And Today's Mission: Buyer Personas
Keeping your content relevant is vital to a great content management strategy. This is not a new concept. Bill Gates first decreed that 'content is king' back in 1996.
He went on to say, ' Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the internet, just as it was in broadcasting.”
And was he right? Definitely.
Looking back at our history with the Internet makes it clear. And looking ahead at where things are going does as well. With every SEO update, Google makes relevant content more a part of their algorithm.
Search is no longer only about using relevant keywords. It's more and more about offering a relevant user experience, and that's great news for you. It means you have a great opportunity to use your relevant content to grow your audience!
Let's look at a few of the things your content should do.
Educate Your Readers
This is a big one, especially in pharmacy, because you have a wealth of healthcare information to offer. I've written about this before, in our article entitled, 7 Easy Ways to Create Amazing Content for your Pharmacy Blog.
And the best part? You've got so much to choose from! You can write about questions your patients ask, or common conditions. You can give preventative advice or write informative articles about certain meds.
You're even allowed to have a little fun with it!
Have a holiday coming up? Write an interesting article about the holiday and mention your holiday specials. Post a word find or crossword puzzle about a health-related topic.
If your patients are searching online for tips or info about their condition, your blog is a great place to find it. If you've also got a variety of interesting content there, they'll get to know and trust you.
Position You as a Thought Leader
As a pharmacy professional, you've got a staggering amount of knowledge to offer. Both to your patients and to other pharmacy owners/managers.
By publishing a variety of informative content, you'll become known as a thought leader.
You can help this along by spreading your message through a variety of content.
From infographics to videos to eBooks, the more you publish, the easier it is for your audience to find you.
And to get to know how friendly and knowledgeable you are.
Establish Strong Relationships
This is what business is all about, perhaps pharmacy more than any other.
Depending on what's going on in their lives, patients can be vulnerable. By offering actionable and caring advice, you stand out as a comforting go-to. You can share information with patients through email, blog posts, social media and more.
Need a great tip for writing content that connects?
Imagine a specific patient; it can either be a real person or a mix of several. We call these buyer personas, and you can read more about them in our article called, How to Promote your Pharmacy on Social Media.
Or, you can check out this great Hootsuite article on buyer personas.
They're important.
Why?
Because they make for a clear and targeted message; they give your content relevance.
Once you have a patient in mind, imagine sitting down one-on-one and explaining your topic. Writing content that resonates with your patients will help them feel they know you. And getting to know you (and your staff) will help them trust you.
It's the first step in growing your patient base, and content can help you achieve it.
Increase Patient Loyalty
As mentioned, relationships build trust, and trust builds loyalty. But content can help you build patient loyalty in other ways, too.
Keeping your customers informed about certain products in your front shop is one way. You can make recommendations for specific conditions and link them back to a product. Or, you can compare products, advising on which ones you think will work best for your patients.
Another fantastic way of inspiring loyalty is to start a customer loyalty plan. Write all about it in your blog to get patients excited about trying your products.
Checking in with your patients is also a great way to make them feel cared for. Put up a survey on your website asking what you can improve or what other resources they'd like to see.
Before long, you'll be a pharmacy hero to your patients, and that's sure to instill loyalty. Not to mention a whole lot of referrals to their friends and colleagues.
Engage Your Patients
Engaging your patients can be a lot of fun for both you and them. How do you do it?
First, be sure to share interesting and engaging content.
Then invite them to comment on your blog posts or respond to your email messages. Ask them to get back to you on social media or drop in to see you for a quick check in.
Boost Business Growth
Using the right content at the right time will help your pharmacy grow. As your online audience grows, so will your patient base and your revenue.
As you get more eyes on your message, the sky's the limit.
And remember, your content is an asset that will help to boost your business for years to come. Which is why it's so important to have a great content strategy.
Got a new product line in your front shop? Write about it, mention who it's most helpful for and perhaps run a little sale. If you've got a great relationship with your readers, you'll see a boost in sales.
Working on increasing your prescription deliveries? Post all about your prescription delivery service and how it benefits your patients. Make sure to include everything they can expect when they call in for delivery.
Keeping your patients informed via your content will help your pharmacy grow.
So, your mission for today, should you choose to accept it, is to follow the links and read up on buyer personas. Next, download the buyer personas, takeaways and action items for today and take some time to work through your buyer personas through the day.
Don't have time to sit down and dedicate time? Great, print them out and keep them on the counter. Come back and jot down points as you go throughout the day; you'd be surprised how much you get done. And, if you're doing it throughout the workday, you're more likely to be connected to your real patients and their real issues.
Bonus points if you print out enough for all your staff and have each staff member do their own. At the end of the day you'll have several profiles with next to no effort.
Having fun so far? Great! See you back here for Day 2!