What Is a Healthcare Marketer and How to Become One

A healthcare marketer may work for a healthcare facility, such as a hospital or physician’s office, or for a government agency. As a healthcare marketer at a medical practice, your primary duties are to promote the organization’s success to gain patients and maintain patient loyalty. If you work for a government body, your responsibilities are to promote modern medicine to the public. You may market medication like vaccines or address widespread health concerns that affect a particular area or the country as a whole, depending on your reach. Both types of positions may utilize a variety of online and offline marketing campaigns to meet these goals.

To become a healthcare marketer, you typically need a bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or a related field and relevant experience. The knowledge you gain in school can help you plan campaigns that target the demographics you are marketing to, and may also give you opportunities for internships or professional development that can lead to job offers after graduation. After obtaining a degree, it may be a good idea to gain experience in the healthcare industry. Although healthcare marketers do come from other sectors, many medical practices may prefer to hire marketers with qualifications from healthcare-related positions.

Although the US Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't have a section dedicated specifically to healthcare marketing, general marketing positions are on the rise, and healthcare administration positions are also gaining ground. This increase in demand seems to imply that healthcare marketing jobs should follow suit over the next few years. A variety of medical organizations, from small practices to large government bodies, need marketing professionals to help them recruit patients and promote general public wellness. Healthcare marketers help to build patient loyalty in a time when many patients have a vast array of options for their medical needs. Because of these critical duties, healthcare marketing jobs may likely be in demand for years to come.

To be a successful healthcare marketer, you need excellent marketing knowledge, project management abilities, and organizational skills. You also need expertise with data analysis to examine campaign strategy and return on investment, along with social media prowess to reach a significant portion of your target demographic in innovative ways.