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3 Steps to Successfully Integrating Big Data into Healthcare Marketing

July 22, 2013

Big Data in Healthcare Marketing

Everyone in healthcare and medical marketing is talking about Big Data. If you’re marketing and advertising team has not mentioned this term to you yet, it’s time to seek out another agency. According to Forbes.com, Big Data is the biggest game-changing opportunity for marketing and sales since the Internet went mainstream almost 20 years ago. It’s kind of a big deal, and the marketing experts at Quaintise want to make sure you have the tools and the knowledge to utilize Big Data successfully in every detail of your marketing campaigns.

The Numbers According to Forbes

Big Data can be a gold mine for your practice or medical organization. With unlimited mining potential, and the potential for prospecting genius, there are many reasons why healthcare marketers are excited about Big Data.

Those that use Big Data and analytics effectively show productivity rates and profitability that are 5 – 6 percent higher than those of their peers. McKinsey analysis of more than 250 engagements over five years has revealed that companies that put data at the center of the marketing and sales decisions improve their marketing return on investment (MROI) by 15 – 20 percent. That adds up to $150 – $200 billion of additional value based on global annual marketing spend of an estimated $1 trillion.

The questions remain for many of our healthcare clients – where do you dig to find Big Data and, most importantly, how do you put that Data into action?

Collecting Big Data for Healthcare Marketing

Big Data, in most cases, is collected via 3rd party organizations who have developed the tools needed to not only collect, but store and categorize this data. Big Data is pulled from every imaginable application, website, and behavior a person can engage in, from loyalty card usage at local and chain companies, to credit card usage, to debit card purchases, mobile apps, social media interests, and so much more.

In terms of healthcare Big Data, the possibilities are endless. From a more medical perspective, genome mapping and clinical Big Data can literally save lives. From a more marketing perspective, Big Data can be used to increase patient traffic, and, more importantly, improve the overall patient experience.

How to Use Big Data

Getting the Big Data is the easy part, effectively implementing that Big Data into marketing campaigns is where the true Quaintise expert is needed.

1. Using Analytics – Understand the problem, and you’ll have an easier time determining the solution. For example, Big Data can be overwhelming, which is why you need an expert team, like those at Quaintise, to analyze the data in association with your medical practice, to define the business problem and solution.

2. Know the Whole Story – Today’s patients are not singularly TV users, or mobile customers, or Internet surfers. Today’s patients are digital intellects, utilizing every form of media available to them, and in many instances all at the same time – TV, mobile phones, tablets, Internet, Apps, and more. The secret is to understand the bigger picture – the journey that each patient takes in making healthcare and medical decisions. Does a commercial lead to Internet research, social media engagement and ultimately a phone call or product purchase? Big Data can answer these questions for you, it’s our job at Quaintise to know how to develop a marketing campaign that can engage a potential patient at all levels in their digital journey so that they select your practice or organization as their final healthcare decision.

3. Develop Media That Capitalizes on Big Data – Once you have new patients walking through your door, the ultimate purpose of your practice should be maintaining a patient’s health rather than prolonging their care. In today’s digital environment, mobile apps and social media tools can be used pro-actively as prevention tools, designed to give your patients quicker and easier access to you, your nurses, and your staff, as well as to answers and health information tailored to their individual needs. Such tools can assist patients in making smarter health decisions and obtain earlier medical advice and treatment, keeping them in your practice rather than expensive hospitals.

Big Data in healthcare marketing is complicated, overwhelming, complex and awesome. With unlimited potential, Big Data can devastate or inspire your company. Let Quaintise develop healthcare marketing campaigns utilizing Big Data to propel your organization.