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How to Market to Doctors: Physician Marketing Strategies

Summary

  • Doctors prefer plain language in marketing content. (80% of them, to be exact.)
  • Reach physicians where they are through email, LinkedIn, podcasts, and other channels.
  • Reduce friction and deliver upfront value to encourage engagement and conversion.

Struggling to engage a physician audience?

Those of us who market to doctors understand how hard it can be to reach them. Physicians are inundated with information, from journal articles to patient charts and emails (so many emails).

If your marketing adds to the noise, they’ll tune it out. But if it delivers value and gets to the point, you’ve got a shot at their attention.

What works when marketing to doctors? Here’s what you need to know.

Doctors, like consumers, want clear communication

Writers sometimes think marketing to physicians gives them a pass to pile on medical jargon and write like the scientific journals do. (Hello, passive voice and run-on sentences.) But that’s not the case.

When you look past the white coat, physicians are just people. People with busy lives, who read your content during quick breaks and in between meetings.

That’s why our first not-so-secret physician marketing strategy is using plain language. It works for consumers, it works for doctors, and we have the data to prove it.

The results are in: Doctors prefer plain language

After 2 decades of marketing to and for physicians, we had a hunch that they prefer clear communication. We tested our theory and found that it’s true — 80% of B2B healthcare decision-makers prefer content written in plain language.

But that’s just the start. Read our report to learn more (it’s ungated).

Plain language for marketing to doctors

Plain language is clear, concise, and easy to read. It’s content that most people can understand the first time they read it, without mental strain.

How to do it:

  • Use short sentences and paragraphs
  • Format lists into bullet points (yes, like this)
  • Avoid jargon*
  • Share the bottom line up front (for example, reread the beginning of this section)

*We know what you’re thinking: But they’re physicians — they’re used to medical terminology. Yes, but it’s not what they prefer when reading marketing content. You want your content to be a light lift, not a chore.

It’s OK to use some medical terms. The key is knowing your audience well enough to use their vocab the way they do. When in doubt, cut it out.

3 myths stunting your physician marketing strategy

Healthcare marketers sometimes question the value of plain language in physician marketing. Trust us, we’ve heard all the myths about marketing to doctors. Let’s tackle some.

Myth 1: “Doctors only respond to complex, technical language.”

False. Physicians want accurate and insightful content — but they prefer it in plain English.

Research by a U.S. literacy professor and a U.K. linguistics consultancy found that even subject matter experts prefer clear language. In fact, “the more educated the person, the greater their preference for plain English.”

Myth 2: “Plain language ‘dumbs down’ your content.”

No one wants to insult their audience’s intelligence. Especially when you’re marketing to an audience of physicians.

Using plain language doesn’t “dumb down.” It clears up. It’s not about policing the grade level of your writing — it’s about simplifying a complex B2B healthcare buying cycle with easy-to-understand, actionable content.

Myth 3: “Plain language makes us sound less credible.”

Nope. If anything, plain language boosts credibility. It shows you understand your subject well enough to explain it clearly. And it shows readers they can trust your authority.

Have you ever sat through a meeting with Mr. Superior Thinking, the guy who speaks in riddles and wants everyone to know his intellect? You wouldn’t want to collaborate with that guy — and neither does your audience. Don’t be like him. Be clear and accessible. 

How to target and market to physicians effectively

What else do physicians want from your marketing content? Glad you asked.

Plain language is your foundation, but you still need to deliver that message in the right place, at the right time, and in the right format. Here’s how.

1. Create long-form content (then break it down)

Doctors appreciate rich data and findings. But they aren’t likely to read your 15-page PDF in one sitting.

Create in-depth white papers, research reports, ebooks, webinars, and other pillar pieces of content.

2. Distribute the information

They say it takes hearing something 7 times to remember it. True or not, people need repeated exposure to lock information into their memories.

Distribute your content more than you think you need to, and then one more time. Repurpose and distribute pillar pieces with:

  • Useful summaries: Think of them like abstracts in a medical journal, highlighting the key information for readers.
  • Physician-facing blogs: Publish articles that share and expand on specific topics in the pillar piece.
  • Bite-sized social media posts: Physicians are on LinkedIn. Engage them there with quick, useful insights
  • Short video snippets: The use cases are endless.

Content repurposing graphic showing how to repurpose pillar pieces into new content formats

3. Use a multichannel approach

Doctors aren’t actively looking for physician referral marketing content or information about B2B healthcare products in between bites of lunch.

You need to market directly to doctors with content that finds them. Make the best of your channels to show up where your audience is:

  • Email: Forever and always a favorite
  • Website: Your digital home (all roads lead here)
  • LinkedIn: Where professional networking and relationship-building happens
  • Podcasts: For your audience’s commutes, downtime, or even during procedures
  • Webinars: Offer Continuing Medical Education credits

4. Remove friction

Everyone has a limited attention span. Especially doctors. Things move quickly, and they have small windows of downtime. Make it as easy as possible for them to take the next step in the B2B customer journey.

Physicians are typically coming to your website to:

  • Refer a patient
  • Access research
  • Stay in touch if you are in a related field
  • Learn more about your products or company
  • Vet your brand before making a purchasing decision

Make it easy for them to do so. Don’t ask them to “select a region.” Don’t require them to fill in unnecessary fields. (“What is your medical staff membership status?”) And if you want them to subscribe to your newsletter, make that button prominent and enticing.

5. Choose timing and format wisely

Think about the “when” and “how” before you send that email or share that post. Don’t share your best stuff midday when they’re scrubbed in. Send emails and share posts in the early mornings, evenings, or weekends (when they might have more time to engage).

Also, optimize for mobile — that’s often where they’re reading. Keep things scannable with clear headlines, bullets, and short paragraphs.

6. Tell stories that stick

Data is useful, but stories get remembered. Use real patient stories, physician testimonials, and case studies to show impact.

Stories are all over the place in medicine, from patient narratives to case histories. They help with:

  • Illustrating ideas
  • Remembering details
  • Differential diagnosis (“What are the reasons a patient might present like this?”)
  • Affirmation (“This story fits with what I thought.”)

Working on your patient story game?

Storytelling never goes out of style, whether you’re writing to patients or marketing to doctors. Learn how to write and use patient stories to make the biggest impact.

7. Ask physicians for their feedback

Want to know the best way to market to physicians? Ask them. It’s that simple (and complicated).

Find ways to open feedback loops with physician referral partners or B2B decision-makers. Ask them about their preferred channels and content types. And ask for feedback on specific pieces of content: Did they find them useful? Would they share them with a team member?

Want to market directly to doctors? Speak their language.

Marketing to physicians doesn’t take a medical degree, but it does require strategy. And at the heart of that strategy is clarity. So ditch the jargon, tighten your message, and focus on value.

First, win their ears. Then, their hearts.

Call in the doctor whisperers

We know how to communicate with physicians because we do it every day. We’ll help you get more out of your physician marketing strategy.

Physician marketing services

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