HCP Marketing Tips
15 hints and tips for engaging and marketing to HCPs.
Marketing to HCPs is changing. HCPs are unlike no other audience/target audience. And HCPs preferences, behaviours and priorities are changing like with many other audiences in healthcare and pharma.
If you are a pharma organisation looking to reach HCPs, your omnichannel marketing approach needs to be highly refined. Every element of marketing communication requires attention to detail. Common marketing beliefs are invalid.
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The following section offers fifteen marketing tips, hints and suggestions that, once you know your HCP audiences, will help pharma organisations and marketers communicate, reach those audiences and develop more meaningful relationships. This post is the first in a series of marketing insights to help marketers effectively communicate with physicians, nurses, dietitians and all other practitioners that fall within the HCP category. Subscribe via the form below to receive such future articles via email.
15 HCP MARKETING TIPS
Here are fifteen hints and tips for engaging and marketing to HCPs.
1. LESS TIME FOR REPS, MORE FOR DIGITAL DEVICES
You already know that sales reps are finding it hard to get through to HCPs to promote the organisation’s product offering. Should sales reps get the attention of HCPs, they often only have a few minutes for the pitch. This is a trend which started, and continues, following the introduction of digital. More readily-available information, be it within emails, downloadable PDFs, videos, articles and even physical magazines is preferred as it can be digested on-demand. This form of attaining product information doesn’t involve sales reps looking to follow-up via calls and emails to talk further, with the view of pitching something (again).
Reps have a place in the promotional cycle, as we shall see in the next section but digitally savvy pharma organisations, that uses a range of digital marketing strategies, tactics and channels, will become visible to those HCPs and will be top of mind when he or she is ready to engage a pharmaceutical organisation.
2. …BUT REPS NEED TO BE ON HAND TO ANSWER QUESTIONS (SO THEY NEED TO BE EDUCATED)
HCPs will invariably need to access salespeople and representatives of the pharma organisation at some point to ask specific product-related questions that might not be covered within marketing materials. This is the cue for the reps. Reps need to be on hand and ready to connect with the HCPs immediately to answer those questions. Time is of the essence.
The best salespeople will understand that they are at the full mercy of the HCP - the doctors, physicians, nurses, hygienists etc. - who dictate when they want to connect, why and what they are looking to gain. Often, salespeople adopt a “gatekeeper” mentality and use this to elevate their statuses within the salesperson-HCP relationship. This mentality will lead to zero influence with that HCP. If reps adopt a “customer service” standpoint and become highly educated, rather than one of “sales,” reps will be far more successful in achieving their goals.
3. MAKE CONTENT BRIEF AND TO THE POINT
Creating and distributing content will feature heavily in any pharma marketer remit. This content, however, needs to be brief and to the point. We say this because HCPs generally don’t have enough time to spend with their patients, let alone sifting through product information. There are few scenarios in the real world where HCPs can actually to it inside working hours. Whilst this more detailed information needs to be published and available should the HCP require it (potentially further down the line into the relationship), initial content needs to be condensed and digestible. If 30-minute videos can be condensed into a flow diagram or if a whitepaper can be condensed into a one-pager on the website, favour the latter every time. HCPs will appreciate it as you are showing consideration for that HCPs busy schedule.
4. LEAD WITH EVIDENCE
Professionally produced - well-made and engaging - marketing materials often impress business executives and other decision-makers within the pharma/healthcare supply chain. But the landscape is different with HCPs. And if it’s not purely evidence-based, and therefore not accurate, it will likely end up in the junk folder or recycling bin. Younger HCPs are particularly aware of this: If it’s not evidence-based, it’s not credible. Organisations looking to reach HCPs must lead with evidence for their products otherwise trust will never be gained. Facts and stats are greatly received - and be sure double-check that the evidence you present is accurate without errors. Slick and clever marketing should be avoided and the scientific case should be prioritised and delivered via a concise approach.
5. OFFER PHYSICAL COPIES OF DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT
HCPs use digital channels to access and digest information, but there will be times where physical copies of information are required. Should HCPs use their free time away from their desks, surgeries and hospitals to consume information, he or she is likely to do so via physical (printed) means. Of course, digital materials can always be printed but if a physical copy is available for access (which can be sent directly to the HCP) then HCPs will often request this. A well-produced booklet/brochure will be deemed more valuable to the HCP, and often, the information within will be better presented and easier to read. Simple CTAs on website content or within emails can prompt this and HCPs will be more than happy to provide contact details via forms if the landing page effectively communicates value.
6. OFFER A RANGE OF SUBSCRIPTION PREFERENCES VIA EMAIL
Email marketing, despite its criticisms, works. The mass-mailing tactics used in the past, however, do not. Therefore, email marketing needs to be targeted and relevant for any user to engage with it, and this is no different to HCPs. HCPs still have desks and emails like other business executives. Pharma organisations that conduct email marketing should let segmentation practices drive those campaigns. Email contacts, once subscribed, can be segmented to enable targeted and timely campaigns so that the chances of the HCPs doing what you want them to do are higher. This is achieved by offering HCPs a range of email preferences related to format and frequency so that they are telling you what they want, so you can provide it.
7. ADOPT A SCIENTIFIC TONE
Do not go leftfield with your brand tone of voice when communicating with HCPs. Strategic marketers will have been taught to set a brand tone/voice that would feature consistently throughout all marketing messages. Often, with the view of standing out of the crowd, brand marketers will adopt a fun tone. One that is quirky, humorous and often chatty that engages audiences by drawing on emotions to pursue a two-way conversation. This sort of tone works well within consumer markets, as well as within some B2B sectors. But the opposite can be said within the sectors we operate within. HCPs will appreciate black and white when it comes to written text, just like the content form itself. Blocks of text with layers of preambles, rhetorical questions and anecdotes designed to be conversational just isn’t going to resonate with this audience. Best to say neutral, or better still, formal. Adopt a scientific tone at all times because your aim is to be knowledgeable and communicate details quickly and clearly.
8. DON’T BE AFRAID TO TRY “UNCONVENTIONAL” CHANNELS
MM+M state that 65% of physicians today use social media for professional purposes and over 70% of HCPs across specialities search online daily. This supports what we have observed over the past few years: HCPs are becoming educated outside of meetings with reps. Channels such as social media, search and online forums - which would have appeared as unconventional channels for accessing HCP-related information not so long ago - are becoming the go-to channels for accessing information about patient trends and healthcare and pharmaceuticals options. And modern ways of using such channels, such as voice search on search engines, are becoming ever more prominent with HCPs. Pharma organisations who are looking to reach HCPs must adopt alternative channels, experimenting where necessary, and not fixate on channels that worked in the past.
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9. INDIRECT (INBOUND) METHODS MAY BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN DIRECT (OUTBOUND) METHODS
Traditional industries have always relied on traditional and direct promotional methods: Large-scale sales teams, product samples and direct mail, for example. And to some extent, these methods still work. But as technologies innovate, with behaviours changing alongside, non-traditional and more indirect marketing methods could be the preferred method of engaging with HCPs. Ask the HCPs themselves, and they will mostly agree.
We have previously touched upon social media and SEO as potential tactics, but equally, marketers can focus on other non-traditional tactics such as thought leadership, community building and video content. Pilot campaigns will quickly determine what works best for your product with your specific HCP audience. But whatever the inbound method, adopt an omnichannel approach that includes elements of advertising and sales to mix things up. Going direct every time could mean your email goes into junk.
10. FIND REAL-LIFE PATIENT TESTIMONIALS
HCPs, in their quest to find the most appropriate treatments for patients, are always looking for facts, and real-life patient (and patient groups) case studies and testimonials help. They also help you build trust. As part of a wider range of content pieces, they can be hugely effective. But never fabricate these testimonials. Often, details on such marketing materials do not relate to real-life patients. HCPs deal with patients every single day of the week; they know them better than anyone in the pharmaceutical organisation. So, when pharmaceutical organisations try to replicate the environments that the HCPs operate within - and then use actors and others to represent the patients within those environments - and get it wrong and inaccurate, that HCP will never take the pharma organisation, product or rep seriously. Ensure that all case studies and examples are real, and feature real-life patients if possible.
11. DELIVER BRAND MESSAGES THROUGH THIRD-PARTIES
Any target audience or recipient in healthcare and pharma will be difficult to reach. A scientific audience as such will handpick the channels they access for information about new drugs, therapies, healthcare devices and products. It’s likely your owned channels will not be considered within this trusted list. Albeit not initially if you have relied solely on salespeople to engage with HCPs in the past. Here’s where third parties are invaluable. Once you understand the publications and forums and websites your HCPs are interested in, you can access that audience via their range of advertising and editorial opportunities. (Use both in the same issue or on the same channel if possible for maximum impact.) Promotional messages via third parties have high familiarity and clinical credibility and, where possible, use opinion-leaders to help with the delivery of the core message.
12. OBSERVE AND ADHERE TO REGULATIONS
This will come as no surprise to you but will have to be included on this list of HCP marketing tips as it will likely dictate any marketing initiative or campaign you undertake. Wherever you are, be it in the US, EU or elsewhere in the world, you will have to adhere to specific guidelines and regulations. We suggest being educated on such regulations before any marketing planning.
13. A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH WON’T WORK
In any sector where you are seeking to engage with an educated and professional audience, especially when he or she is time-constrained, a one-size-fits-all approach to your marketing campaigns will fail almost every time. No one approach fits, suits or resonates with all industries and channels, and the HCP marketing world is no different. You are going to have to segment your HCP audience dramatically to be able to see any form of success to your marketing. Geographic segmentation is possibly the most straightforward form of targeting, going local and then branching out from those local segments. You will be able to weigh in on content options, considering local needs, trends and guidelines, and you will limit the risk of breaking regulations in new and unknown marketers overseas with this local approach. But as you move between regions, or between HCP audiences, your message will also need to change.
14. HCPS ARE GETTING YOUNGER
Historically, the best salespeople - and therefore those hired by pharmaceutical organisations - are generally experienced. Usually meaning they are older. As new HCPs are always being introduced into the healthcare sphere, the disconnect between both parties (and both generations) is clear to see. Organisations using reps will need to align those reps with the HCPs so that the HCPs can genuinely feel that the rep is there to build a relationship and to advise where possible, and not sell. Sales representatives need to change their approaches in this respect on many levels. HCPs are no longer white, middle-aged and male… they are diverse on many levels and operate within a different ecosystem to those in which previous generations of pharma sales representatives operate. The time to remove dated beliefs is now.
15. USE POSITIVE MESSAGING (WITH EMOTIONAL AWARENESS)
HCPs all have one thing in common: They are looking to promote healthy lifestyles, treat illnesses and care for their patients. Being educated on the HCPs in your target audience, specifically about their interests and activities, can help you discuss the same sort of well-being and align your positive messaging with theirs. Eventually, once you are aligned, you can both collaborate online and offline and discuss the same matters interchangeably.
This sort of emotional intelligence is what often brings two strangers together… and is certainly an area which marketers can look to work on with sales reps. We would also suggest extending this emotional awareness to other areas of the HCPs working life. The role of the HCP is difficult. Their primary role of caring for patients is often hindered by administrative responsibilities and a never-ending trail of marketing communications for which we ourselves create. If marketers can build empathy into their HCP marketing initiatives, they will enter the inside track with that HCP and can experience a mutually beneficial relationship.
UNDERSTANDING HCP CHALLENGES
This post is the first in a series of marketing insights to help pharma marketers and organisations effectively communicate with physicians and all practitioners that fall within the HCP category. Subscribe via the form at the top of this page to receive such future articles via email.
The main tip we can provide at this point, to accompany the 15 tips above, is to really get to know the HCPs that make up your target audience. Of course, embrace technology, use personalisation and never over-communicate but if you understand the challenges your HCPs experience, you can better craft marketing campaigns that provide solutions to these challenges. By providing one solution to just one challenge you can significantly improve the working relationship between your organisation and the HCP, which will, in turn, benefit everyone.
For more on strategic marketing approaches in the pharmaceutical sectors, and how we can help you, visit our section on strategy.