In the ever-expanding realm of medical tourism, establishing a strong and trustworthy brand is essential for attracting international patients. However, many medical tourism businesses face unique challenges when it comes to branding; for some healthcare providers, little attention or investment is paid to brand awareness and building a reputable brand.
Much of health-seeking behavior mirrors how consumers choose most valuable possessions. They go for reputable brands or businesses that demonstrate quality, excellent customer service, and products that meet consumers’ needs.
In international healthcare, patients are looking out for almost similar elements, most of which are encapsulated in your organization’s brand. Failure to build a reputable brand in the industry, therefore, limits your visibility, reduces your patient volumes and acquisition, and lowers your stake in the industry.
Some of the problems with branding in the international healthcare business include:
Lack of Differentiation
One of the primary mistakes in medical tourism branding is the failure to differentiate oneself from competitors. Many medical tourism businesses may inadvertently adopt generic messaging, making it challenging for potential patients to understand what sets them apart.
A patient seeking solutions for a complex knee problem is more likely to seek for a healthcare provider that specializes in complex knee surgeries than an orthopedic specialty hospital that does all kinds of orthopedic surgeries but has not built exceptional competence or expertise in orthopedic knee operations.
This is what branding does for your business. It helps prospective clients easily identify you as their medical tourism destination. Branding helps you identify the demands of your target audience and build your offerings and services to meet those specific needs.
Solution: Clearly define your unique selling points (USPs) and emphasize them in your branding. Whether it's cutting-edge technology, renowned medical professionals, or specialized treatments, highlighting what makes your medical tourism service distinct can attract a targeted audience.
Inadequate Online Presence
In today's digital age, a weak online presence can severely impact a medical tourism startup's success. Failing to invest in a professional website, engaging social media platforms, and search engine optimization (SEO) can lead to reduced visibility and credibility.
Digital marketing tools are the major branding channels in today’s business world. Healthcare providers looking to advance their visibility in the global market must leverage digital channels, particularly social media, to boost client visits, referrals, and lead acquisition.
For a medical tourism organization focused on cosmetic surgeries, it may be imperative to leverage engaging digital platforms, such as blogs, YouTube, etc., to access the large pool of patients who need plastic and cosmetic procedures but don’t know the best place to get it done.
Solution: Develop a user-friendly and informative website that highlights your services, success stories, and essential information for potential patients. Invest in SEO strategies to improve search engine rankings and actively engage with your audience on social media to build trust and credibility.
Neglecting Reputation Management
Medical tourism heavily relies on positive reviews and testimonials. Ignoring online reputation management can lead to the amplification of negative feedback, dissuading potential patients from considering your services.
A critical factor in boosting your brand awareness is leveraging feedback and reviews. Most healthcare consumers actively seek out reviews and testimonials of patients who have visited your business to guide their decision-making. Even if you offer world-class services in your area of expertise, and testimonials about this are few and far between, you may not achieve your target patient acquisition.
Solution: Implement a robust reputation management strategy. Encourage satisfied patients to share their experiences through testimonials and reviews. Address negative feedback promptly and professionally, demonstrating a commitment to patient satisfaction and continuous improvement.
Inconsistent Branding Messages
Inconsistency in branding messages across various platforms can confuse potential patients and undermine the credibility of a medical tourism startup. This may occur when different channels convey conflicting information about the services offered, pricing, or the overall patient experience.
Stay consistent every time. If patients call your international patient department and receive contrasting information to the one on your website or social media pages, they lose trust and confidence in your business. With trust being one of the most important pull factors in medical travel, consistency and transparency in your brand messaging is one of the most critical elements to maintain to boost your brand reputation.
Solution: Develop a cohesive and consistent branding strategy across all channels. Ensure that messaging aligns with your core values and mission. This consistency builds trust and reinforces the brand's identity in the minds of potential patients.
Ignoring Cultural Sensitivity
Medical tourism often involves serving an international clientele with diverse cultural backgrounds. Neglecting cultural sensitivity in branding, marketing materials, or communication strategies can alienate potential patients.
Branding goes together with cultural sensitivity. To get across to your target audience and be well received by them, you need to know what appropriate communication and interaction in their cultural contexts is. Integrating these cultural nuances into your branding messages boosts receptivity and improves your visibility.
Solution: Tailor your branding efforts to respect and resonate with the cultural diversity of your target audience. Invest in market research to understand cultural nuances and adapt your messaging accordingly. This demonstrates a commitment to providing inclusive and patient-centric care.
Addressing branding issues is crucial for the success of medical tourism startups. By differentiating the brand, optimizing online presence, managing reputation, maintaining consistency, and embracing cultural sensitivity, startups can build a strong and trustworthy brand that resonates with international patients. Effectively navigating these challenges will contribute to sustained growth and success in medical tourism.
Build a Reputable Medical Tourism Brand with Medical Tourism Association
The Medical Tourism Association (MTA) is a global non-profit association established to promote growth and boost profitability in the medical tourism industry. The MTA has collaborated with governments, corporate bodies, and organizations to launch medical tourism frameworks for growth in many countries, with outstanding results recorded so far.
With innovative initiatives, such as the Medical Tourism Moonshot and the Global Partnership Network, which are aimed at boosting visibility and access to resources and networks to achieve phenomenal growth for stakeholders, MTA in collaboration with Global Healthcare Resources is revolutionizing the medical tourism landscape and setting medical tourism businesses up for success.
To learn more about MTA or to become a member, click here.
