In the 21st century, digital marketing is the most cost-effective way for independent pharmacists to market to their customers. During a McKesson ideaShare session, three marketing experts discussed the power of digital marketing and why it has become one of the most important tools independent pharmacies have to reach customers and increase revenue.
Presenters on stage included Martin Dennis RPh, Startup Specialist, Rx Ownership at McKesson, Elizabeth Nelligan, VP of Media Strategy at Ancira, and Kamri Campbell, Media Lead at Ancira. The three presenters discussed the value of digital marketing in helping independent pharmacists increase customer awareness and retain their customer base.1
A marketing funnel is an easy way for pharmacy owners to visualize their approach to successful marketing. | Image Credit: suththirat – stock.adobe.com
Aimed at increasing in-store traffic and giving owners a competitive edge in the market, the turnkey digital marketing program is being offered to members of Health Mart, a network of independent pharmacies owned by McKesson, through a new solution called Health Mart Marketing Edge. Members can apply for matching funds to offset the costs of running the campaign. Ansira is an agency partnered with Health Mart to assist pharmacists with local marketing efforts, digital marketing plans, branded merchandise and in-store marketing materials. Ansira's technology and programs are designed to help business owners drive demand and accelerate sales.
According to Dennis, McKesson ideaShare attendees were able to take part in hands-on activities to learn about the new Health Mart Marketing Edge platform.
Read more: Do's and Don'ts: Social Media Tips for Pharmacists
In a session titled “Unlocking the Power of Digital Marketing,” speakers focused on the marketing funnel and how dispensaries can execute it properly. The marketing funnel is a simple way for owners to visualize a successful approach to marketing. The funnel begins with customer awareness, leads to identifying shopper intent, and ultimately ends with the shared goal of maintaining customer loyalty.
Another way to depict the funnel is to look at marketing from the customer's perspective: as a process that starts with customer awareness and ends with customer loyalty, as a customer discovers your brand or product, considers using it, and is ultimately converted into and retained as a loyal customer.
“As a pharmacy owner, if you don’t have one of these strengths, you need to surround yourself with people who do,” Dennis said, referencing an insight he gained from a fellow pharmacy owner: “There are only 24 hours in a day.”
Health Mart Marketing Edge’s programs allow independent pharmacists to focus on their day-to-day operations while strengthening the increasingly important digital marketing side of their business.
When it comes to action, the first step is to let customers know your business exists. With digital marketing specifically, the best ways to increase awareness of your pharmacy are through search engines, social media, streaming, television, and websites. It is important to understand that digital marketing should be specifically focused on individuals who use digital platforms on a daily basis. Activities on these digital platforms include surfing the web, browsing social media, and consuming content via various streaming platforms.
Dennis explained that pharmacy growth and success is more easily achieved if owners can identify growth opportunities and direct their marketing budgets towards increasing revenue from these additional areas.
Campbell concluded the session by discussing the specific services Health Mart and Ansira can provide to independent pharmacists: From creating landing pages to tracking customer data with customized dashboards, Health Mart Marketing Edge gives owners everything they need to collect data and act dynamically when it comes to acquiring and retaining their customer base.
“At the end of the day, you're investing in yourself, you're investing in your business, so you should evaluate how it's impacting you,” Campbell concluded.1
To see more coverage from McKesson ideaShare 2024, click here..
