When it comes to advertising a medical practice, there are certain mistakes that can quickly ruin any attempt at a successful campaign. From having an ad overly-focused on the practice itself rather than patients to not considering how neuroscience and heuristics factor into decision-making when crafting an ad, these common missteps can create a commercial that is not effective. Additionally, it is important to consider the overall patient experience you are creating with your ad as this will both help convert leads and ensure that patients remain loyal to your practice.
The following three issues are among the most common mistakes made in medical practices when constructing commercial ads:
1. Having a Practice-Focused Ad vs a Patient-Focused Ad
Many medical practices create ads that focus more on what the practice offers rather than the pain you know your potential patients are suffering. The problem with this is that potential customers will not be able to relate to your message, and it simply will not lead to an appointment (or what we like to call behavior change). Instead, create an ad that speaks directly to your target audience by including their fears, needs, and desires in your advertising message.
2. Ignoring Neuroscience & Heuristics
Neuroscience and heuristics tell us why people make the decisions that they do. When neuroscience and heuristics are ignored, your ad is not designed to create behavior change. By understanding this you can craft an ad that speaks directly to your target, resulting in action taken. For all of our advertising clients, we complete bias interviews to truly understand the emotional levers we need to pull using neuroscience to create results.
3. Not Considering the Patient Experience You Are Creating
When creating an ad for your medical practice, it's important to consider the experience you are creating for potential patients. Think about how they will interact with your content and make sure it is engaging and informative. You should also think about the overall customer journey and create a seamless transition from the ad to the practice.
Imagine your ad is sending people to your website, but the website is a completely different experience. The phone number is not easily listed, nor is the “request an appointment” button, and there is no mention of the service or disease state you are advertising for. The chance of that patient actually converting to an appointment is likely zero.
TIP: Don't forget about the importance of analytics when it comes to tracking the effectiveness of your ad. Make sure to use a reliable analytics platform so that you can gain valuable insight and optimize your healthcare advertising efforts for maximum impact.
