By John Lavey | Hammock President and COO
It’s that introspective time of the year—that time when we make plans for how to do more and be better, both personally and professionally, in the New Year. With so much uncertainty facing the healthcare industry in the aftermath of the election—especially for companies with healthcare providers as customers—how can you be sure you are optimizing your content marketing and sales support approach?
Our work with healthcare clients and experience in navigating prior periods of uncertainty demonstrate that there’s no substitute for an ongoing commitment to communications. That commitment means that when a customer is ready to listen, learn or buy, you’re already there.
We regularly participate in meetings where a CEO, VP of sales or a marketing director wants to develop “thought leadership” or “lead generation” content. While it would make my job a heckuva lot easier if there was a magic way to roll out the content that will solve problems quickly, we realize thought leadership is more the by-product of an ongoing process than a product.
Your thought leadership and lead generation success are especially important during times of change. They are both an outcome of, among other things, great content delivered consistently over time. People are ready to pay attention to trusted advisors when their need dictates a willingness to engage. Ongoing communication demonstrates that you are serious about providing help—not just trying to sell them something.
So, as you look forward to 2017, there is no time to postpone your support of a lead generation and thought leadership strategy that positions your company for leadership, no matter what the future brings.
Takeaway for healthcare marketers and leaders:
- Thought leadership and lead generation are outcomes of a process and strategy, not a packaged product you can purchase off a shelf.
- Ongoing, consistent communication builds trust, particularly in a period of uncertainty.
- Marketing with content and customer media supports your efforts to develop new customers and build deeper relationships with existing ones.
Image Credit | iStock
About Hammock Healthcare Idea Email | This post is part of Hammock’s award-winning Idea Email series. Idea Emails are sent every other week and share one insightful marketing idea. Idea Email comes in two flavors: Original and Healthcare. To subscribe to the original Idea Email (general marketing ideas), click here . To subscribe to the Healthcare Idea Email (healthcare marketing ideas), click here.