With healthcare companies spending more than ever on digital ads—healthcare and pharma digital ad spending is expected to surpass $11 billion in 2021—it’s never been more challenging to get HCPs engaging with ads.1 That said, the right digital strategies can increase the likelihood that they do. Here are three must-know digital ad strategies that increase HCP engagement.
Digital Ad Strategies That Increase HCP Engagement
Healthcare advertisers have long relied on display ads to engage HCPs. And moving forward, they’ll continue to play a role in any healthcare campaign. In fact, display advertising still accounts for almost half of healthcare and pharma ad spend.2 However, given the increase in frequency at which HCPs are seeing healthcare-related ads, more advanced digital ad strategies that increase HCP engagement, including NPI targeting, non-endemic advertising, and innovative ad types.
1. Rely on NPI Targeting
Audience targeting is arguably the most important part of any campaign. With competing companies spending millions on different digital, you can’t afford for your ad dollars to go to waste, which is a persistent issue for all digital marketers. According to Forrester, 37% of marketers waste spend as a result of poor data quality despite a concerted effort to focus on using high-quality data.3 This can’t happen. With NPI targeting, it won’t. By using high-quality data to build your audiences, you can refine your message and deliver targeted messages to HCPs based on characteristics like job title. NPI targeting will also pay dividends in the future by giving you the audience insights you need to make smart optimizations.
2. Invest in Non-Endemic Advertising
Similar to how healthcare advertising has always been linked to display ads, the same can be said about endemic advertising, i.e., buying ad inventory on medical websites. Yes, the allure is appealing, but the demand from advertisers means you’ll be paying a hefty price for impressions. Non-endemic advertising is a cost-efficient solution. For example, video completion rates on CTV remain the highest among device types, with its video completion rate hovering around 95%.4 There’s also contextual advertising, which uses the web page’s context to serve relevant ads. Although non-endemic advertising can’t claim the same audience powers as endemic advertising, the former can still pack a punch (all at a more affordable price).
3. Use Innovate Ad Types
Mobile In-App Ad
Ads delivered while users are engaging with mobile apps.
High-Impact Display Ads
Generally larger ads that take up a lot of the screen.
CTV Ads
Ads delivered in tandem with video content streamed on CTV devices.
Getting HCPs to engage with your ads relies on more than audience targeting and ad inventory. For example, a run-of-the-mill image ad on Facebook might not be enough to grab their attention. Similarly, a static display ad on a premium lifestyle website may get lost. Thankfully, all of these ecosystems offer different ad types, including some innovative ones that will help you shine just a little brighter than your competitors.
This could mean a mobile in-app ad (as long as it’s not a medically related app), which continues to outshine other ad formats. In fact, mobile video in-app ad click-through rates are 7.5X higher than display ads.5 It could also mean CTV inventory, which can increase time spent with ads. According to a study, interactive ad units on CTV produced an engagement rate that was almost 6X higher than other ad formats.6 It could even mean a high-impact display ad on a non-endemic website, which drives more engagement due to its interactivity.
Adfire Health can help reformat, repurpose, and optimize your existing creatives and get them through the PRC process.
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Sparking HCP Engagement Online
As competition heats up online, getting HCPs to see (and engage with) your ads will only become more difficult. For this reason, it’s paramount that you evolve your digital ad strategy now to include tactics that make you stand out—think NPI targeting, non-endemic advertising, and innovative ad types. While other companies rest on their laurels, you’ll be getting ahead delighting HCPs with ad experiences they won’t scroll past.
