Health plansHealthcare marketing strategy2 min read Are virtual events here to stay?

If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that we have to adapt. To remain productive, we’ve had to change how we interact with one another and how we reach our consumers who do not feel safe in a healthcare environment. We’ve accelerated trends like telemedicine that were already underway and may now become the new normal. Let’s face it, in a socially distanced world, virtual meetings and events have enabled us to remain connected and productive.

But even after the pandemic, online events remain a viable solution to effectively reach a large number of people and provide significant benefits that other event types simply cannot replicate.

Are you ready?

As we think about life on the other side of the pandemic, it is clear that virtual events will continue to be a valuable marketing tool. And if virtual events are here to stay, you should consider building a long-term strategy rather than using them as a short-term solution.

It’s likely that your healthcare classes, town halls, roundtables, community meetings and similar events can all benefit from a virtual solution. Here are 8 benefits of virtual events to help you integrate them into your ongoing marketing strategy:

1. Virtual events cost less to produce than in-person events.
2. Because they take less time to plan and promote, you can deliver events more regularly and at a quicker pace when they’re virtual.
3. They fit more easily into people’s lives, and the rise of remote work makes it easier for people to attend virtual events more often.
4. Virtual events are easier for people to attend from wherever they are located. Virtual classes can be particularly convenient for elderly patients to attend.
5. It is easier for someone to commit one or two hours of their time to collaborate with you on a virtual event than for them to devote days of their time to an in-person event.
6. A series of like-themed virtual events can help lead healthcare consumers through the buyer’s journey.
7. Virtual events give you a better understanding of who your audience truly is and can lead to deeper insights and better prospecting.
8. Virtual events can help you build a library of healthcare content that can become on-demand marketing resources.

Different but the same

Despite the differences between in-person and virtual events, the similarities are still there. Pivoting to a virtual event strategy does not require a total change in approach. You can still leverage prior experience and knowledge of your target audience to produce a virtual event that's just as valuable to your attendees as an in-person one. They may be different, but you'll still need to coordinate and deliver many of the same features as an in-person event. You'll still need to plan, launch, promote, manage and wrap up your event with the same level of intention and care you had with your in-person events.

We’re here to help

Coffey can help you develop a marketing strategy for your events and classes that includes healthcare content, website landing pages, digital sign-up and printed materials. Call 888.805.9101 or email us to learn more about our print and digital services.