The next time you're thinking about your marketing goals, take a page from cosmetic surgeons. These medical professionals have years of experience in putting their best face forward — literally. What can other marketers learn from these masters? Here are a few ideas…
Customers Want Results
First and foremost, customers want results. That's why so many cosmetic surgeons include before and after images on their websites and in their marketing. It's the same for pharmaceutical marketers; wherever possible, focus your marketing on results. Include pictures alongside testimonials from people who have successfully improved their health by using your product.
It's also important to show actual users whenever possible — that picture of the older couple walking hand in hand on the beach has just as much relevance to your product as a cosmetic surgeon who uses a model's perfect face in his marketing. Consumers know these are merely advertising images and not actual representations of what will happen to them.
Customers Want Assurance
What two words do all cosmetic surgeons include front-and-center? Board certified. You need to pull out those same big-gun words whenever possible: FDA approved. Low side effects. Satisfaction guaranteed. The more you are able to assure your customers that your product is legitimate, the better your marketing will convert.
Customers Want Information
A bit of background — about six months ago, I gave birth to my second child. Knowing that we had completed our family, I decided to get a tummy tuck to take care of the loose skin around my abdomen. I live in Washington, DC but was willing to travel a bit for the best option. I ended up getting my tummy tuck in Baltimore by Dr. Adam Basner because his site provided the most useful information: his marketing materials explained exactly how my stomach had started to sag, how surgery would restore its appearance, and how I would manage my post-operative pain and recovery. He also offered a complimentary consultation, and the information I received there further solidified my choice to use his services.
The next time you develop your marketing materials, include as much information about your product as possible, along with a number people can call to ask questions or receive a consultation. Remember that consumers are more informed than ever these days, and they are looking for companies that provide them with all the details they need.
Customers Want the Bad News, Too
I know there are plenty of jokes about pharmaceutical advertisements and their list of side effects. But customers really want to know this information. I know when I was considering surgeons for my tummy tuck, I disregarded the sites that claimed it would be easy and painless. It's major surgery — of course it's going to involve pain and significant recovery time. I wanted to know exactly how much swelling I would experience, and how long it would be before I could run and play with my little girls again.
Your customers want to know the same thing. They're often willing to accept nausea and other discomforts if your drug effectively treats their primary problem — but they want to know whether it is mild or severe nausea, as well as what percentage of people experience nausea, and whether the nausea will leave them incapable of performing their jobs or interacting with their loved ones.
The next time you start to plan a pharmaceutical marketing strategy, take some time to peruse cosmetic surgeons' websites and marketing materials. Take note of what works and what doesn't, and consider which surgeons you would choose for yourself and why. Then use those same techniques to improve your own marketing. The more you study how other medical professionals market their services, the more you understand how to better market your own products.
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