Successful digital marketing in the pharmaceutical sector requires a strong knowledge in content marketing. There are several ways to do it, and there are many potential customers out there using search engines like Google to find answers to their health questions. At the same time there are many limitations, since the pharmaceutical marketing rules can be strict in some countries.

Digital marketing consult specializing in pharma

Do you need help to build a digital presence? I am a digital marketing consultant with broad knowledge in the pharma sector. I have completed the Swedish course IMA to become a certified information and marketing leader in pharma. Having done the course, I know the rules and ethics that apply to digital marketing in pharmaceuticals.

Content marketing in pharmaceuticals

The pharma companies that have been the most successful with their digital marketing are those with a deep knowledge in content marketing. These companies have identified the type of content that engages their customers and makes them return, time and time again.

The products are often well-connected in the content as a solution to the problems that got them to the web page in the first place. Content marketing allows a natural connection where the product is the solution, and the biggest advantage is that potential customers often don’t feel like they’re being marketed to.

Copywriting and SEO in the pharmaceutical sector

You need to combine several ways to think when writing about pharmaceuticals and diseases. Skills in search engine optimization (SEO) are central to bring visitors to the web pages from search engines. The copywriting needs to be both strong in terms of SEO and readability.

Beyond that, the rules for pharma marketing are strict in many countries. You need to know to market yourself as much as possible, while still being firmly on the right side of the law and ethical borders.

All this means that digital marketing in pharmaceuticals is a delicate business. You need to find the right balance. This balance is often something you need practical pharma experience to know.

Types of pharma webpages

There are several common blue prints for pharmaceutical homepages. Below you can read about some of them.

Product webpages

The most common type of pharmaceutical website is the product page. A product page is mainly centered around the product. Savvy product pages also have content marketing material related to the product. An example is to describe symtoms and treatment of the disease that the product aims to cure. It’s usually not hard to find a few good articles to write about a product, and get the best chance to rank high on Google and get organic traffic.

Therapy area webpages

There is a type of page commonly referred to as a ”therapy area page” in pharma. A therapy area page focuses on a disease or a series of linked diseases. Therapy area webpages have several advantages. They feel less like marketing than a product pages, since they are rarely branded. Therapy pages also tend to open up more opportunities to create rich content that leads to more traffic from search engines.

The challenges of a therapy area website are usually:

• Do we have the right pharmaceutical products to present them and get a business advantage from this type of big page?
• How should you scale the page? The trend is that Google ranks limited pages rather than broad ones

Webpages aimed towards health professionals

All pharma customers are not in the pharmacy. At least not the ones who can make a business difference. Depending on the laws and structure of the pharma business in your country, it can be worth aiming to catch the attention of health professionals. It can be more challenging, since they often will have high demands on the content catered to them. However, if you succeed, it can open up amazing business opportunities.

Company websites

There are also pharmaceutical companies that try out digital marketing and content marketing on their company websites. This is not a solution I would recommend, unless the company is very focused on one particular business area.

Pharma SEO

SEO in the pharmaceutical sector is both fun and challenging to work with. The competition is massive. Pharma companies, pharmacies, healthcare and online doctors are all looking to get in on the action. At the same time, using Google for info on diseases, symptoms and pharma products is extremely common. It’s definitely among the best SEO niches.

Social media and pharmaceuticals

When you’re in pharma, it’s usually very hard to work with social media in a lucrative or creative way. Pharmaceutical regulations often stipulate that you need to take care of comments and responses quickly, and report them to the authorities. This opens up a flow that can be very hard to control.

Disease awareness rather than product messages is probably the way to go in pharma social media marketing. Just prepared for the unexpected, as an open comment field can result in everything from reports of side affects to comparisons with competing products.

Do you need help with digital marketing in pharmaceuticals?

If you’re looking for someone to help you with pharma digital marketing, you’re in the right place. I have worked for years with digital pharma marketing in Sweden, and recently I decided to become a freelance consultant. I’d love to help you take on your digital marketing challenges. Some things in my skill set are:

• Copywriting
• SEO
• Newsletters
• Digital strategy
• Conversion optimization

Please add me on LinkedIn if you’re interested in my digital marketing services.

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