PracticalDermatology

In this era of intense competition in online marketing, generalized persuasion for the mass audience is no longer very effective. Successful online engagement is possible only when you identify the specific segment of the local population that you would like to connect with through your content. Thus, creating customized content can have a significant positive impact on your practice.

When you analyze the profile of your target audience and talk to them in a style that they appreciate and understand, you can meet their goals and satisfy their expectations more comprehensively through your dermatology content. However, developing customized content for a focused audience is easier said than done. You need a close engagement with the audience to understand their specific need for information and guidance and must fulfill that need adequately by creating effective content.

Define your Target Demographic Segment

To connect effectively with the relevant audiences via your website and other online content, the first step is to clearly define the audience.

Analyze the Demographic Profile

To begin, you need clear answers to these questions: Who is your target audience? What is their age group, what percentage of them is male and female, and what is their average income profile? Once you are able to define these broad aspects of your target demographic, it might surprise you to know that there are several sub-groups within that market segment that you never considered before, but they fit your target audience profile closely.

Appreciate their Basic Values

Try to understand and appreciate what matters most to your target audience. What kind of typical concerns do they reveal in their conversations? What is their pre-disposition towards dermatology treatments? What kind of procedures do they usually prefer? What are their aesthetic aspirations?

Where do they Converge Online?

Your target audiences would be willing to engage online in a variety of ways. Your goal should be to identify the most influential and active points of convergence where they come together. Some of the common places where your target market segment is likely to congregate include the following:

• Blog Networks: Some of the widely-read blogs related to dermatology should be included in your list where you can find your target audience in concentrated numbers. You may share your content with these blogs regularly and gradually build an influence over the audience.
• Online Discussion Forums: Some of the leading online forums related to dermatology can put you in direct contact with your target audiences. You can address their queries effectively on these forums and disseminate useful information in order to build strong engagement on these forums.
• Social Media Networks: Online groups on popular social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Yahoo, YouTube and others with a focus on dermatology should be explored. Social media provides the widest opportunity to reach out to a large set of target audiences and develop meaningful engagement with them over time.

Tailor the Content to Fit the
Target Demographic

Content development should begin only once you have defined your target demographic segment. The goal should be to get the audience keenly interested in the content and relate with it closely. The audience should be ready to engage with the content solely on its own merit. This can happen if you are able to create compelling content that grips the reader's attention. The content should not be dull or complicated because you are creating it for potential patients and not for professionals.

Matching of Goals

As a part of your content planning process, you should try to come up with a wide range of content ideas that are likely to meet your marketing goals as a dermatologist as well as satisfy the goals and interests of your target audience. Make sure that you design content in accordance with the research and analysis you have already conducted about the average profile of your target demographic.

Assess Content Quality

Once you have listed down various content ideas, you should test each idea to be sure that it resonates with your target audience and presents a cogent argument. You should ask the following questions:

• Does the content idea match with the needs and aspirations of your target demographic?
• Is the content unique, original or presents a fresh perspective?
• Is the idea practicable within the scope of your dermatology practice? Can it actually be carried out?
• What would be the most effective outlets to present the content ideas, in addition to your website?
• Will the content fulfill your marketing goals as well as the goals of the target audience in equal proportion?

Generate Empathy through Personalization

Personalized content that establishes an emotional connection with the target audience will typically have better authority and make a stronger impact. The content should have the capacity to empathize with the audience and move their emotions in positive ways. A feeling of hope and optimism should pervade through your content as far as possible.

Improve Content Stickiness

Various elements of content stickiness can make your audience relate more effectively with your content. Some pieces of content should be able to generate emotional reactions of, for example, curiosity, interest, surprise, and hope. The content should have a concrete purpose and a logical theme. Language should be simple, yet interesting. Most importantly, the content should reflect a sense of authority and credibility. The readers should feel assured that they can rely on the content for its authenticity and accuracy. n

Naren Arulrajah is President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete Internet marketing company which focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education and the online reputations of dermatologists. With a team of 130+ full time marketers, Ekwa.com helps one doctor in an area dominate their market and grow their business significantly year after year. If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call Naren direct at 877-249-9666.