The Millennial Generation will soon surpass the baby boomers, and currently they are the most influential consumers in the industry. This generation drives the digital and data-based world, and the Internet, social media, and apps are where they seek information, whether it is where to buy clothing or what primary care physician to see. With advanced health information at their fingertips, do millennials value healthcare more than the generation before them?
This question poses as a significant platform for how healthcare marketers reach millennials. How do you market healthcare to the generation that spends more time on their phones than on their health? The answer is to tap into the digital world and create messages that evoke emotions and promote a positive experience. According to a study conducted by Novant Health, the majority of millennials define quality healthcare as how well they are respected and the effectiveness of their treatments..
Mobile Health Applications
Millennials are more likely than the baby boomer generation to use a mobile health app to manage their health. When downloading an app, the goal is to find functional information and interactive programs. This is a great way to engage with Millennials, who care about convenience and efficiency. By being able to schedule an appointment, live chat, or watch health related videos on their phones, these are considered great tactics and opportunities to target this large audience.
Online Search
When it comes to decision making in healthcare, millennials like to be very informed. They will not only seek information from friends and family about what provider to choose, but also turn to the Internet to do extensive research. Having grown up with the Internet, this generation likes to receive their information at a fast and efficient pace. If your practice does not have a website, there is almost a 100% chance that millennials will not choose you as a provider. Going digital is a surefire way to engage and recruit these specific clients. They want to know all about you, your services, and testimonials without making a phone call. This is why you need to promote yourself online and why making scheduling available to them via your website is vital.
Social Media
Your patients are on social media, are you? Having social media platforms is not to showcase your individual self, but what you can do as a doctor. Seeing your services and talents first hand, can entice a millennial and result in a new patient.
Review Sites
This may be surprising, but Yelp is the most commonly used review site for patients seeking providers, according to a 2014 survey of 4,620 people from Software Advice. This report also found that 61% of patients will use review sites before choosing a physician and that nearly half, or 44%, of respondents, would consider going to an out-of-network physician if their reviews were better. Millennials are most likely going to be reading these before choosing you or a competitor.
If you are a healthcare provider or wellness facilitator, then most likely you are very busy with patients and clients. That is why companies like Connections Healthcare Strategies exist. We want to help you succeed inside and outside of your office. We can manage all your social media platforms, review sites, help you to rank you higher on search engines, and develop your profile online, making you marketable to the fastest growing generation. Contact us today for a complimentary Strategy Session.
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