Let’s face it: the healthcare industry isn’t always the first to hop on new trends in consumer marketing. But that’s no excuse – consumers are becoming savvier and more tech-focused, and healthcare marketers need to make sure they are staying on top of their game when it comes to content and consumer engagement.

In a MarketingProfs blog post published earlier this year, Winger Marketing President Karolyn Raphael details a few important concepts healthcare marketers need to understand in a digital world.

“Your content marketing must not only demonstrate relevance to the end user but also deliver it in digestible morsels,” Raphael writes.

We couldn’t agree more. Here are some of the key takeaways from Raphael:

  • Create helpful, compelling content.  Commercials, pamphlets and display ads are not going to help you when a potential patient searches the web for your practice or clinic. Become a trusted healthcare brand by creating interesting and helpful content that your audience will want to read and share. But, as Raphael reminds us, make sure to point out that your online content is not medical advice.

Read more: How to tackle content development in 5 stages

  • Stay engaged with your audience.  Don’t just spam your followers with an RSS feed of your blog posts or upcoming events. Reply to comments, join Twitter chats, and connect with other professionals or trusted healthcare brands. Encourage your clinicians to do the same. Raphael also recommends taking advantage of planning tools like Buffer or Hootsuite to schedule planned or evergreen content. Doing this will allow you to spend more time responding to comments and connecting with followers.

Read more: Avoid these social media mistakes

  • Keep content short and visually interesting.  These days, consumers are looking for quick answers. They don’t want to read a 1,500-word post explaining breast cancer screening guidelines. When it comes to content, think short and simple. Use lists or bullet points, and language that is easy to understand. You may also want to go the visual route: create a short infographic or a video. Not only is visual content more likely to draw someone in, it’s also more likely to be shared by your followers.
  • Think mobile-first. We’ve talked before about the importance of mobile content, but it bears repeating. More people are accessing the internet with their mobile devices and, as of March 2017,mobile accounted for roughly 70% of digital media time (Source: MarketingLand). Mobile-friendly websites also make it easier for consumers to find information; they rank higher in Google searches from mobile devices.

Read Raphael’s post for more details on how medical marketers can make it in a digital world.