During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, virtual events helped keep the healthcare industry and pharma companies connected and engaged with physicians. Despite the success—and necessity—of virtual events, in-person conferences are slowly returning.
And for good reason.
Most healthcare professionals (HCPs) are looking forward to attending in-person events again. In a recent Sermo poll, 94% plan to attend an in-person event this year (the remaining 6% will attend a virtual event).1
With so many HCPs planning to travel for upcoming events, and many for the first time in a couple of years, now is the time to brainstorm your event marketing strategy—how best to message your audience and make a splash. However, times have changed; adopting the same strategies you used before 2020 may not make the same impact. But how should you pivot?
The right message for the right audience
Healthcare is expansive; it consists of billions of patients, hundreds of subspecialties, and thousands of solutions competing for business. The Sermo platform alone actively engages with 1.3M+ global HCPs across 95+ subspecialties.
Identifying your target list is the first step in deciding what events to focus your time, resources, and budget. Once your list is made, you need to agree on tactics. Understanding how your audience reacts to event marketing helps.
Do they respond to humor? Metrics? Case studies? Peer reviews? Digging deeper, how should you participate in the in-person conference to gain the most ROI? Events are much more than a booth presence; they are a knowledge sharing and learning opportunity that can put your brand at the forefront of innovation and build a community that trusts your business.
Thought leadership content is an effective strategy to capture the attention of your audience and guide their discussions with your business. Sponsoring a roundtable, participating in a keynote presentation, or releasing key insights are great examples of thought leadership and event marketing that put your brand front and center.
Most importantly, make a splash
Events are crowded. There is so much noise surrounding innovations, products, and services that competing for everyone’s attention becomes a struggle. Being sticky is just as important as messaging.
Imagine yourself back in a tradeshow or in-person conference (I know, it’s probably been a while). You are walking past all the tables and booths touting their technology and competing for your business. Which ones will you be stopping at to learn more? More often than not with event marketing, the new shiny object wins.
Your brand’s presence needs a showstopper to start the conversation. Free giveaways always help, but this is your opportunity to let your team’s creativity run wild because there is one phenomenon that always beats free: new!
Novel event marketing ideas, themes, and products are naturally enticing. However, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to look into the future of what your audience would be interested in before you attend your next event? Sermo gives you that advantage.
Stream insights using Sermo
Physicians, much like us, attend a variety of conferences. Like marketers, they also have a sense of what gets their attention and what does not. Sermo’s RealTime platform helps marketers quickly poll and engage with HCPs across specialties and geographies to understand what they are interested in learning at in-person (or virtual) events and how you can deliver a memorable experience for your healthcare audience.
Countless opportunities to engage your ideal physician audience
- KOL or panel discussion
- Demo a product or procedure
- Deliver CME content
- Present new scientific data
- Educate about a brand or therapeutic area
- Solve a patient case live
Beyond just helping with in-person events, many HCPs still wish to learn or engage virtually. Sermo’s Live Events allows you to deliver live or on-demand presentations to an engaged audience.
Use Live Events to connect with your target audience on a platform they already trust and look to for medical education. Sermo will take care of all pre- and post-event marketing—all you need to do is show up on event day.
Live Events Case Study
Objective: Demo Artificial Intelligence (AI) software for HCPs to connect with patients, expand access to care, and reduce wait times.
Target, Specialties & Markets: PCPs, Cardiologists, Neurologists, Orthopedic Surgeons, Urologists, and Nephrologists in the U.S.
Total Reach: 20,003
Methodology: 10-minute RealTime survey to test and control groups.
“This was an excellent presentation by knowledgeable healthcare providers and thank you for making it available in this easy-to-use format.”
- Sermo physician attendee
Results:
- 2.15x increase in unaided awareness after Live Event participation
- 1.85x more likely for participants to have a high degree of product interest
- 2.18x more likely for participants to tell their peers about the product in the next 6 months
In-person events are returning. Get in touch today to ensure you and your brand are ready to be the buzz everyone is talking about at your next conference. Get in touch at business@sermo.com to chat or request a demo.
1 Sermo Omnichannel RealTime Survey
Interested in more?
At Sermo, we turn physician experience, expertise and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1 million HCPs across 150 countries, we provide physicians with a social platform that fosters impactful peer-to-peer collaboration & discussions about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo offers on-demand access to physicians via a suite of proprietary technology to provide business intelligence that benefits pharmaceutical, healthcare partners and the medical community at large.
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To explore our exclusive business solutions, please visit us at sermo.com/business or email us business@sermo.com.
