According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare is the top industry propelling America’s economy, with technology coming in at a hot second. Not only is the healthcare sector expanding at a rapid rate, there’s also been 20% growth in healthcare jobs since 2008.
Being 1 in 700, it might seem impossible to stand out. However, as health IT marketers, we have the power to leverage some unique strategies in our toolbox to help healthcare companies stand out amongst the crowd. One such tactic is executive visibility.
Considering these numbers, it’s no surprise there are more than 700 healthcare companies in the nation, with nearly 370 of them identifying as a health IT company. While impressive, this only means one thing for our industry: competition.
Why Add Executive Visibility to the Marketing Mix? Because it Works
When executed strategically, studies show executive visibility does have a true impact on a company’s bottom line. In fact, 39% of C-suite execs and decision-makers said thought leadership content had influenced them to ask a vendor to participate in the RFP process, and nearly half said such content had a direct impact on awarding business.
Compared to other forms of email and product marketing, executive visibility is more authentic and engaging, providing a breath of fresh air for the intended audience. Considering the increasingly cluttered MedTech marketplace, thought leadership is crucial for today’s healthIT companies, as the result is 1) greater trust and respect from targeted audiences; 2) established brand loyalty and awareness; 3) elevated industry authority; and 4) increased share of voice.
Implementing a Successful Executive Visibility Strategy
The first step is to build out the strategy, which must include everything from media/journalist relations and social media, to content marketing, speaking opportunities and even award submissions.
Then, it’s imperative to focus on the below:
Define the executive’s personal brand — This should be representative of his/her true self while also clearly defining the messages he/she wants to convey about the company and industry.
Conduct a competitor audit — Look at what competitor executives are doing in order to benchmark and identify new ways your leader can stand out in a crowded market.
Do deep industry research — Look for reporters who cover your industry and try to learn one unique thing about each of them. Get familiar with the events and trade shows that the team could potentially leverage.
Develop your messaging and content — Once you’ve done initial research, begin developing your leaders’ key messages. Some of this should be decided during step one, but this is where you will pull all your content together to make an external communications plan.
Set measurable goals — Once you have a content calendar in place, seek to determine what you can realistically achieve in a designated time frame and set short- and long-term goals. How many bylines do you hope to see published per quarter? What increase in social media engagement would you like to see within the first few months? Plan to revisit these goals multiple times a year to see how you are tracking and to determine areas that need more attention.
Wherever you stand on your current executive visibility strategy -- whether its not being executed to its fullest potential or is currently just a pipe dream within your marketing department -- we encourage you to get started, as this type of thought leadership has a greater impact of ideas on potential buyers than all other forms of content marketing.
To learn more about our work in helping health IT companies and leaders cut through the clutter, check out our recent case studies.