Want to COVID-proof your 2021 planning? Here are the top trends in health and marketing.

Filling the gap in patient education and information.
I affectionally call this Edutainment. With a simultaneous decline in in-person visits and a rise in telehealth options, now is the time to develop new ways to engage, educate and inspire patients to engage with their health and well-being. And no, I’m not talking about creating more stock videos, photos or textbook copy—please don’t do that. Push yourself to dream about a better way to develop health education, about how you would want to consume health information. Netflix special? Podcasts? AI-powered chatbots? TikTok series? A new app? Whatever you do, commit to pushing health education out of the realm of boring and unappealing to the senses, and into the realm of relevant and consumer-friendly. You’ll thank yourself later.

Insurance shifts from employer commercial insurance to government programs like Medicaid.
This shift will impact your internal and external stakeholders. And because it affects services available, reimbursement practices—and ultimately your bottom line—this is one change you’ll want to pay attention to. Be proactive: Allocate resources to get office/call center teams and sales leaders aligned on these changes. Help your team help your members. Doing so is going to be crucial to building and keeping brand affinity.

Regulatory, compliance and policy changes.
Similar to a shifting insurance landscape, being well-informed and having a plan to navigate regulatory changes will be more important than ever. Whether its adding FTEs to stay current on regulatory and policy dates, or finding a partner to support you, minimize your risk by appointing a resource to focus on keeping your organization well protected. Keeping ahead of these changes will benefit your entire business from the inside out.

Digitization of healthcare experiences and marketing efforts.
As an industry, we were slowly moving in this direction, but the pandemic has accelerated the need and opportunity to jump headfirst into the digital era. From telemedicine to digital chat ads, we must look at how other industries have been living in an omnichannel world, and meet customer needs to bring healthcare forward. At StoneArch, we have been eagerly waiting for the digital tipping point in healthcare, so we’re excited!

Our work is only halfway complete by looking just at healthcare. StoneArch prides itself on keeping our clients current on marketing trends, which are often driven by other industries. Here’s a summary of some key opportunities we’ve identified during this transformative time.

Back to basics.
Internally, this means defining or refining your purpose, vision and values—the core elements to your business strategy. Do you have the right core to move your business into recovery mode? Externally, this means creating a sense of security, positivity and trust. Patients and customers want to know you’re still there for them. They want to know your doors are open (whether physically or virtually), and that you can provide the support and care they need.

Agility.
Try new things, learn and improve. There is no such thing as “perfect” during this pandemic. We must try something new to help our businesses and our people. Empower your teams and your marketing plan to explore new ways to engage, educate and inspire. Now is the time, more than ever, to get creative and clever.

Connection.
Never has the world so longed for meaningful connection—and not just connection to people, but real connections to brands, too. This means a two-way conversation, a push and pull. Ask for feedback, have strong calls to action. Pick up the phone and call your top customers. Check to see how they are and if there’s anything you can do to support them through this time of change. Provide them with updates about new products or services that are coming soon. Ask if they’d like to learn more. Share stories about what you’re doing to serve the community. Help customers share their stories, too.

Online journeys.
Digital is a must-have in your marketing mix and to support the future of healthcare. Listen, monitor, learn and grow your understanding of your customers’ online journeys. Start with basics like website analytics: What pages are gaining the most traffic? Why? Make it easier for your customers to get answers to their questions, buy online or request a demo. We’re also moving away from gated content. A former leader at LinkedIn just said in a webinar last week, “Unlock your content. Make it easier for your customers and prospects to learn more.” At StoneArch, we’re constantly on the lookout for new tools and resources to help us understand and respond to customers’ online journeys to continuously learn and iterate. Back to the opportunity to support agility!

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that you certainly can’t predict the future. But we’re continuing to monitor trends and opportunities within healthcare and marketing to support our clients between now and beyond the pandemic.

To end on a positive note, I leave you with this quote: