Five key areas to emphasize

It’s estimated that 66 percent of caregivers are female, middle-aged and working outside of the home. The duty of being a caregiver, whether after a single outpatient procedure or for someone with a chronic condition, is stressful and arduous when combined with an already full work and home life. Fortunately, hospitals can market themselves not only as providers of great medical care, but as a source of guidance and support to empower women to make the right decisions for their family.

Use social proof and word-of-mouth to boost your brand’s credibility with women.

We believe what our friends say. According to a report by Nielsen, recommendations from friends are the most trustworthy form of advertising. And women are more likely than men to trust word-of-mouth, with 72 percent reporting that they’ve made a purchase based on a friend’s recommendation.

What does this mean for hospital marketers? Cultivating a strong foundation of brand ambassadors, or women who are loyal to and willing to speak out positively about your brand, will strengthen your hospital’s brand and make it attractive to new customers. Here’s how.

Why ignoring cost might be shortsighted

With my background in finance, I never forget how much money matters. My point of view on decisions about marketing and beyond is typically oriented in terms of cost and return on investment. However, there’s a perception that most consumers, particularly in the healthcare space, don’t view medical care that way. In messaging, our focus is usually on convenience, technology or compassionate care.

Raising the bar on customer service in hospitals

Customer or patient? Some hospital marketers consider the words synonymous. Others prefer “patient” as a more precise description of their target. Make no mistake; there is nuance between the two. Take a look at the definitions:

Patient: (noun) A person receiving or registered to receive medical treatment. Synonyms: sick person. (adjective) Able to accept or tolerate delays, problems or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious. Synonyms: Uncomplaining, resigned.

Customer: (noun) A person or organization that consumes products (goods or services) and has the ability to choose between suppliers. Synonyms: consumer, client, purchaser, buyer, patron, shopper.

Reaching the male audience through wives and moms

According to Sheconomy, women account for 85 percent of all consumer purchases in America. The healthcare sector is no exception, with 80 percent of men reporting that their spouse or significant other influences their decision to visit a doctor. How can we as hospital marketers capitalize on these statistics? Here are five tips for talking to women about men’s healthcare.

Three strategies for continuing the consumer journey after discharge

Every hospital’s duty is to help patients get better so they can go home and, hopefully, never come back. But that doesn’t mean the relationship between hospital and patient has to end at discharge. Hospitals must communicate frequently with their former patients and those patients’ loved ones in order to grow and maintain strong relationships.

This article was previously published on Forbes.

Marketing to women still has a long way to go, including for hospitals, with two-thirds of women stating that they feel misunderstood by healthcare marketers. With a global value of over $6.5 trillion, the healthcare market offers a bevy of opportunity to hospitals and other healthcare organizations that show they consider women’s perspectives and experiences important.