5 ways the largest generation is shifting how hospitals market to women
As millennials take over as the largest generation, hospital marketing must shift accordingly. Female millennials are a key audience segment that will continue to gain influence as they make healthcare decisions for themselves and their families. Hospitals need to ensure they are staying relevant and meeting female millennials where they are.
The world of healthcare has shifted drastically since the baby boomer generation was the largest living generation. For millennials, costs are extremely high and often out of pocket, even with health insurance. For this reason, decisions regarding what care to get, when to get it and where to go are increasingly important to millennials as they weigh their options. Here are five ways this demographic is impacting the way hospitals must market their services.
- Millennials will opt for a lifestyle change over paying for medications and treatments for a condition. Gone are the days when hospitals and healthcare providers could simply market clinical services and prescriptions. Millennials look for care that supports a holistic approach and doesn’t rely on expensive medication or surgery.
- First impressions are often last impressions. Millennials have an eight-second attention span and hundreds of healthcare options. Your hospital has to quickly give millennials the impression that you can meet their needs and make their lives easier, or they’re on to the next one. This means hospitals need to market in a nanosecond and come across as organized, easy to access, affordable and convenient. Whether the first impression is via marketing or an in-person visit, it needs to count.
- They expect you to meet them where they are and make it seamless. Millennials can access any information they need almost anywhere they are. They can order puppies via Uber, a pizza with an emoji, and answer any question with an inquiry to Siri or Alexa. Be simple, be convenient (both online and in your actual hospital) and give options for interaction, payment and follow-up. Market your services that make the patient experience seamless in places millennial women gather information (and yes, that likely means social media).
- Highlight your one-stop-shop amenities. Can a patient come to one location for their surgery and follow-up appointments? Do you have a coffeeshop so they can grab breakfast on their way to work? Is Wi-Fi available throughout the location to enable patients to work remotely? Any opportunity to showcase how your hospital can meet both healthcare and non-healthcare needs is a win with millennials.
- Facilitate word-of-mouth marketing. While millennials tend to research healthcare options, they also tend to trust people more. Execute a strategy that can drive word-of-mouth discussions on social and beyond, and identify and utilize engaged patients who can advocate for your brand among their friends.