Targeting has come a long way over the years. Still, that true 1:1 relationship that can drive optimal campaign performance and efficiency has always been just out of reach—for most digital marketers. Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) have always been just out of reach—for most digital advertisers. For healthcare advertisers, however, this 1:1 relationship is within reach thanks to the ability to target by National Provider Identifier (NPI targeting), which gives them the ability to target HCPs by American Medical Association (AMA)-recognized medical specialty, subspecialties, secondary or tertiary specialties, and more. For that reason alone, it’s no surprise that NPI targeting is near and dear to healthcare advertisers’ hearts.
Here are three more reasons why:
Reason #1: NPI Targeting Guarantees Accurate Campaign Reporting
An NPI number is the ultimate identifier and should be any healthcare advertisers go-to tactic for any HCP campaigns. While NPI targeting certainly isn’t a necessity for healthcare campaigns, without it, there’s no way to know which HCPs actually engaged with the ads.
In a competitive landscape where the vast majority of healthcare companies are investing in digital—digital ad spend will surpass $11 billion by the end of 2021—healthcare advertisers are better off using refined targeting strategies that maximize spend while driving the best performance.1 NPI targeting lets advertisers engage HCPs by AMA-recognized medical specialty as well as HCP characteristics like license type, hospital affiliation, address, practice name, and insurance carriers. This level of granularity gives them the chance to engage their target HCP, which can lead to greater script lift. Plus, because they won’t be wasting impressions on those outside of their identifiable target audience, they’ll see a better return on ad spend (ROAS).
Reason #2: NPI Targeting Means Smarter Optimizations
Without an NPI-validated reporting, healthcare advertisers will struggle to optimize and scale their campaigns. With inefficient targeting, it’s harder to drill down into performance (both during and after the flight), meaning that optimizations are made largely in the dark and may not give them the opportunity to optimize and further segment and create more targeted messaging . Advertisers who employ NPI targeting don’t have this problem. By using reliable data as the foundation for their targeting strategy, they can make performance-focused optimizations with total confidence.
Are anatomical pathologists converting more than others?
Budget: Allocate more budget to anatomical pathologists.
Are HCPs responding more to an ad on the weekends?
Channels: Shift to channels and devices they use at home—think CTV.
Is the frequency too low and not pacing toward the goal?
Inventory: Target non-endemic websites.
These hyper-focused optimizations are only possible for healthcare advertisers who use NPI targeting. There’s no guessing and they can focus their budgets where it makes sense.
NPI targeting is positioned well for the future state of digital advertising. It’ll also continue to be an effective way to target the evolving HCPs.
Today, HCPs are using more digital devices and channels than ever (in and out of the office)—think smartphones and tablets, social, CTV/OTT, and more. Healthcare advertisers need to consider all of these touchpoints and the role they play in an HCP’s path to conversion. NPI targeting can follow HCPs across all of these digital touchpoints, giving advertisers an impactful way to deliver targeted healthcare campaigns across premium lifestyle sites, mobile and apps, social, CTV/OTT, and more.
These hyper-focused optimizations are only possible for healthcare advertisers who use NPI targeting. There’s no guessing and they can focus their budgets where it makes sense.
NPI Targeting: The Smartest Way to Reach HCPs
In today’s healthcare world, healthcare advertisers need to find the most effective and efficient way to connect with HCPs. NPI targeting allows them to do this. By focusing on 1:1 relationships with HCPs, advertisers can put themselves in the best position to generate targeted HCP engagement and optimize their campaigns—now and in the future.
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