4 Trends in Referral Marketing for 2020
The trends are developing in favor of needing referral marketing. Here are 4 of the trends developing right now, from several sources.
Get Out Ahead Of Self-Referring
Google and other online referral services are capturing a growing trend. Social media and online based marketing. This trend is open to those who can integrate. The trend according to The Drum, is a customer-led growth mindset for 2020. So much interaction is online now. That is causing some self-referring. Much of the industry is seeing a shift to consumer driven healthcare (Determinants in consumer driven healthcare; Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing 2011)
The self-referring is seen as good and bad. More and more people are relying on online resources in several ways.
Search engines
The use of Google, Bing, and other online search platforms are increasing.
The use of websites like Doctor.com and WebMD.com are becoming popular with more people.
Reviews of doctor services is becoming a way to choose a doctor
Doctors with missing or omitted information are causing people to not contact the doctor.
On the good side, online referring to doctors is good for patients, physician liaisons and marketers. It helps in some basic ways.
Liaisons can help doctors reach patients on many online platforms
Doctors can reach more patients through social media presence
Search results are picked up for that doctor.
The more complete and data rich the information the higher page ranking in the search engine.
Good referral software can build the foundation for a doctor’s online presence. There will be a need for who the doctor associates themselves with, their specialties, and their backgrounds. The need for reviews is growing. That necessitates getting reviews onto websites and social media, which a PL can help with.
Geotargeting
There are several ways to target advertising in a specific area. Local targeting is becoming more widespread. Geotargeting in one of those ways to use localization in specific ways. Geotargeting is when ads are tailored to specific types of providers in a specific location radius or region.
Localization is the way to target wide cross-sections of people with advertising that is suited to that specific region - such as sports ad about local teams, for a hotdog distributor. Geotargeting takes that process one step further, with the addition of business specific ads based on data about those companies.
In referral marketing the use of Geotargeting can be very effective. Providers who are offering the same services, can see an advantage to offering referral to other services in the local area, or outside area but within ranges.
Data gathering about providers, administrators and systems can prove invaluable in regional marketing campaigns. Using that data often offers ways to contact, engage and convert prospects because geotargeting is directly related to their business in their local region. Referral marketing software, such as MDreferralPro is designed to handle such a targeted marketing campaign.
Using Analytics To Hone In On Who To Contact
Data gathering is a simple process with a sound referral marketing system. How that software processes the data is key to opening new avenues to the marketing scheme. The trends in this year is to use already existing data in more ways to generate more targeted leads.
Follow-up and prospecting go hand in hand. The latest marketing trends use analytics at their core.
Machine learning, whether you know exactly what that is or not, is going to be a big part of marketing going forward. Forbes has predicted that AI and machine learning will drive the marketing trends in all industries this year.
Baseline trends are no longer enough to target a marketing campaign. Localization is becoming more focused and with it the need for deeper analytics. The effect is the ability to understand trends with more accuracy. The ability to know who and when to contact a prospect or established customer, is becoming a key factor in business. Using analytics for more complex calculations and predictions will be key to continued growth.
The maintaining of a high standard of quality in the referral marketing industry. To stay relevant it will be vital to understand analytics and how they can direct decision making.
Tracking Trends Up And Down
The use of more sophisticated tech, in general, will go a long way to developing effective marketing techniques in 2020. Forbes is encouraging a better understanding of tech, rather than gathering more data. Tracking trends with good referral marketing software can be simple and effective.
The use of automation can help any campaign track upward and downward trends in provider engagement. Knowing who is in need of a broader range of services, and who just needs a follow-up for maintenance is a great way to get and keep clients.
Being able to track those trends in data analytics is key to maintaining and growing a referral marketing system. Tracking trends in social media, mobile usage, and direct access for referrals is going to keep the referral marketing in play for 2020.
Being able to easily and effectively track trends in a software environment is necessary in 2020. Platforms such as MDreferralPro were developed specifically to be used in the future for such marketing techniques as tracking trends through automation.
Newman, Daniel, Forbes, 5 AI and Analytics Trends in 2020
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2020/02/26/5-ai-and-analytics-trends-marketers-and-brands-should-be-investing-in/#413741fa7379
Substantial Liaison Software Access
The way to develop the new skills to meet so many of the digital trends in 2020 are with a demo of MDreferralPro, from an experienced liaison.
The friendly staff is armed with all the latest technologies and advancements to meet the ever changing healthcare industry.