Trust is the key to successful marketing in health tech. Health tech PR should be integral to your healthcare software marketing strategy.
Public relations in health technology (aka earned media) is a complex process that involves many moving parts. They must all work together to establish credibility and project the right image of your healthcare brand.
Let’s look at how we assist our clients to get in front of decision-makers and establish themselves as trusted, reputable healthcare technology providers.
How to get earned media for health technology public relations
Listing your name as valuable and relevant content in trusted publications can be a great way to build trust and get in front of high-quality prospects.
Look for reputable publications that appeal to the right audience. Ask them if they are open to accepting content. You should research the process and know who to pitch (e.g. editors covering particular beats) before you submit content.
Keep an eye out for your competitors and check out where they post their content. You might discover new outlets you didn’t know existed. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to aim for the stars (e.g. the New York Times technology Section), but small trade publications can be a great way to gain exposure in the media.
Earned Media with Sponsored Material
It is important to balance earned media with paid content when managing your media budget. PR is an important component of earned media.
Although free publications and low-cost publications can be attractive, you should consider the pay-to-play possibilities on sites with high domain authority. These sites will share your articles with social media followers and email lists.
It is important to get started and keep going. The more content you create, the more likely other publications are to contact you. Even if they don’t accept submissions, it is important to contact the editors. It’s possible to introduce yourself and offer your services as a source. To find the best opportunities, ask about their contribution policy.
Earned media in health technology public relations: The importance of earned media
Here are the benefits of including earned media into your health tech PR strategy
Get exposure to a larger audience than you might be able with your blog, social media or online ads.
Get backlinks from trusted publishers with high domain authority to drive high-quality traffic and improve your SEO.
Establish trust with the right people and build brand recognition.
What is the bottom line? Appearing in media helps establish credibility. Your audience will trust the content and publications. You can gain the halo effect by being interviewed or having your name on the articles.
You can also leverage published articles to your marketing strategy. You can also share the links on your social media pages and in your email newsletters.
You can reach larger publications and apply to speak at conferences if you have published high-quality articles. This kind of credibility can open doors and create a snowball effect for your overall health tech marketing strategy.
Top Practices for Pitching Health Tech Publications
These are our top tips for getting your content published:
Research, research, research.
Learn what content a publication is looking for. This includes evergreen best practices, commentary on current trends, regulations and the most recent issues. Examine the editorial calendar of a publication to see which topics it will be covering in the coming months. Then pitch within these themes. Know what media outlets published in the past and avoid pitching the same topic. You can use these articles as jumping-off points, e.g. write a deep dive into a section of an existing piece or update an older article.
Timing is important.
You should plan ahead as some publications require proposals at least nine to twelve months in advance. Your chances of being published can be increased by commenting on timely topics. For instance, October is Cybersecurity Month. Reach out to print publications as soon as possible, but at least by July, if you need content about healthcare technology or data privacy. Print deadlines can be up to three to six months before publication.Follow the guidelines of each publication.
You should give them what they want. Make sure you provide clean content and meet deadlines. Review other stories on the website of a publisher if they don’t give clear instructions. Pay attention to the formatting. Do they use short or long paragraphs? Are they more inclined to use bullet points or numbered lists? Which topics are the most popular with their audience? Your content should be consistent with the style of your site.
Be selective.
Sending the same article to multiple publications is not a good idea. You can write on the same topic for several sites by creating unique content or spacing out submissions. Only one publication is allowed at a given time. Be patient and allow editors to respond. It is not a good idea to submit multiple pieces to different sites and then fail to provide high-quality content.
Provide educational content that is clean and free from errors.
Make sure your submissions do not promote products. Many publications have guidelines that prohibit the use of specific products or services in their content. Instead, build trust with your audience by gaining backlinks to SEO. Hire experienced editors and writers to do an internal review. You must also provide excellent content. Do not submit articles that require extensive editing. Editors won’t work with you if you make it difficult for them to publish your content. They have other options.
Learn the rules.
Make sure you are clear about the ownership and copyright of any content that you submit. The articles will be owned by the publication in most cases and you won’t have any rights to them. Some sites will allow you to review the article before it is published if you are interviewed by them.
Spread the word and build goodwill.
Share the article link and tag the publication on social media after it is published. Tag the editorial staff member who interviewed you. To build trust and relationships, you can also share content from the site. Use your article once it is published. Share it, republish it, and then put it on your site. The author should post the article on their LinkedIn page. Tag the publication in the post. Encourage your team members to share the posts and interact with them.
Health Technology Public Relations can help you support your marketing
Marketers in the healthcare sector must build trust with their audience and establish a thought leader position. One of the best ways for health tech buyers to be noticed is by getting featured in industry publications. Spot On incorporates these opportunities into its healthcare marketing strategy to assist healthcare software companies in achieving their digital marketing goals.