16 Jan 5 Reasons Content Marketing is Essential for Your Product’s Success
The use of technology continues to revolutionize the healthcare industry. Yet as progressive as many healthtech companies are in terms of their product and service offerings, their marketing — which can often be focused product— trails their peers in other technology sectors.
Product slicks, brochures, big launch events, and the other tactics that make up product marketing have their place in the sales process.
But with increasingly discerning business buyers who desire education over selling, traditional product marketing can fall short.
Your product marketing efforts should be complemented by a strategic healthtech content marketing effort. Educational and thought-leadership content — long-form blog posts, white papers, eBooks, videos, and case studies — coupled with a comprehensive content distribution strategy, works hand-in-hand with your product marketing tactics. Here are 5 reasons content marketing is essential for your product’s success.
1. Content marketing aligns with decision-makers’ current buying patterns
In general, the traditional product marketing and sales methods require human-to-human interaction. But in many types of sales cycles, especially B2B, much of the sales process happens before any human interaction occurs.
Thanks in large part to Google, modern businesspeople conduct self-led online research to make most of their decisions. Potential customers browse your website looking for the right fit but are likely not talking to you or your salespeople. They may convert — or leave you behind— without ever talking to someone.
If your product specs, features, technology, and price points (i.e., your product marketing) are on par with others in the healthtech industry, what will propel prospects to choose you over your competitors?
Content marketing gives you the space and opportunity to prove your expertise, which establishes trust and sets you apart even if your technology seems similar to others in your sales materials. With content marketing, you can give your target audience solid understanding of technology, use cases, and solutions — and advice about which product to choose and why. As they continue to read your content, you’re showing your expertise, creating loyalty, and convincing readers that your product is in fact the best choice out there. The more they know, the better they’ll feel about taking the leap to buy.
Most importantly, effective content gives you an outlet to show readers you empathize with their pain points in a way “cold” sales materials never could. You have the opportunity to show your human side and connect with that anonymous online prospect even if you never have the chance to meet them face to face.
2. Content marketing satisfies top-of-funnel prospects and Google
Traditional sales content does matter, but it shouldn’t be used at the top of the funnel.
Top-of-funnel website traffic is just looking to learn, especially in the healthtech space where a lot of the products, services, and software platforms are brand new and confusing.
Early stage, answer-seeking prospects will be turned off by hit-them-over-the-head sales pitches and product details. These prospects need to be guided through the funnel with lighter-touch content that aims to educate, empathize, and connect.
Also, top-of-funnel content is your best SEO fodder. When done right, a blog post is longer than a brochure. And Google values long-form, expert content and rewards it accordingly when it provides valuable, in-depth information that meets user needs.
Well-done top-of-funnel content also answers questions — meaning it incorporates keywords — real people are asking Google. Product marketing doesn’t do this as well because it uses company- and product-specific language rather than phrases that the industry uses frequently.
3. Content marketing is always working
Part of the reason some product marketing methods — like in-person sales meetings and printed collateral materials — aren’t enough is because they aren’t “on” 24/7. Your salesperson goes on vacation, industry conferences end, and hospital admins don’t want to talk all day.
However, content marketing is always working. Regardless of whether it’s mid-day on a Tuesday or late at night on Saturday, a single blog post that ranks for a frequently used keyword will attract prospects to your site. Also, while you should refresh your content, you only do the work of writing a blog post or producing a video once and it could continue to convert leads for years. Content works for you day and night, month after month drawing your audience in with answers, expertise, and authority.
4. Content marketing combats M&A and technology confusion.
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the healthtech world are becoming increasingly common. When this occurs, product and/or service lines get extended as two (or more) companies come together as one. Product marketing can become even less effective in this common scenario.
Suddenly, previously competing product marketers are expected to cooperate and function side by side. But they often disagree on how to talk about and “package” their new collective offering.
This is a perfect scenario for content marketing. Content marketing pieces are usually longer, more robust, and more explanatory than numbers-and-facts sales collateral. There’s plenty of space to explain everything — including how the product and/or services work together and, most importantly, how they bring value to the customer.
5. Content marketing is already competing against you.
If nothing else, your company needs content because your competition has content. And their strategies are becoming more robust all the time. Borrow and adapt (and improve upon) what your competitors are doing.
Healthtech organizations who fail to see the value in content marketing and enact a plan will fall behind sooner rather than later — even those with impressive, promising products.
The healthtech world continues to become more competitive and sales and marketing tactics that worked in the past will not likely be effective in today’s landscape. Google consistently makes algorithm updates, and each time it does, it rewards quality, authoritative content. But if your content doesn’t exist, Google can’t help you.
Learn how to add content marketing to your product market efforts. Get in touch.
