Today's Mission: Finding your target audience.
If you're new to content marketing, this may seem like a weird question. Aren't your patients everywhere online? Well, no; there are specific places they go for information.
And by narrowing down where your target audience is, you increase your chance of reaching them.
How?
Knowing where your audience is online helps you know what types of content they gravitate to. Which means you know where to direct your efforts when starting out.
That doesn't mean that you shouldn't continue to experiment. Your patients span many demographics, I'm betting. Which means they'll have different places they love to go. This is a good thing for you; it means there are multiple ways for you to reach them once you get good at content marketing.
But it's important to understand the basics when you're just starting out.
So where should you look?
· Social Media Platforms
There are lots of social media platforms out there. And because of that, social media can be a bit intimidating for some business owners. After all, with so many platforms, where do you put your efforts? You can't be everywhere at once.
But you don't need to be.
All you need to do is figure out which platforms your audience prefers. Different demographics tend to frequent different platforms. We've laid that out for you in our article called How to Promote Your Pharmacy on Social Media.
In it, we lay out the basics as far as different demographics and which social media platforms they like. We also talk a bit about the top six social media sites as well as some tools you can use to make your social media posting more efficient.
It's definitely worth taking a look, especially if you're new to the social media scene.
· Publications
What does your audience like to read? Which books, magazines, or publications do they love? Once you know this, you can buy ads in these publications.
Or even better, write articles for them.
Getting your name known via popular publications helps you become an authority.
· Groups & Forums
People adore groups and forums, and right now Facebook groups are booming. There are groups out there for chronic conditions, health-related challenges and more. If you know which groups your patients are in, you can do a few things:
Join the groups and contribute.
Use them as an open resource.
Get ideas as far as topics.
Start your own group.
It's important when joining groups to respect the community rules. People are there for companionship and information sharing. Groups are social, they're not about blunt force marketing. As such it's important never to spam your business in a group. In fact, it's normal for groups to have policies against this.
But contributing to groups and getting ideas from them is exactly what they're there for. Be friendly, helpful and genuine and group members will love you.
· Podcasts They Love
Podcasts are huge these days; there's a podcast for just about every topic. Are there local podcasts your patients love to listen to? How could you become a guest on that show?
If you're new to the idea of podcasts, there are lots of ways to get familiar with them. Spotify has a lot of podcasts you can look into, and there are lots more platforms out there.
Becoming a guest on a popular podcast will definitely put you on the radar. And offering a gift on a special landing page for podcast listeners brings traffic to your site.
Or, once you learn more about what your audience likes, you can take it one step further and host your own podcasts.
· YouTube Channels
Youtube is great for its super-targeted advertising. You can place ads on YouTube, right down to specific accounts. So find out which YouTube channels they're frequenting, craft a great offer and off you go.
Video is also an important part of content marketing now; people love consuming content in video format. Putting a little research into how to make videos that will help your audience get answers they need or solve their issues will help drive your content forward.
Once you know more about your patients' YouTube habits, you can create a channel of your own.
· Their Favorite Gurus
Which gurus or experts does your audience respect? Who do they follow and why? You can do a few things with this information. First of all, you can pay influencers to mention you to their audience.
Or, you can take note of the topics they cover and their content offerings, not to mention their style. And of course you can reach out and inquire about guest blogging, or submitting your content to their website or blog.
Knowing who your patients love and why can help you craft a content strategy that fits with what they enjoy. Getting to know their influencers can also help you expand your reach.
· Events They Attend
There are many events your patients may attend, both online and off. Find out what these events are and get involved. One of the biggest mistakes we make is only attending events our colleagues go to, or professional events.
While COVID makes in-person events a struggle, there are lots of online events. By attending events that your patients love, you'll learn more about their habits. You'll have better conversations, and you'll get to know them.
Even better than attending is becoming a sponsor or exhibitor. In this case, you can offer special discounts or offerings through a special landing page, and make a personal connection.
When attendees register to receive their bonuses, you can add them to your mailing list.
In short, you need to understand where your audience is and what content they love to consume. With a little research and a few questions, you'll know where to get started.
Do Your Research with Google Alerts
Another way to find out more about your audience is to set up Google Alerts. Simply choose the topic you'd like to know more about, and you'll get information right in your inbox. Everything from news stories to forums and group discussions you can get into.
Google Alerts makes research easier, and it's a tool you should definitely be using.
Your mission for today is to find your target audience. Start by doing a bit of research on social media platforms to get a better idea of where your audience is. If you're not familiar with social media, follow the link to our article on social media for pharmacies and do a bit of investigating.
Next, start looking into different podcasts and Facebook groups and start asking your patients where they like to get information online. Again, you can be very open with them about what you're trying to do. People adore helping, and if you're asking for their expertise, your patients will love it.
Start thinking about some possibilities as far as where you can start reaching out.
As always, be sure to have fun with it, and remember to get your staff involved to lighten the load. Content marketing works best when you're enjoying the journey; your interest and sincerity will shine through in everything you post.
Enjoy yourself, and we'll see you back here tomorrow for Day 5, our first integration day!
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