Marketing Medical & Dental Equipment: 4 Things To Know

Does marketing your medical and dental equipment fall on the bottom of your list of strong suites? Do you feel you have great products but people just aren’t buying? Are you unsure of how to begin building or revising your marketing plan?

Marketing medical equipment starts with a solid foundation of marketing principles. While this sounds like a no brainer, the healthcare world of glossy brochures and redundant stock images suggests marketing may need a tune up.

To begin the process of marketing medical and dental equipment, dive into “4 Things to Know.”

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DIGITAL CONTENT IS NOT THE FUTURE; IT IS THE NOW

The healthcare space has been one of the slowest industries to adapt to and implement technology. While there is still a long way to go, EMRs, remote care and the likes demonstrate healthcare can no longer stay glued to the way things have been done. Technology is here; digital is here. Marketing devices–like all goods and services–must align to the digital age.

A couple of tips to get there:

• Stop thinking of marketing plans as digital vs traditional. Start thinking of it all as just your marketing plan. Digital falls beneath this umbrella. Traditional falls under this umbrella as well. However, think holistically.
• Traditional materials don’t translate directly to digital. This means that your printed brochure can’t just be placed on Instagram or in email without being optimized for the those platforms. Research best practices for each platform and think or your marketing as holistic campaigns.

YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION IS KEY

A value proposition is a promise of value that will be delivered. This explains to potential consumers why they should purchase medical and dental equipment from you. If you take time to do the research on how to develop an outstanding value proposition, your marketing–and sales–have the potential for a huge boost.

A great example of a clear value proposition is Uber’s “The Smartest Way to Get Around.” While they don’t always say this in their communication, everything they do and say ladders up to this value proposition. Drivers know where you’re going, no hailing a cab on street corners, and receipts are all directly sent to your email.

CORPORATE BRANDING IS A PRIORITY

Building off of your value proposition, your corporate branding is just as important as the specific marketing you do for each supply. Why? Because people–including hospital decision makers and patients–tend to buy from brands they trust. Consistent corporate branding is one way to build this trust.

Inconsistent marketing alienates consumers. Look at the image above. Does it make you feel uncomfortable? What would it make you feel like as a consumer who received a piece of mail with a purple Home Depot logo. Would you trust that it was legitimate? What if it was still orange but a neon orange? Consistency is key.

Things to remember:

• Your logo should be consistent across all materials and web platforms
• Define your brand colors and use these colors across all company materials
• Define the tone and voice of your brand/company
• Ensure photographs and graphics all have the same look-and-feel

DEFINING TARGET MARKETS IS ALSO KEY

Defining target markets is tricky for medical and dental equipment because both patients and hospital decision makers are important for purchase. This is why it is vital to take time to define these target markets and plan accordingly.

For example, the target market for a new sports drink may be male sports enthusiasts between the ages of 23-35. This means Instagram ads may be targeted to males who follow @NikeTraining and sampling of the sports drink may happen at adult intramural leagues

There are a lot of resources out there that can help you learn more about defining target markets for your equipment. Start is Who is Your Audience by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and this target market worksheet.

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The time spent returning to marketing basics will serve your medical and dental equipment sales company by establishing trust and building a recognizable brand.

Know any other great marketing tips? Share below.