how to grow demand for laboratory-developed tests (ldts) - a content marketing guide

How to Grow Demand for Laboratory-Developed Tests

A Content Marketing Guide

Dream

Copyright © 2017 Audette Marketing Group. All rights reserved.

Website

Reality


Physicians are difficult to reach.

Reality


Physicians are difficult to reach. It is rare for a

strictly commercial message to break through their firewalls, much less get serious attention.

New Reality


You better create a relationship with her, too.

New Reality


You better create a relationship with her, too.

She may know more about her testing options than her primary care physician does.

Visible

Unique


Physician Adoption Factors

Reliable

Visible


Your brand must be highly visible in the relevant market and identified as authoritative, ideally associated with thought leadership.


Reliable


Tests must be well-validated to get adoption and reimbursement, ideally including technical validation, prospective clinical validation, and data covering outcomes, decision impacts, and health economics.


Unique


Key differentiators must be communicated clearly and consistently. For tests with significant competition this is particularly important. For novel tests there must be data that compares with existing standards of care.


Website


SolutionIt is no longer sufficient to merely publish a website and expect physicians to find it and place an order.

Website

MD Blog

MD Infographic


SolutionYou need to connect with physicians using objective content that adds value to their practice.

Infographics or white papers can be effective for grabbing attention, and blogs for maintaining it.

Website

Pt. Whitepaper

Pt. Blog

MD Blog

MD Infographic


Solution

The same kinds of objective content are also effective with patients.

Website

Pt. Whitepaper

Pt. Blog

MD Blog

MD Infographic

Webinar

Webinar

Webinar


Solution

Webinars are very effective for developing relationships with physicians, and even patients.

Website

Pt. Whitepaper

Pt. Blog

MD Blog

MD Infographic

Webinar

Webinar

Webinar

Microsite


Solution

Micro-sites are often effective for centralizing data and for search engine optimization.

Company Website

ProductMicrosite

ProductMicrosite

MDBlog

PatientBlog

Webinar

Webinar

Webinar

PatientWhitepaperMD

Whitepaper


The Marketing Molecule

CURIOSITY ORDERS


One Function

Company Website

ProductMicrosite

ProductMicrosite

MDBlog

PatientBlog

Webinar

Webinar

Webinar

PatientWhitepaperMD

Whitepaper

Company Website

ProductMicrosite

ProductMicrosite

MDBlog

PatientBlog

Webinar

Webinar

Webinar

PatientWhitepaperMD

Whitepaper

ORDERS

Elegant

Company Website

ProductMicrosite

ProductMicrosite

MDBlog

PatientBlog

Webinar

Webinar

Webinar

PatientWhitepaperMD

Whitepaper

ORDERS

Flexible

75%

95%


Receptive …

Paid

PPC, Display Ads

Email, Shows Direct

75%

95%


… and Generative

SEO

SharesEarned

Organic

Paid

PPC, Display Ads

Email, Shows Direct


Highly Connected

Company Website

ProductMicrosite

ProductMicrosite

MDBlog

PatientBlog

Webinar

Webinar

Webinar

PatientWhitepaperMD

Whitepaper

Systematic


MQLs

SQLsPaid

Direct

Earned

Organic

Awareness

Consideration

Order

• Research Reports• White Papers• Infographics• Technical Blogs

• Treatment Guidelines• Webinars• Videos

• Publications• Product Guides

Appropriate VoiceTypical Content

Content & Voice by Stage


ObjectiveZero promotion &

uniquely informative

ContextualMention offerings

alongside other alternatives Comparative

Head-to-head; focus on differentiators

Getting Started

Typical LDT Launch Checklist✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔

Customer profilesDetailed marketing planOptimized company websiteProduct micro-site(s)Blogs for doctors & patientsWhite papers for doctors & patientsWebinar seriesMarketing automationInitial contact listContent calendar


Week # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

Define Campaign Goals & Customer Profiles

Develop Content Marketing Plan & Calendar

Research & Draft Objective Content

Promote Objective Content

Create & Promote Microsite, Including Validation Data

Setup & Utilize Marketing Automation

Webinar 1: Field Overview

Webinar 2: KOL & Offers vs. Standard of Care

Webinar 3: KOL & Performance

Nurture Leads & KOL Relationships

Typical Six-Month LDT Launch Plan


Content Description

(1) Set of Customer Profile(s)

Primary research should be conducted to create a complete picture of customer intent, along with an understanding of the kinds of content with which customers (physician and patient) will engage, and how they will prefer to receive it.

(1) Content Marketing Plan Once customer intent is well-understood, a detailed Content Marketing Plan (CMP) must be drafted. Studies show that content marketing campaigns with well-iterated strategies and tactics are far more successful than those without. Clear, measurable goals must be central to the plan.

(1) Initial Mailing List Initial hand-curated lists of prospects for each customer group should be developed (200-300). These cohorts will be used to validate content engagement, and to kick-start communication efforts.

Typical Launch Plan Deliverables: 1/3


Content Description

(1) Primary Objective Content Piece

The cornerstones of the campaign are typically infographics, research reports, or white paper that are based on proprietary primary research. Physicians are a discriminating audience, so the content must be compelling and unique. Content should be created for patients as well.

(4) Blog Article per Month A typical campaign includes physician and patient blogs, or other kinds of support resources for patient groups, covering the relevant disease/treatment areas. A minimum cadence for new posts is 1 per week, and successful blogs will often utilize a mix of content types and sources.

(1) Microsite It is almost always important to have a microsite where all of the key information about a test lives. Not only does this make it easier for a physician to research the test, it also improves opportunities for search engine optimization.



Content Description

(1) Installation of a Marketing Automation Platform

Another tool that is usually essential for effective content marketing is a marketing automation platform such as HubSpot, Act-On, or Marketo. These platforms act as central repositories for all contacts, central distribution points for emailing and social media, and provide dashboards that track effectiveness of all efforts.

(3) Planned & Promoted Webinars

Webinars should be a consistent part of an LDT developer’s marketing program, and at least three should be used for launch campaign. Often these webinars start with purely objective content, and become progressively more focused on promoting the attributes of specific tests. MD or PhD presenters are usually best for physician webinars, and although more time-consuming, recruiting KOLs or partner companies/organizations is usually highly desired.



Example 1. National Launch Campaign for a new LDT for diagnosing a rare inborn error of metabolism that replaced an existing diagnostic gold standard

Strategy: 12-Month Launch Campaign to develop relationships with KOLs and other physicians by direct engagement, by developing patient-facing and physician-facing information resources, and by promoting with social media, paid media, and webinars. Leads were nurtured with consistent delivery of blog and webinar content.

Marketing Investment: $75k over 12 months

ROI: Over 200 new relationships with physicians directly attributable to the campaign, and test growth exceeded goal in the first two quarters following the campaign. Marketing investment earned back within 18 months of campaign initiation.

ROI Examples


Example 2. Regional Re-Launch Campaign for a portfolio of LDTs for measuring CYP450s

Strategy: 6-Month Re-Launch Campaign to build awareness among physicians regionally, with a focus on psychiatrists. Micro-site developed for this therapeutic area, and webinar series developed promoting the need for testing. Infographics developed for target audience.

Marketing Investment: $30k over 6 months

ROI: Hundreds of new relationships with physicians resulted from the campaign, the majority from within the target group. Test order volume exceeded goals in the 12 months following the campaign, and a follow-up campaign is planned for building patient awareness.

ROI Examples



Launch Timing

“You may delay, but time will not…”

- Benjamin Franklin


http://[email protected]

http://www.audettegroup.com/

http://www.audettegroup.com/

how to grow demand for laboratory-developed tests (ldts) - a content marketing guide

Health & Medicine