What’s the point? Ensuring an objective in health sector copywriting
Often, what needs communicating in a healthcare campaign is pretty well understood but how to say it most effectively (and efficiently – because everyone has a budget, right?!) can cause some to draw a blank. Producing the most effective collection of campaign materials comes down to one thing though… Content objective planning.
How do you work out what assets are needed for healthcare campaigns?
We often get presented with a campaign asset list and asked to quote for copy. Sometimes each piece is only described by two or three word bullet points – sometimes we get expansive multi-page briefs.
Some of our newer clients are a bit surprised when they get lots of ? rather than £ in our initial quote response. That’s because although the list is generally fairly sensible on face value, we have one big question that must be answered… What?
What is important when planning content for healthcare campaigns?
That big ‘what?’ question is actually made up of many smaller ‘what’ questions..
What are the key messages for our target audience? What do they need to know to understand the product or service? What will make them feel compelled to change their behaviour and do what you are suggesting they do?
Then it gets a bit more personal. What is the point of asset X? What about this marketing material is appealing to the people that you’re trying to sell to? What about providing this piece of information differently?
How do you make sure each marketing asset provides good RoI?
For an effective, efficient campaign, each piece of content must have a clear, unique objective that services the needs of the company, the campaign, and - most importantly - the target audience. If every piece is working as hard as it can to achieve one thing, then together, the full arsenal of campaign assets will work synergistically together. This obviously works best when the initial campaign asset list is planned as one from scratch, although this isn’t always practical. One thing that each asset must be subjected to though, regardless of when it joins the party, is interrogation for purpose.
How many individual assets are needed for a successful healthcare campaign?
Sometimes, the original campaign asset list shrinks. Consistency is key and repetition is sometimes justified but not if that information’s purpose is being provided elsewhere in the campaign. It’s better to have a few well-thought-out pieces than flood the campaign with ‘bits’ and risk reducing the impact, or leading to confusion. You want your target audience to know exactly what they are looking at and why.
Sometimes, the asset list increases in number, but the volume of each piece is reduced, to avoid producing individual materials that are trying to do too much. Dilution of a message is a real problem that can happen when you add ‘just one more thing…’. Too many messages can lead to confusion or – arguably worse – loss of interest. Returning to that clear objective of each asset helps clarify the purpose and see whether the new (likely still very important and valid) addition could justify its own asset or fit better elsewhere in the campaign.
Sometimes there is a glaring hole, borne out of assumed knowledge, or a missed opportunity, so the suggestion is made for a novel asset to be added to the list. This is always exciting, as it’s usually in response to a realisation that opens up new doors (the sales team like these!)
The point is, each and every campaign will have different requirements. Yes, a product brochure is a core asset, but what do we want that product brochure to do? Does it need to educate as well as inform? Can we sell hard to this audience, who are used to a highly competitive environment? The answers to these questions can only be answered when we define the objective well. Doing THAT successfully is a whole other ball game however – one that combines good insight, audience understanding and the answers to a few 'why?' questions (we really do like asking questions!).
Can we help you develop that killer campaign asset list that delivers maximum RoI by being both effective and efficient? Get in touch info@roarcontent.co.uk