All you want to know about Hospital branding

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Hospital

branding is the need of the hour. Why? Because today’s patients are modern consumers who want more…they are aware of every service and every facility available because information is available at the click of the fingers and are empowered to make informed choices. The patients of yesteryears were fine with visiting the family doctor and waiting in long queues in healthcare facilities or running from pillar to post in search of the right physician. No longer so…the patients now browse through their options and selective the healthcare facility that offers them the best, most advanced, most skilled, most convenient health facilities at a reasonable price with smaller timelines. The patient of the past was just informed about his/ her health status by the medical practitioner whereas the modern patient wants a participative role in his diagnosis, treatment and post-care. Word of mouth was the only method of promotion in healthcare before but today the perception, the social media presence and the image of your healthcare facility all play their roles in ensuring that you have a loyal patient base.

All these factors have made healthcare entrepreneurs realize the importance of healthcare perception and branding. You must prioritize making your hospital a brand and create, communicate and curate your facility’s brand strategy.

What is Hospital Branding?

Hospital branding is a stratagem that helps you link certain attributes with your healthcare unit so that your end-users namely your patients stay loyal to you and avail of your services whenever the need arises without feeling the need to switch. Branding can help you attract and retain customers namely patients and their family members, physicians, employees, associates, partners etc. Your branding will define every aspect of your marketing strategies and will be reflected in every input from design and logos to content. Branding aims at creating trust and building an image for your healthcare facility that is distinct and unique from your competitor’s identity. To put in a nutshell, Branding is nothing but creating your hospital’s perception. Branding is not just a tagline, a logo or a campaign but it is the feeling, the thought, the experience that your customer associates with your hospital.

6 things to keep in mind which designing your branding strategy

Understand your USP :
Each Healthcare unit has something special, an attribute that you want to be aligned with. This is the USP or the unique selling proposition of your hospital. Some healthcare facilities have the most advanced equipment, others have the most renowned specialists, some have a five-star ambience, yet others have a home-like environment. Depending upon your vision, you have to highlight this USP by evolving your branding around it. Convey everything about your vision and values through your branding as this will help your patients connect with you. E.g., If your healthcare facility houses physicians from varied specializations, be sure to convey that it is a One-stop solution for any health need. {USP convenience}
Know your patient :
You must really delve into the mindsets of your potential patients and try to find out what they expect in order to develop a perfect branding strategy. Use surveys and questionnaires to get insights about the opinions and outlooks of your specific target audience and then make your branding revolve around this. For e.g., Patients seeking surgery make detailed study of the testimonials of the surgeon. Older sections of patients look for good patient-doctor bonding whereas younger strata look for speed and convenience of care.

Know your competitor :
To develop the right branding strategy, it is not just enough to know yourself and your core audience, it is essential to know your competitor too. Keep your fingers on the pulse of the market and study the competitive landscape well to know how to differentiate your hospital from others and be forewarned and forearmed of any approaching changes. e.g., If your nearest competitor’s branding speaks of legacy of experience, your branding should revolve around words like latest, most advanced, path-breaking and novel technology to combat it.
Position your services :
Ensure that you position the facilities, amenities and services that your hospital offers in a way that it appeals to your target audience. E.g., Branding in a children’s hospital can include posts or content about a toy library in the waiting room to keep the tiny patients occupied.

Make it all about experience :
Providing committed, compassionate and excellent healthcare at reasonable cost should be your foremost motto. The entire patient experience from the time of appointment booking to the time of discharge to the follow-up should be a pleasant journey for the patient and this can be conveyed through testimonials, posts and reviews.

Use appealing content, colours, characters to define your brand persona. Content is the pivotal thing when it comes to building a branding strategy. Design logos, banners, posters in a way that everything is in sync with your Healthcare unit’s personality. Use colours, fonts and styles to your best advantage, share inspiring, touching, informative, useful and compelling content. Luckily, while dealing with health, a wide scope of stories that can touch the heart can be used within the limits of ethical marketing. Make use of patient stories, blogs, videos, infographics, etc. to connect with your patients.

As patients have become informed and Digi-savvy consumers, your branding has to encompass the whole wellness experience powerfully. Remember that your patient’s journey does not start at your reception, but as soon as he considers selecting your hospital. This selection phase can be influenced by your website. So be sure to invest in a well-designed, user-friendly, appealing website that will inspire confidence in your potential customers. Connects you with your target audience

Benefits of investing in Hospital branding