Have you heard the one about the toothbrush and the mobile phone? The nearly-fabled statistic observes that: Among the six billion people on the planet, 4.8 billion have a mobile phone while only 4.2 billion own a toothbrush. (AdAge)
The counterpoint is amusing, but it's a serious reminder that a mobile strategy needs to be considered with every healthcare marketing plan. Unfortunately, many hospitals and providers continue to overlook or underestimate the growing significance of cell phones, smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.
If you’re not selling toothbrushes globally, there are more meaningful numbers available for healthcare and medical marketing professionals. A new report, titled Mobile Health 2012, from our friends at Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project reveals that:
Not surprisingly, “Health status also plays a role. Caregivers, those who recently faced a medical crisis, and those who experienced a recent, significant change in their physical health are more likely than other cell phone owners to use their phones to look for health information.”
Four big tips about the little screen
Mobile tactics will vary according to the message, audience and platform, but some of the overarching techniques for effective use include:
Get moving with mobile healthcare marketing…
Your patients, prospective patients, family members and caregivers are mobile. You need to reach them where they routinely look for healthcare information. And by the time you turn the page on the 2014 calendar, all Internet consumption by mobile is expected to be greater than that of computers.
Roughly 75 million mobile phones in the US are actively used to access health and medical information, yet mobile marketing is often neglected in healthcare marketing. Watch for additional articles in this series, and to get moving on mobile, see the How to Get Started advice in this previous Healthcare Success article.
Marketing a healthcare organization can be challenging - even painful if you don't approach it with the right knowledge, tools, and guidance. By reading about mistakes and lessons others have learned the hard way, you can boost your marketing effectiveness and take a shortcut to success. Discover how to avoid these "Seven Deadly Sins". Plus, join over 30,000 of your fellow healthcare providers with a free subscription to our Insight Newsletter.