Customer relationship management (CRM) systems have integrated with marketing automation tools across various industries for quite some time. It is often seen as a powerful driver in supporting acquisition and marketing strategies. This trend has slowly grown in popularity within healthcare, with some organizations well into its adoption, and others barely starting.
Within healthcare, a CRM system for marketing purposes still raises data security concerns. Data must be protected and come with the encryption of any sensitive information. As well as meeting HIPAA and other compliance requirements. A marketing CRM system requires very limited sensitive information from the original data sources, that are needed to support marketing journeys and reporting. Whatever your organization is using or plans to use, it is imperative to keep data security at the forefront as you implement a CRM system.
A successfully deployed marketing CRM will track and manage interactions and communications with prospects and existing patients/members, as well as identify opportunities for leads that require nurturing.
There are many benefits to reap by using a marketing CRM
- Increased customer loyalty and retention. Establishing and maintaining long-term relationships with customers enhances the overall member/patient experience. Sending appointment reminders and annual checkups, weekly/monthly newsletters for a specific clinical area that supports patients in staying healthy post-treatment, etc., helps to create added value over time.
- Support lead generation and patient/member conversion. Knowing where leads have originated from and being able to nurture them with relevant messaging, at the right cadence and via the right channel can make all the difference in conversion. For example, if a website visitor completes a form online to download a specific clinical guide and opts in to receive marketing information, you can follow up with related services or events they may be interested in. Offering click-to-call for appointment setting or links to online appointment scheduling within emails or marketing landing pages creates convenience with clear next steps.
- Comprehensive insights for reporting and MROI. A central CRM system for marketing purposes tracks campaign performance across channels and tactics. This offers a unique holistic view of marketing return on investment (MROI). With comprehensive reporting, you can identify the type of marketing attribution you want to apply, whether multi-touch or if first or the last touch is sufficient.
- A greater understanding of patients/members. With a deeper understanding of patient/member behavior, healthcare organizations are able to better identify upcoming needs. They also can increase operational efficiency. Leveraging this for patient outreach for appointment reminders, disseminating health and well-being information through to personalization based on other related services and events can all add value for consumers.
- Optimization of marketing strategies and tactics. Marketing can continue to be refined and optimized based on previous behavior. Increase the likelihood of success with automated emails during time periods that you receive higher click through rates. In addition, targeting smaller groups/segmenting of your patients/members allows for a targeted message that seems personal. By automating marketing related tasks such as email sends it will allow for greater efficiency for the marketing team.
The above is not an exhaustive list. I hope this post encourages you to explore marketing CRM as a viable option for your healthcare organization. Or if this is something you are already leveraging then some ideas on how to expand your efforts.
