The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article:
December 2007, Volume 6, Issue 12

How Pharmaceutical Marketers Can Leverage Web 2.0

by Elizabeth Dillon, Search Marketing Specialist, iProspect

Pharmaceutical marketing is a different animal. Marketers in this field have to overcome a myriad of challenges, including strict legal guidelines, consumer beliefs, and stiff competition from thousands of other pharmaceutical companies. Given that climate, it is easy to understand why conducting a successful pharmaceutical search marketing campaign has unique challenges.

Fortunately, Web 2.0 has opened up new opportunities for search marketers in this industry. In fact, considering the fierce online competition that pharmaceutical marketers face, having a presence in social media is practically a necessity. Today there are several options that search marketers can leverage, including video optimization, online community sites, shared blogging, and more.

Where should you begin?

Start by utilizing what is already on your site. For example, many pharmaceutical websites host videos — on patient stories or doctor's advice — but are not making the best use of them. Smart marketers will leverage the power of social media to fully capitalize on these digital assets. To do so, ensure that your videos appear within the search results by optimizing them with keyword phrase-rich meta data and URLs. Then submit them to video hosting sites, such as YouTube. By taking advantage of these networks, your brand can be placed in front of thousands of attentive users who otherwise might not find your website. If they find the content valuable, it's likely that they will share the video with friends. This can jump start a viral brand awareness campaign.

What else can you do? Identify some social media networks that you think could be a fit. But before you dive in, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

Do Your Research

First, the venue you choose be in alignment with your target audience. Take the time to study some of the channels you are considering, and get a sense of its users, the topics they post, and the products/services that would be appropriate for them. For example, you may want to research websites where users are actively looking for health or medical advice — such as iMedix.com — where members are able to assist each other by sharing their experiences, and ranking medical content.

Actively Participate

Next, you need to find a way to participate within these online communities — post comments, create symptom quizzes, or health checklists. When users find a resource or company that is consistently interacting with the online community, they see that brand as loyal and attentive. This type of networking can build a strong connection with users. But to keep that relationship going, your content needs to be fresh, engaging and useful.

Play by the Rules

Lastly, think beyond tactics. Ultimately, you want to become a trusted member of the community. To accomplish this, not only do you need to contribute in a meaningful way, you also need to play by the rules — this includes openly disclosing yourself as part of a pharmaceutical company. Don't underestimate the importance of this as each online community has its own culture, and set of unwritten rules for what is — and isn't — acceptable on the site. Moreover, online communities don't hesitate to meter out punishment to those who don't abide by the rules (They can be particularly spiteful to marketers who pretend to be users.) Given that, you would be wise to study how other marketers participate, and assess the response their efforts generated within the community. Smart marketers will emulate what works and do it in a total transparent fashion.

Create a Blog

Blogs offer pharmaceutical marketers another viable path to capitalize on social media. Like a community site, a blog can create a destination for users — a place where they can find out more about a drug and the disease or the condition it treats. If the blog is accurate, comprehensive and current, users will see it as a reputable source for support and a place to learn.

The bottom line is that pharmaceutical marketers know all too well that it's a jungle out there, and that they need every advantage they can get. The savvy ones are finding ways to embrace social media, incorporate it into their overall search marketing efforts, and benefit from all it has to offer.

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The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article: December 2007, Volume 6, Issue 12

How Pharmaceutical Marketers Can Leverage Web 2.0

The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article:
December 2007, Volume 6, Issue 12