How Pharma Companies Can Improve Their Online Presence
While pharmaceutical companies are at the leading edge of their industry, that doesn’t always translate into the ability to build a successful online presence. After all, your expertise is in research and development and designing treatments to help improve your customers’ quality of life. However, without an online presence, your firm cannot grow and thrive.
Thankfully, there are many ways to build an online presence. In this post, we’ll explore some of the things that should inform a digital strategy for pharma companies, as well as examples of companies putting these strategies to work in the real world.
Educate with Content That Delivers Value
Perhaps the most important digital strategy for pharma companies is to create value-driven content that educates your audience and then distribute it digitally. This is critical since pharma companies are no longer the sole source of information about potential treatments. By creating valuable content that ties in with your brand and educates your audience, you can position yourself as a leader in the industry. A good example of a pharma company doing just this is Johnson & Johnson and the company’s Care Inspires Care campaign.
Get in on the AR/VR Trend
Augmented reality and virtual reality might still be niche, but they’re here to stay. They can and should play a role in the digital strategy for pharma companies. With these, it becomes easier to connect with customers and clients, partners, and patients. Take the Excedrin VR campaign as an example. GlaxoSmithKline developed a VR promotion that delivered an immersive experience customised by migraine sufferers that allowed them to share their symptoms with their loved ones and improve understanding.
AI Can Help You Thrive
AI is all around us, particularly in the form of virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa. These can be an important cog in a digital strategy for pharma companies. While you can certainly develop Alexa Skills or find ways to integrate with Google Assistant, don’t overlook less obvious uses of AI, such as chatbots for your website and Facebook Messenger. Take Medxnote as an example here. The company is using chatbots to help hospital staff communicate better, faster, and in more secure ways.
Don’t Neglect Human Influencers
Digital technology isn’t all about chatbots and virtual reality. Human beings built the digital world for, well, human beings. Influencers are the stars of this world and they can play an important role in a digital strategy for pharma companies. Influencers are found on all channels, but they’re particularly prevalent on Instagram, where they regularly work with brands to build their market share and expand their reach. One good example here is how Amcal Pharmacy partnered with Jack Perkins, who is a supercar driver, as well as a diabetic and diabetic advocate. Through his Instagram feed, Jack was able to help Amcal Pharmacy build their brand with his followers.
Blockchain
Chances are good you’ve heard of blockchain technology. It underpins cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, but it can also play a role in the digital strategy for pharma companies. The primary option here is to help increase the transparency of your communications while still protecting sensitive information. Transparency is mandatory today, and businesses that fail to achieve it will find their customers defecting to other firms.
Moving Forward
As you can see, there are numerous ways to build a digital strategy for pharma companies and create a powerful online presence that ties in with your brand and resonates with your audience. However, time is of the essence. If you don’t act now, you could be left behind.
