Geofence Marketing For Clinical Research Studies

Introduction

Geofence marketing is a unique form of programmatic advertising that targets specific locations on a building-by-building basis. The power of geofencing lies in its ability to virtually map out a specified area and deliver targeted messages to individuals that cross into that virtual boundary. In the context of clinical research studies, geofence marketing can be used to send tailored advertisements, push notifications, and text messages to potential participants or healthcare providers when they enter, exit, or pass through a designated boundary. This approach has revolutionized the way patient recruitment is done for clinical research studies.

It’s not only about sending messages, but the right messages to the right people at the right time and place. This targeted approach can significantly improve the efficiency of patient recruitment for clinical research studies. For instance, a clinical research study on diabetes treatments could use geofence marketing to target diabetic patients who frequently visit endocrinology clinics or hospitals. By doing so, the research study can reach out to the people who stand to benefit most from the study, improving patient recruitment rates and the overall quality of the research.

Understanding Geofence Marketing in Healthcare

In healthcare marketing, geofencing works by setting up virtual boundaries, known as geofences, around specific locations. These geofences can be customized to be any size or shape. This versatile tool enables healthcare marketers to target local consumers or providers in their area or even competitors’ customers. For example, a hospital could set up a geofence around a competing medical center to target potential patients with advertisements as they leave the competitor’s facilities.

Geofencing in healthcare can be implemented without the need for a mobile app, although having an app can help deliver marketing messages to a more specific audience. This flexibility makes geofencing a highly customizable tool for healthcare marketing. Furthermore, geofencing isn’t limited to just direct advertising. Creative use cases of geofencing in healthcare advertising include lead generation, comparative advertising, and event marketing, providing innovative ways to engage with the target audience. For instance, a health clinic could set up a geofence around a local health fair to send event attendees special offers or information about their services.

Ethical Considerations in Geofence Marketing

While geofence marketing holds great potential, it also raises some ethical considerations related to privacy, especially when dealing with sensitive health topics. When an individual’s location data is used to target them with specific health-related advertisements, questions about consent and data privacy arise. It is crucial to ensure that data collection and messaging practices adhere to legal boundaries and respect individuals’ privacy. For instance, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the U.S. requires explicit patient consent before their personal health information can be used for marketing purposes.

In addition to legal compliance, healthcare marketers using geofencing must also consider the potential psychological impact on the targeted individuals. For example, receiving a targeted advertisement for a smoking cessation program upon exiting a tobacco shop could lead to feelings of shame or guilt. Therefore, the messaging must be carefully crafted to be supportive and non-judgmental.

Benefits of Geofence Marketing in Healthcare

One of the significant benefits of geofence marketing is its ability to attract more individuals to healthcare businesses by delivering targeted advertisements and notifications when they enter a specific geofenced area. For example, a pharmacy could set up a geofence around its location to send a discount coupon to individuals who enter the area. This not only encourages foot traffic but also fosters a sense of personalization and customer loyalty.

Geofence marketing also allows for personalized messaging and engagement with potential participants or healthcare consumers, leading to better interactions and increased interest. For instance, a health clinic could send a welcome message to a patient who has just entered their premises, providing them with useful information about their services or offerings. This personalized interaction can enhance the patient’s experience, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty.

Moreover, geofence marketing provides valuable insights into consumer behavior by capturing data on movement patterns, response to campaigns, and interactions with specific locations. This data can be used to optimize future marketing strategies and improve customer engagement.

Moreover, geofence marketing campaigns can be more cost-effective compared to traditional advertising methods, as they allow businesses to reach a specific audience and make the most out of their advertising budget. By targeting the messages to a specific location and audience, healthcare businesses can ensure that their marketing budget is being utilized efficiently, yielding a higher return on investment.

Cost Analysis of Geofence Marketing

In terms of cost, geofence marketing campaigns can have a cost range from $3.50 to $15 CPM (Cost Per Thousand Impressions), while the average cost per click on Google Ads is $3.78 to $4.00. Although the upfront costs of geofencing might be higher, the precision targeting and personalization it offers can lead to higher engagement rates and ultimately a better return on investment.

Moreover, geofence marketing fits into a larger integrated marketing strategy by enabling businesses to target and attract high-quality leads, prospects, and potential participants for clinical research studies. For instance, a clinical trial looking for participants with a specific health condition could use geofencing to target individuals visiting specialist clinics or hospitals, ensuring that their marketing efforts reach a highly relevant audience.

Geofence Marketing Strategy and Implementation

Implementing geofence marketing in clinical research studies requires careful planning, including defining the target audience, setting up relevant geofences, and creating compelling marketing messages. It’s not simply about setting up a virtual boundary and sending out messages; it’s about understanding who the potential participants are, what their needs and behaviors are, and how to engage them effectively.

Best practices for implementing geofence marketing include optimizing ad placement, using engaging content, and monitoring and analyzing campaign performance to make data-driven decisions. It’s also important to test and iterate the geofence marketing strategy regularly, taking into account the changing behaviors and preferences of the target audience.

Mobile Geofencing for Orthopedic Surgeries

A case study on using mobile geofencing to target athletes in need of orthopedic surgery or physical therapy demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach. The mobile geofencing campaign resulted in over 30k impressions and a .27% click-through-rate, effectively reaching the target audience. The targeted approach not only reached the intended audience but also created an awareness of the brand among a broader audience.

The case study also highlights the significance of brand awareness in healthcare marketing, as even individuals who do not need the services may refer others if the brand stays top of mind. This ripple effect can potentially lead to a broader reach and higher engagement rates.

Geofence Marketing for Event Targeting

Geofence marketing can be employed to target specific events, allowing healthcare businesses to reach attendees with relevant advertisements and messages. For instance, a health clinic could set up a geofence around a local health fair or marathon, targeting the attendees with relevant health services or products.

This offers opportunities for lead generation and event promotion, providing a direct way to engage with potential participants or healthcare consumers. By targeting people when they are most likely to be thinking about their health, geofence marketing can lead to higher engagement rates and better marketing outcomes.

Geofencing Surveys in Market Research

In market research, geofencing surveys use technology and geography to observe how potential customers interact with certain areas of interest, providing more precise and actionable data compared to traditional surveys. For example, a health clinic could use geofencing to track how many people visit their clinic, how long they stay, and what times of day they are most likely to visit. This data could then be used to optimize services and improve the patient experience.

Geofencing surveys offer accurate measurements of customer activities, cost savings, faster results, and a richer experience by incorporating multimedia features. For instance, a geofencing survey could include video or audio components, providing a more engaging and comprehensive survey experience.

Geofencing in Clinical Trials

Geofencing technology can also play a crucial role in clinical trials.It can automate clinical trial reporting based on location data, capturing the time, date, and nature of all medical interactions in real time. For instance, geofencing could be used to automatically track when a participant visits a clinic for a check-up or receives a treatment, reducing the reliance on self-reporting and improving the accuracy of the data.

Moreover, this kind of automation can enhance data collection for clinical trials, potentially reducing adverse event data loss and making trials more cost-effective. By automating certain aspects of data collection, geofencing can help streamline the clinical trial process, reducing costs and improving accuracy.

The Future of Geofence Marketing

The future of geofence marketing looks promising. As technology continues to evolve, geofence marketing is expected to gain more insights about customer behavior, enabling more precise targeting, personalization, and the development of more effective marketing strategies. For instance, advancements in artificial intelligence could potentially enable predictive geofencing, where messages are sent based on predicted behavior rather than just location.

With its ability to provide a targeted, personalized, and cost-effective approach, geofence marketing is poised to transform the landscape of patient recruitment and advertising in clinical research studies. As healthcare marketers become more familiar with this tool, it’s likely that we’ll see more creative and innovative uses of geofencing in the future.