Companies like Doctor on Demand and Teladoc seized the moment by offering convenient and accessible virtual healthcare solutions.

D. Effective Networking in Healthcare Sales Generation

Attending Healthcare Conferences and Events

Networking can be a powerful tool in generating healthcare sales. Attending conferences and events provides opportunities to connect with key industry players, stay informed about industry trends, and build relationships that can lead to valuable partnerships. This approach can get costly, so it’s important to appropriately evaluate events and prioritize those that will effectively expose you to best-fit prospects or partners.

Building and Nurturing Professional Relationships

Building relationships goes beyond transactions. In healthcare sales, fostering genuine and long-term professional relationships, whether with healthcare providers or industry partners, is vital.

Radiant client Lifescape does a fantastic job at prioritizing relationship building. By nurturing connections with healthcare professionals and organizations, they create a partner network that extends beyond individual sales transactions and provides their patients with a comprehensive network of complementary resources.

E. Content Development for Generating Sales

Creating Educational and Informative Content

In healthcare sales, content is a powerful tool. Developing educational and informative content ensures that sales teams have valuable resources to engage and educate healthcare professionals, patients, and stakeholders.

“As a content writer in the healthcare industry, I’ve witnessed the transformative impact of educational and informative content,” shares Lauren Karwoski, Radiant Content Strategist, “Crafting valuable resources not only equips sales teams with powerful tools but also establishes a brand as a trusted source of knowledge.”

Utilizing Case Studies and Success Stories

Case studies and success stories offer tangible proof of a brand’s impact. By showcasing real-world examples, healthcare sales teams can illustrate the value of their products or services in solving specific challenges.

Omada Health effectively uses success stories to demonstrate the positive impact of their digital health solutions. These stories serve as compelling sales tools, resonating with potential clients and patients.

Incorporating Compliance and Ethical Considerations

Ethical considerations are paramount in healthcare. Content development should align with compliance standards, ensuring that all materials adhere to regulatory requirements and ethical guidelines.3

F. Leveraging Technology to Generate Sales

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems and Healthcare Sales

CRM systems are indispensable in healthcare sales. They provide a centralized platform for managing patient relationships, optimizing communication, and personalizing interactions.

Cleveland Clinic utilizes Salesforce Health Cloud to streamline patient interactions. This CRM system empowers their sales team by providing a comprehensive view of patient data, enhancing personalized healthcare experiences.

Marketing Automation for Personalized Engagement

Marketing automation is a game-changer for personalized engagement. In healthcare sales, leveraging automation tools allows brands to deliver targeted content, nurture leads, and enhance the overall sales process.

HubSpot’s marketing automation platform is widely adopted in healthcare. It enables personalized communication, automated workflows, and data-driven insights, empowering sales teams to engage effectively with their audience.

Integrating Telehealth and Virtual Platforms

The integration of telehealth and virtual platforms is transforming the way companies generate healthcare sales. Sales teams can leverage these technologies to conduct virtual consultations, engage with patients remotely, and adapt to the evolving landscape.

G. Sales Training and Development

Continuous Training for Healthcare Sales Teams

In the healthcare industry, continuous training is essential. Sales teams need ongoing education to stay updated on industry trends, product advancements, and effective sales techniques to maintain their ability to generate sales.

“Establishing a process for sales team onboarding and training, as well as ongoing trainings, is critical to ensuring everyone is operating effectively and consistently,” shares Karen Cummings, Radiant Founder & CEO, “This continuity makes sales process analysis much more effective, empowering teams to optimize their sales communications and tools to generate more sales.”

Role-specific Training Modules

Tailoring training to specific roles within the sales team enhances expertise. Role-specific training modules equip team members with the knowledge and skills necessary for their unique responsibilities.

Epic Systems provides role-specific training for its sales team, focusing on the nuances of healthcare technology. This targeted approach ensures that each team member is proficient in addressing the specific needs of their clientele.

Incorporating Regulatory and Compliance Training

Regulatory and compliance training is non-negotiable in generating healthcare sales. Sales teams must be well-versed in industry regulations to ensure ethical practices and adherence to legal standards.

Johnson & Johnson incorporates regulatory and compliance training into its sales education programs. This ensures that sales representatives operate within the bounds of healthcare regulations, maintaining the integrity of their sales processes.

H. Collaboration Between Sales and Other Departments

Enhancing Communication with Customer Support

Effective collaboration with customer support is vital for seamless customer experiences. Sales teams should maintain open communication channels to address customer inquiries, feedback, and concerns promptly.

Building Bridges with Product Development and R&D

Collaboration with product development and research & development (R&D) teams is essential for aligning sales strategies with product advancements. Regular communication ensures that sales teams stay informed about new features and innovations, enhancing their ability to promote cutting-edge solutions.6

Section 3: Healthcare Strategies to Generate Sales & Measuring Success

A. Value-Based Selling in Healthcare

Studies found that 74% of buyers chose the company that first adds value. Effectively articulate the value proposition of healthcare products and services, emphasizing how they contribute to value-based care. Highlighting the positive impact on patient outcomes and cost-efficiency is key.

Emphasizing Patient Outcomes in Sales Pitches

Tailor sales pitches to underscore real-world patient outcomes. Demonstrating the tangible benefits of healthcare solutions enhances credibility and resonates with potential buyers.

Addressing Cost-Efficiency and Return on Investment

Incorporate discussions on cost-efficiency and return on investment in sales conversations. Showcase how the proposed solutions provide economic value while delivering quality care.

B. Data-Driven Decision Making in Healthcare Sales Generation

Analyzing Sales Data for Insights

Leverage sales data analysis to gain valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. Informed decision-making based on data enhances the effectiveness of sales strategies.

Predictive Analytics for Generating Healthcare Sales

Utilize predictive analytics to forecast trends and customer behaviors. Anticipating market shifts empowers sales teams to proactively adjust their approaches for optimal outcomes.5

Iterative Improvement Based on Data Feedback

Implement continuous improvement cycles based on data feedback. Iterative adjustments to sales strategies, guided by performance data, contribute to ongoing success in the healthcare landscape.6

C. Adapting Sales Strategies to Healthcare Trends

Staying Informed about Industry Innovations

Stay abreast of industry innovations while exercising caution against fleeting trends. Focusing on sustainable and impactful healthcare advancements ensures sales strategies remain relevant and effective.

Philips Healthcare stands out as a prime example of an organization staying informed about industry innovations. Philips continuously invests in research and development, bringing cutting-edge technologies to the forefront. By embracing innovations like telehealth solutions and AI-driven diagnostics, Philips ensures that its sales strategies align with sustainable trends.

Aligning Sales Pitches with Current Healthcare Challenges

Tailor sales pitches to align with prevalent healthcare challenges. By addressing current industry concerns, sales teams position themselves as valuable partners in overcoming obstacles.

D. Utilizing Data Analytics for Informed Sales Decisions

Leveraging Data to Identify Sales Opportunities

Harness the power of data analytics to identify potential sales opportunities. Data-driven insights enable sales teams to target their efforts effectively and capitalize on emerging trends.5

Predictive Analytics for Anticipating Customer Needs

Employ predictive analytics to anticipate customer needs. Proactively meeting the evolving demands of healthcare consumers positions sales teams ahead of the curve.

Analyzing Sales Performance Metrics for Continuous Improvement

Regularly analyze sales performance metrics for continuous improvement. Iterative adjustments, guided by performance data, ensure sustained success and relevance in the healthcare market.

E. Measuring Success and ROI

Key Metrics for Healthcare Sales Enablement

Define key metrics for generating healthcare sales, including lead conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and customer lifetime value. These metrics provide a comprehensive view of sales success.

Assessing the Impact on Revenue and Conversion Rates

Evaluate the impact of sales strategies on revenue and conversion rates. A thorough assessment ensures alignment with overarching business goals and objectives.

Continuous Improvement Strategies

Implement continuous improvement strategies based on performance assessments. Adapting and refining sales approaches ensures ongoing success in the dynamic healthcare sales landscape.

Section 4: Generate More Sales with Radiant Marketing

Recap of Key Takeaways

In reflection, this guide has explored essential facets of generating healthcare sales, from understanding industry trends to leveraging data analytics for informed decisions. Key takeaways include the significance of aligning sales strategies with healthcare challenges, incorporating sustainability considerations, and embracing data-driven decision-making.

As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, embracing a mindset of continuous improvement is paramount. Stay vigilant to industry shifts, adapt sales strategies accordingly, and leverage data analytics for insights. By fostering a culture of ongoing improvement, your sales team is poised for enduring success in the ever-changing healthcare environment.

Transform Your Sales Enablement Strategy with Radiant Marketing

Elevate your health and wellness brand with Radiant Marketing’s unparalleled expertise and unwavering commitment to positive change. At Radiant Marketing, we specialize in empowering innovative health and wellness brands, turning possibilities into reality through dynamic digital marketing strategies. Our comprehensive Branding, Lead Generation, Lead Progression, and Sales Enablement Diagnostic Programs unveil untapped opportunities, establishing a robust foundation for brand positioning and business expansion.

Embark on a journey with our Signature Programs, where we bring these opportunities to life. Executing strategic plans, we create powerfully-positioned brands, generate new leads, and progress existing leads through the sales process, fostering new and sustainable revenue streams for your business.

Schedule a Discovery Call

Ready to explore the possibilities for your brand? Request a discovery call today. Our collaborative and personalized approach, coupled with proven processes, ensures that your brand receives custom-tailored solutions at affordable prices. Partner with Radiant Marketing and chart a course toward transformative growth for your healthcare brand through expertly generated sales.

References

https://infusemed.com/what-is-medical-sales-enablement/
https://www.pharmatimes.com/web_exclusives/patient_centric_sales_1250799
https://www.weareamnet.com/blog/taking-data-security-seriously-in-healthcare-marketing/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/buyer-persona/
https://www.junoschool.org/post/analyse-sales-trends-performance-data
https://www.hubspot.com/sales-enablement

February 21, 2024February 23, 2024

Don’t Settle for Less…

Fellow visionary leaders – are you playing small? What stories are holding your brand back from breaking through to the next level? What questions have been left unanswered that could change the trajectory of your business?

Let’s get radically honest.

We created our Diagnostic Programs to dig deep into the human truths that drive action. To connect with people’s hearts, not just minds. Because real change happens through empathy and emotional connection.

Discover opportunities to:

Establish a powerfully positioned & beautifully designed brand (Branding Diagnostic)
Build your community with high quality prospects (Lead Generation & Progression)
Increase your revenue and impact with more sales (Sales Enablement)

These programs help us walk in your customer’s shoes, gaining a deep understanding of their values, behaviors, and motivations, so we can guide them to the outcomes that matter most. Not just to our bottom line, but to their health and wellbeing and the future of our communities. That’s the difference between manipulation and service.

Let’s make a true impact, illuminating the path forward.

So, ask yourself:

Are we authentically living our vision, and does that vision align with the values of the individuals we created our brand for?
What is driving our best customers to take action, and how are we helping them achieve their goals and aspirations?
Who do we need to become as a brand to have an even greater impact?

Trust the journey. Stay curious. Surround yourself with experts who elevate your brand’s essence.

Keep taking bold, imperfect action from the heart to drive your business forward. You will find the way. And along the way, you’ll lift others too.

The world needs your brand’s vision and voice now more than ever. Reach out for a Discovery Call if you want to talk trends, ideas, or diagnosing what will truly transform your business and community. The future is bright and it starts here.

LinkedIn Lead Generation for B2B Health Brands

Linkedin Lead Generation by the Numbers

Getting Started with LinkedIn Lead Generation

Build a Strong LinkedIn Profile

Personal Profile

Company Profile

Craft Compelling LinkedIn Content

Engage with Your Linkedin Audience

Utilize LinkedIn Ads

Leveraging LinkedIn Groups

Measure and Analyze Your Linkedin Efforts

Radiant Marketing: The Lead Gen Experts

The 5 Pillars of Sales Enablement: Elevate Your Healthcare Sales Strategy

Understanding Sales Enablement in Healthcare

1. Alignment of Sales and Marketing Strategies

2. Comprehensive Buyer Persona Development

3. Empowering Sales Teams with Technology

4. Streamlined Processes

5. Data-Driven Decision Making

Partner with Radiant Marketing to Generate More Sales!

The Power of Inbound Leads in Healthcare Marketing

Inbound Leads: They Come to You

Outbound vs Inbound Leads

Inbound Leads:

Outbound Leads:

The Impact of Inbound Leads in Healthcare

Educational Content as a Magnet

SEO and Visibility

Social Media Engagement

The Role of Referred Leads in Healthcare Marketing

Harnessing the Power of Referrals

Integration for Optimal Results

Planning The Ultimate Team Trip: A Radiant Marketing Guide

Set a Budget and Timeline

Choose Your Destination Wisely

Outline Your Goals

Create a Balanced Itinerary

Budget Carefully

Over-Communicate Trip Details

Capture Marketing Content

Do a Post-Event Debrief

Start Planning!

Radiant Marketing – Uniting Through Meaningful Connections

A Healthcare Branding Agency Doing Things Differently

Living the Values: Authenticity, Purpose, and Kindness

Driving Results Through Data and Passion

Embracing Curiosity and Building Relationships

Nurturing the Zone of Genius: Cultivating Joy in Work

Happy Health Days: Balancing Work and Life

Radiant Marketing: Redefining Healthcare Branding Agency Life

Avoid These Success-Killing Mistakes When Creating Your Marketing Plan

MISTAKE #1 NOT BEING REALISTIC

BUDGET

TIME

SUCCESS TIP GOALS

TIMELINE

MISTAKE #2 WATCHING THE WRONG NUMBERS

MISTAKE #3 BEING TOO MUCH FOR TOO MANY

SUCCESS TIP

MISTAKE #4 LOSING PATIENCE

From Interest to Income: How to Convert Leads for Your Health Brand

Illuminate and Instruct

Offer ‘Try Before You Buy’

Prove It! (With Social Proof)

Create a “Just For You” Shopping Experience

Stay Connected: Master Your Follow Up Game

The Small Business Marketing Guide: For Scrappy Entrepreneurs

Table of Contents

Our Radiant Marketing Definition of ‘Scrappy’: Possessing a Determined Spirit (Fiesty)

The New Entrepreneur: There’s A New Entrepreneur in Town These Days and She’s Scrappy

Your Brand Why

Target Audience

Brand Soulmates™

Storytelling

Brand Identity

CONTENT

Design

Brand Positioning

Online Marketing Channels

Email