by Michelle Guillemard
Are you in the business of marketing health products – for clients, or for your own business? These content strategies will help you to maintain your credibility and integrity.
Be honest, sincere, and moral in your communications. Sounds obvious, right? Well, even if you have the best intentions, the products you’re writing about could still contain exaggerated claims.
Well, even if you have the best intentions, the products you’re writing about could still contain exaggerated claims.
Or copywriting that teeters on the boundaries of what’s acceptable. There are many
There are many healthcare marketing challenges that your clients or business will face when you’re trying to market healthcare products.
If you’re unsure of whether the copy is high quality, focus on your use of language.
Is there concrete evidence that your products do what you’re claiming they do?
Are the effects and benefits of your products generally accepted, or hotly disputed?
Products like vitamin supplements are more controversial than postnatal belly wraps, but you might still wish to use claims like “may help you to get your body back after pregnancy” as opposed to “will help you…”.
Even arguing that a powdered form of a superfruit has six times more vitamin C than an orange can be misleading without proper mention of measurement (ie per 200 grams, or per fruit?) or RDI (recommended daily intake). When it comes to credibility and marketing health products, the devil is in the detail.
Tip: re-read your product marketing health content with a sceptic’s hat on. Look for holes in the copy or things that could be misconstrued.
Look for the sustainability in marketing health products
How sustainable is the business?
Look at your operations and your health products’ packaging and wastage.
What do you use that’s recycled? Are your products “green”? If you have a sustainable story to tell, make it evident on your website so your buyers know that you’re actively concerned about sustainability in your health business.
Tip: create a sustainability page on your website that explains your sustainable packaging policies.
Use quotes and statistics from leading health bodies
A quote from a leading authority, like the Australian Heart Foundation or the Cancer Council, is a powerful way to support your products.
Citing research or statements from an industry body adds credibility and authority.
If you’re going to quote one of these bodies, attribute all quotes to the original source and, importantly, check that the organisation is happy for you to use their quote in context.
Tip: make a list of relevant authority bodies that support your products and network with them on relevant matters.
Reference all clinical research correctly
If you’re referencing clinical trials and other evidence when you’re marketing health products, always go back to the original source.
Citing the original study is far more convincing than basing your wordsmithing on a Cosmo article trumpeting the benefits of goji berries and immunity.
Plus, if you are discussing evidence, you should really have read the original journal article yourself to ensure you understand the outcomes and are communicating them appropriately.
Pubmed is the world’s largest online database of medical journals and health literature, and it’s relatively straightforward to perform an abstract search.
Tip: remember to use a consistent referencing format in all your citations.
Network with health thought leaders in social media
Use social media to build credibility by forging relationships with key opinion leaders in your industry.
Follow popular bloggers and experts and leverage their relevant posts by sharing them with your community.
You might be able to relate comments and posts back to your products.
Tip: make a list of key opinion leaders in your industry and ensure you are following them on all of your social media properties.
How do you ensure your health products are being marketed with integrity online? Do you have any other tips to share?
