It’s easy to get carried away when talking about a subject you’re passionate and knowledgeable about. If you think it will be easy to convey the general idea of a subject in simple terms without all the statistics and facts or into the level of detail that you find fascinating, then you might be surprised just how hard it can be.
Some patients might be interested in the minutiae of your medical knowledge, but they’re far more interested in finding a medic that cares and that they can trust.
And remember, just because you’ve learned how to speak to patients in person, doesn’t mean that skill will necessarily translate in your writing.
Tips for patient-facing medical copywriting:
Remember your audience
Your patients probably don’t have a medical degree, so as much as you can, avoid using medical jargon without additional explanation.
Some things will require the proper name such as conditions and procedures, but remember to provide further clarification about them so there’s no confusion. Always state the full name of something and include abbreviations so you can use the shortened form later on in your medical copywriting.
Language is important, so take care when choosing the words you write. Remember the connotation certain words have and use reassuring language where possible. Show you care!
Balance informative and promotional content
Striking the right balance with your patient marketing can be hard. You want to make sure you provide enough content to help your patients make informed decisions and not employ a heavy handed sales approach.
The majority of your blogs, articles, newsletters, website copy or patient leaflets, should consist of factual content with a few subtle calls to action (CTAs) to direct them to make contact.
Top tip: To demonstrate your expertise and the success of your approach, use patient testimonials. Hearing about current or former patients’ experiences can be more valuable to a new patient than anything else you have to offer.
Imagine yourself in your reader’s shoes. If they’ve found your content through a search for answers about their symptoms or if a patient is reading a Patient Guide in preparation for a diagnostic test, they might be in a fragile state.
Your patient-facing medical copywriting should:
- quell their fears,
- inform them about their condition,
- also let them know they’re not alone.
Your practice could potentially be just what a new patient is looking for.
Get help for your medical copywriting needs
Patient marketing and medical copywriting in particular can be difficult. To prevent the possibility of alienating potential and current patients, consider working with a specialist marketing firm like Marketing Square.
With our years of experience in medical communications, we can offer you professional copywriting services that can communicate your extensive knowledge of a topic in a way patients can understand.
If you’re interested in creating a content plan, we offer medical blog packages — two or four articles per month — to suit your marketing budget and needs. Give us a call to see how we can help you refine your written communications.
