3 exciting insights we learned at HCIC 2024

Last week, the Definitive Healthcare team was in sunny Austin, Texas to attend the annual Healthcare Internet Conference (HCIC). Marketers and healthcare leaders gather at HCIC to network, share best practices, and reveal what's coming over the horizon in the digital health world.

It was a must-attend event, as we spent our three days watching inspiring keynotes and sitting in on educational discussions while connecting with customers new and old who stopped by our booth to say hi.

Couldn't make it to the conference this year? No worries, we have your back. Here are three exciting insights we learned at HCIC 2024.

AI is overhauling how marketing and sales teams operate

Let's get the most obvious (and most important) one out of the way first: Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how healthcare organizations do business. The traditional marketing and sales outreach tactics just aren't as effective as they used to be.

And based on the large number of sessions and workshops at HCIC on the topic, and the conversations we had (and overheard), it's clear that healthcare organizations are leaning hard into AI, machine learning (ML), and other innovative, generative technologies.

It's easy to see why: AI tools can unify vast amounts of data across facilities, providers, payors, and patients. Even more impressive, this technology can analyze trends and patterns within the data and uncover insights faster than we humans. And, in some cases, AI can even generate conclusions from data that humans would have otherwise missed.

As marketing and sales professionals, AI can help your organization be more competitive, credible, profitable, and impactful. An effective strategy that incorporates AI helps you build brand awareness, navigate regulatory hurdles, and communicate your value proposition to the right people.

There are multiple ways healthcare organizations are using AI to elevate their marketing and sales operations, including:

1. Better understanding the market: AI can quickly analyze trends in medical and prescription claims data, affiliations and referral patterns, geographic and demographic data, and more to give you a 360-degree view into the section of the healthcare landscape that matters to you.
2. Finding valuable KOLs: For medical affairs teams, artificial intelligence is helping locate relevant key opinion leaders and experts across the globe by analyzing speaking engagements, publications, social media activity, and much more.
3. Improving omnichannel strategies: Predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms are helping marketers better understand how, why, and when customers, influencers, and decision-makers engage with their brand-and then meet them on the channels they use most.
4. Displacing the competition: Marketers are using AI to analyze competitors in the markets they're targeting. From market share insights, pricing data, and sales wins and losses, AI helps you identify opportunities and threats, monitor trends, and adjust strategies accordingly.

The power of AI is sweeping across nearly every facet of the healthcare ecosystem, and its applications and use cases extend far beyond just marketing and sales. Read our trends blog on how AI will be a transformative force in healthcare for a deeper dive.

New HIPAA and FTC regulations are changing the patient privacy landscape

Okay, hear me out, I understand that reading new regulations doesn't seem all that exciting. Fortunately, Jenifer Warrell, Senior Director of Marketing at Quartz, and Jenny Bristow, CEO at Hedy & Hopp understood the assignment and held a masterclass that was equally engaging as it was informative.

To summarize, the 2024 updates to HIPAA and FTC rules bring some big changes for healthcare organizations and marketing teams, especially in the digital space.

HIPAA now calls for stronger protections for patient data, like better encryption, thorough risk assessments, and well-planned responses to potential breaches. Patients also have more control over their health information, with easier ways to access, update, or correct their records. Plus, there's added pressure on healthcare organizations to quickly report data breaches to patients and regulators to keep everything transparent.

On the FTC side, the Health Breach Notification Rule now applies to health apps and wellness trackers that often weren't covered under HIPAA before. These apps must notify users and the FTC if personal health data is breached or shared without permission. These updates send a clear message: Mishandling health data is no longer an option.

For marketers, this means double-checking compliance, especially for campaigns tied to digital tools like health apps. Ads and promotions need to follow stricter transparency rules, steering clear of shady practices like fake reviews or misleading claims. While this adds some extra effort (and likely costs), it's a necessary step to protect consumer trust and avoid hefty fines.

Head to the FTC for a complete breakdown of the new patient privacy regulations.

Marketers will need to get more creative to capture attention

In one of the standout keynotes of HCIC, best-selling author Larry Bailin held a high-energy session discussing how healthcare marketers are facing more pressure than ever before to capture and retain audience attention.

The message was loud and clear: Compared to goldfish, we humans aren't so different. According to new research, people start losing their concentration after about eight seconds-equal to the attention span of the average goldfish.

So, how do healthcare marketers cut through the noise and grab attention when eight seconds is all we have to make a meaningful connection?

I won't reveal all of Larry's secrets here (watch the keynote if you can), but if you're looking to launch successful, high-awareness healthcare marketing strategies that resonate with your audience fast, then here are some of my tips:

1. Understand your audience deeply. Build a strong foundation with precise market segmentation, detailed customer personas, and tailored messaging that addresses needs, preferences, and pain points.
2. Clarity is king. From ads and emails to webinars and blogs, ensure every takeaway is clearly communicated, memorable, and compelling.
3. Make an emotional connection. Leverage emotional storytelling techniques like real patient experiences or testimonials to position your brand as relatable and trustworthy.
4. Prioritize digital channels. Not every brand is fit for platforms like TikTok, but you're leaving valuable opportunities on the table if you fail to engage your audience over the channels they use most. Read our guide on omnichannel marketing to learn more.
5. Amplify your voice. Consider piggybacking on existing awareness by aligning campaigns with health awareness days or partnering with trusted KOLs and experts.
6. Optimize for speed and convenience. Ensure your website is accessible, engaging, loads fast, and designed with mobile devices in mind.
7. Use data-driven insights. By systematically gathering, analyzing, and grounding your strategies in data, you can create more precise and impactful marketing campaigns.

Learn more

We had a blast at HCIC 2024, and it's clear that healthcare marketers need the right data, tools, and expertise to achieve their goals and compete in 2025.

Our healthcare commercial intelligence can help optimize your market segmentation strategy, identify your ideal customers, and uncover new opportunities to drive revenue and accelerate growth. Sign up for a free trial of Definitive Healthcare today to see firsthand how our data, analytics, and visualization tools can power your organization's success.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.