Does Your Patient Education Messaging Create a Need for Your Product Part of our responsibility as medical marketers is to educate patients in a responsible and accurate manner, but our message also needs to serve your bottom line. This brings up an omnipresent issue when creating collateral and messaging: Can I create a higher activation rate in my patient engagements while still responsibly educating the patient on the risks and benefits of treatment? The easy answer is yes! As a medical provider, you specialize in ensuring that your patient is receiving the most effective and highest quality treatment. It is that principle that is the basis for creating effective messaging for your marketing collateral. As doctors, you assess patient information to determine the prescribed treatment. In your marketing content, outline those things that you look for. Make the patient aware of the visual symptoms you look for, allowing them to assess themselves and raise awareness of their conditions.. When you allow this to happen, you will be effectively creating a need for your treatment. Cataract Surgery and Lens Upgrades Example Here are two different message examples for the exact same service: Message One We have the best cataract surgeon in the business! When you have cataract surgery with us, you can be assured you will leave with great vision. Don’t forget to ask about our premium lens options! Message Two Yellowing Vision Dull Colors Blurry Objects Trouble Seeing and Driving at Night If you are over 60 and experiencing any of these symptoms, we encourage you to come visit us for a cataract evaluation. We will help you determine what is causing your visual issues and plan a personalized treatment to restore your vision. We have options that can restore your vision to what it should be! Which Message Spoke to You? In the second message, we have helped our prospective patients identify the need for cataract surgery. While this is not the most uncommon practice in messaging, notice the subtle and non-self-serving closing at the end. We are inviting them into your office so that we can provide a service to them: ultimately better vision. Notice, that the message didn’t identify the issues the patient is experiencing and then go into how great we are as a practice. An essential part of creating a need for your treatment is providing a solution for the patient. There will be plenty of time to let patients know your qualities as a doctor and practice during the pre-positioning messaging in the lead up to the appointment. Remember that the purpose of your marketing content is to drive the sales cycle in steps. The first step is to create a need for your treatment and encourage action. The best way to do that is to cater to their needs and focus on what you can provide to them. For more tips subscribe to our blog or follow us on social media!