Set your hospital apart by marketing more than just your medical services.

For most people, visiting a hospital is not a regular occurrence, so the process can be daunting. But hospitals can help. From explaining exactly where to go to setting up easy payment options post-treatment, hospitals can use many tactics to show patients and caregivers that they are approachable, knowledgeable and ready to relieve the stressful burden of the unknown.

Now more than ever before, hospitals must market well to set themselves apart from their competitors. Simply claiming to have the best doctors or technology will not be enough when women expect all hospitals to strive to only provide the best. There are many ways beyond medicine that hospitals can market their amenities to drive preference.

Following a few key do’s and don’ts can make the difference in driving preference among women for your hospital brand.

In 2012, Bic infamously introduced pink and purple “For Her” pens, packaged in pastel and adorned with a dainty font. The internet took notice and snarky Amazon reviews ensued: “It’s good,” one reviewer wrote, “that Bic [is] finally doing something to aid the plight of women.” Undoubtedly, executives at Bic had hoped to cash in by targeting a female demographic — but without a true understanding of what their female consumers wanted, the effort fell flat.

Since women make the majority of healthcare-related decisions, it’s important to gain a deep understanding of what drives their decisions. Doing so in a way that adds real value, shows commitment to understanding the whole person and fosters dialogue will demonstrate to women why your brand stands apart from the pack — in a good way. 

How to position your hospital’s brand with your female market

Whether they’re patients or caregivers, women make the majority of healthcare decisions, and they are busy consumers. When they research products and services, they expect to get the information they need quickly so they can make a decision and move on.

Answering common concerns can drive volume and preference. 

When a market goes through the kind of wild swings we’ve seen in the healthcare industry over the past decade, it can be hard for marketers to predict the ways consumers will balance their needs against their means to meet those needs. Particularly in healthcare, where costs are spiraling while incomes remain flat, marketers are struggling to know how they can reach their mostly female targets in an effective way.

Fortunately, there are a few constants healthcare marketers can depend on.