There have been many mixed signals on whether online banner ads are effective to marketers, especially within healthcare. According to an Infolinks eye-tracking study, people don’t even notice 86 percent of banner ads on a computer screen. And with HIPAA it may be hard to get across an effective healthcare marketing message.
If managed properly, though, digital display ads can be a powerful and competitive medium that can drive awareness, site traffic and ultimately conversions – also known as new patients. Here are a few effective (but not always obvious) ways to spend your healthcare marketing money when buying online banners:
Proper Targeting
- Display the right message to the right patient. Buying an ad about neonatal services on the AARP website doesn’t make much sense, but promoting services on dementia and Alzheimer’s certainly might. Knowing your demographic ahead of time will help you know where to place your ads.
Buy By Action, Not By Thousand
- With so many people having banner blindness, it doesn’t seem to make much sense to buy impressions. But clicks do matter. You may actually be getting good exposure because your ad is receiving millions of impressions, even if only a small percent are clicked. Think of it as a billboard on the street. Not everybody driving by will visit your hospital’s website or call your 800 number, but they are being exposed to it. The more exposure, the more potential action.
Test, Test and Test Some More
- Use banners like a science experiment. Compared to other media they can be quickly created. Build and test various versions to learn which messages attract attention and draw certain types of audiences. Testing and using analytics can help your banner buy become more efficient for future campaigns.
With so many other media out there, banner ads may not be your first marketing choice when promoting your healthcare facility. But if you do your homework and have patience, it can be a very valuable medium. For help in developing an effective banner ad campaign for your hospital contact Wax Custom Communications today at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.
