Easy Guide To Retargeting in Healthcare Digital Marketing

In healthcare digital marketing, retargeting helps providers reconnect with people who have expressed interest in their services but have yet to take the next step. This technique re-engages users who have visited their website, shown interest in specific medical services, or interacted with initial ads.

Retargeting brings potential and existing patients back, nurtures their interests, and guides them toward conversion. This guide reveals the most effective retargeting steps within healthcare digital marketing:

• Identify the audience
• Set clear goals
• Choose the right platforms
• Craft targeted retargeting ads
• Balance frequency and timing
• Measure and analyzing campaign performance
• Ensure privacy and compliance

Read below to learn how these accessible insights and actionable steps help healthcare professionals use retargeting to engage audiences and drive conversions. Let’s go!

Are you looking for help with marketing your healthcare business? Watch the video below to learn our approach to healthcare marketing and why 150+ healthcare companies have chosen Digital Authority Partners to help them generate more leads and patient appointments.

1. Identify the Retargeting Audience

Identifying the appropriate audience gives precision to reconnecting with users who have demonstrated interest in healthcare services. These could be past website visitors exploring specific medical information, former patients who might require follow-up care, or individuals who have engaged with healthcare-related advertisements. 

Targeting individual segments tailors the messaging and increases the chances of re-engagement and conversion by addressing each group’s specific needs and interests. 

To boost your content marketing strategy, identify the retargeting audience with these ideas:

• Analyze user behavior on the healthcare website, such as pages visited, services explored, or time spent. 
• Segment audiences based on their interests. Focus on the specific medical specialties, treatments, or healthcare information they prefer.
• Group audiences according to their position in the conversion funnel. Distinguish between users who merely browsed services and those who booked appointments or inquired further.
• Categorize audiences based on their interactions with healthcare content types, such as articles, videos, or infographics. Target users with specific interests or health concerns by using their preferred content formats.
• Segment users based on their responses to healthcare-related emails. Identify those who regularly read newsletters, click through, or subscribe to specific health updates for targeted email campaigns.
• Create audience segments based on the history of patients who have visited, booked appointments, or used services. Tailor messaging for follow-up care, loyalty programs, or personalized health recommendations.
• Segment users who initiated but did not complete actions (e.g., filling out form submissions, appointment bookings, or service inquiries). 

Using these segmentation strategies, you effectively personalize retargeting efforts so that the ads appeal to the intended audiences.

2. Set Clear Retargeting Goals

Setting clear objectives, such as increasing appointment bookings, promoting specialized treatments, or raising awareness about new facilities, provides a strategic direction for the campaign. Keeping the objective in mind assists with crafting tailored retargeted ads so that messaging leads to desired outcomes. Focusing on the desired outcome maximizes the campaign’s effectiveness to increase engagement and conversions. 

Here are tips for better aligning retargeting goals with broader healthcare marketing objectives:

• Use the broader healthcare marketing objectives to specify retargeting goals. Examples are: increasing patient acquisition, enhancing patient retention, promoting specific services, improving brand awareness, or educating the audience about health and wellness.
• Ensure that retargeting goals sync with the segmented audience’s needs and healthcare marketing objectives. For instance, offer post-service follow-ups or loyalty programs if the goal is to increase patient retention.
• Maintain consistency in messaging across retargeting campaigns and broader marketing strategies. Match the language, tone, and value propositions used in the ads with the brand identity.
• Set up conversion tracking mechanisms that link retargeting goals to broader marketing objectives. 
• Align budget and resources with overarching healthcare marketing goals for efficient allocation.

Lastly, continuously monitor and analyze retargeting metrics against broader marketing objectives. Evaluate the campaign’s performance based on patient acquisition, engagement, and conversion rates.

3. Choose the Right Retargeting Platforms

Each retargeting platform offers unique advantages for healthcare digital marketing:

• Google Ads allows retargeting across its extensive network. Healthcare marketers re-engage users who have previously queried about medical information, visited health websites, or watched YouTube videos. It offers diverse ad formats and precise targeting options.
• Facebook and Instagram offer robust retargeting capabilities based on user demographics, behaviors, and interests. Marketers retarget users who engage with healthcare-related content, visit the website, or interact with previous ads. 
• LinkedIn is ideal for business-to-business (B2B) healthcare marketing or targeting healthcare professionals. Retargeting can be based on professional demographics and type of engagement. The site is suitable for promoting specialized healthcare services, networking, or sharing industry-specific content.
• Native advertising platforms such as Taboola and Outbrain retarget users with healthcare-related content while they browse various publisher websites. These provide additional touchpoints to reach potential patients with relevant medical information.

Choosing the right platform depends on the target audience, campaign objectives, and nature of healthcare services or content. Understanding where the audience is most active and engaged helps select the most suitable platform for effective retargeting.

4. Craft Targeted Retargeting Ads

Personalization, clear calls to action (CTAs), and alignment with users’ previous interactions are critical in developing effective retargeting ads for healthcare digital marketing. 

Personalization fosters a more profound connection by addressing specific user interests and needs, thus increasing ad relevance. Clear CTAs guide users toward desired actions while aligning the ad with past interactions, ensuring continuity and reinforcing message relevance. 

Here are techniques to create the best retargeting ads:

• Tailor ads based on users’ past interactions or behaviors. Address specific healthcare interests or needs demonstrated in their previous engagements for a personalized connection.
• Emphasize the benefits of healthcare services or treatments. 
• Illustrate benefits or outcomes to visually captivate the audience.
• Incorporate a clear and compelling CTA directing users to take the desired action. These include booking an appointment, downloading a guide, or learning more. Match the CTA with the ad’s message.
• Use an empathetic and understanding tone in the ad, acknowledging the audience’s healthcare concerns or journeys. 
• Incorporate patient testimonials or success stories to establish credibility and trust. Authentic testimonials resonate well with potential patients and reinforce the value of your healthcare services.

Healthcare marketers use these techniques to craft compelling ads. They capture the attention of the retargeted audience, build trust, encourage action, and communicate the value of healthcare services or treatments.

5. Balance Frequency and Timing

Optimizing ad exposure avoids the ad fatigue that leads to diminishing returns and user disengagement. By strategically timing ad placements and managing frequency, you sustain audience interest and the effectiveness of retargeting efforts. 

Here are strategies to balance the frequency and timing of retargeting ads:

• Set frequency caps to limit the number of times a user sees a retargeted ad within a specific time frame. This prevents overexposure and allows for a controlled ad experience.
• Segment the audience based on engagement levels or position in the conversion funnel. Adjust ad frequency for different segments, with higher-engagement users receiving fewer ads.
• Schedule ad delivery for times when the audience is most active and likely to engage. Consider factors such as time of day, days of the week, or specific seasons.
• Rotate the ads to display varied messaging to users.
• Pay attention to audience feedback and ad performance metrics to gauge user sentiment regarding ad frequency. 
• Adjust ad frequency based on user responses and metrics to maintain a positive ad experience.
• Conduct A/B tests to analyze the effect of different ad frequencies on user engagement and conversions. 

6. Measure and Analyze Campaign Performance

Measuring the retargeting campaign’s performance determines the effectiveness of the strategies, identifies what resonates with the audience, and points out areas for improvement. 

Regular performance analysis also enables data-driven decision-making. This refines retargeting tactics and allocates enough resources to high-yielding strategies. These are campaigns with the highest engagement, conversions, and returns. 

The following key metrics and tools track retargeting campaigns in healthcare digital marketing:

• Click-through rate (CTR) measures the percentage of users who click on the ad after viewing it. It indicates ad engagement and relevance. Google Analytics, Facebook Ads Manager, or the advertising platforms’ built-in analytics provide CTR metrics.
• Conversion rate tracks the percentage of users who complete a desired action, such as appointment bookings, form submissions, or downloads. Analytics tools and ad platforms offer conversion-tracking capabilities to measure this metric.
• ROI determines the profitability of the retargeting campaign by comparing the generated revenue to the overall investment. ROI calculation tools and platform performance analytics help assess the campaign’s financial success.
• Cost per acquisition (CPA) calculates the cost incurred to acquire a new patient or customer. Dividing the total campaign cost by the number of acquired conversions provides the CPA. Advertising platforms and analytics tools typically offer CPA calculations.
• Ad engagement metrics track other metrics such as time spent on the site, pages visited, or video views post-click. These metrics offer insights into user behavior and campaign performance. Analytics tools and platforms provide detailed engagement metrics.
• Attribution models determine the contribution of different touchpoints to conversions. Tools such as Google Analytics offer attribution modeling to understand the role of retargeting in the user’s journey.

Healthcare digital marketing experts leverage analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Facebook Ads Manager, LinkedIn Analytics, Twitter Analytics, and those in native advertising platforms to effectively track these metrics. They provide comprehensive insights into campaign performance, enabling marketers to optimize retargeting strategies for better results.

7. Ensure Privacy and Compliance

In healthcare retargeting campaigns, ensuring privacy and compliance with regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) remains crucial. Adhering to these rules safeguards sensitive patient information through secure and confidential handling. 

Respecting privacy builds trust with patients and mitigates legal and ethical risks. It also promotes integrity and responsibility. 

Follow these best practices for maintaining patient confidentiality and adhering to advertising guidelines:

• Adhere strictly to HIPAA regulations. De-identify or aggregate any patient data used in retargeting campaigns to prevent the disclosure of personally identifiable information.
• Prioritize the anonymization of patient data used for retargeting. Avoid including identifiable information such as names, addresses, or medical conditions in ad targeting or messaging.
• Obtain explicit consent from patients before using their data for retargeting purposes. Be transparent about how you use their information and obtain written permission for public endorsements or testimonials.
• Communicate privacy policies regarding data collection and usage in retargeting campaigns. Provide patients with easily understandable information about how you handle and use data in advertising.
• Implement policies for limited data retention. Regularly review and securely dispose of outdated or unnecessary information.
• Conduct regular compliance audits to align retargeting campaigns with healthcare advertising guidelines and patient privacy regulations. Stay updated with evolving legal standards and adjust practices accordingly to maintain compliance.

These best practices protect patient confidentiality, respect their privacy rights, and comply with federal and advertising guidelines. They are a trustworthy and ethical approach to retargeting within healthcare marketing.

Summing Up

A successful healthcare retargeting campaign considers personalization, clear messaging, and strategic audience segmentation. The best campaigns present compelling ads aligned with users’ interests and behaviors and maintain patient confidentiality to comply with industry regulations. 

The best healthcare marketers integrate retargeting as a core strategy, using its power to re-engage and guide patients toward conversion. This enhances patient engagement and loyalty to your practice.

How can you innovate your retargeting strategies to align with changing patient behaviors and preferences? Contact Digital Authority Partners, a healthcare digital marketing expert, to learn more.