Online marketing in pharma; where to start?

The behavior of your potential client is changing. The Corona pandemic has forced everyone to work remotely, and the new generation of purchasers are born with the internet. Reaching these millennials asks for a different approach. Today, companies can’t ignore their online strategy anymore in order to survive. 

The first question we always ask when a company approaches us to help them digitize their business is: Why do you want to digitize? What we are actually asking here is how far do you want to go to digitize your business? Some companies want to increase their service, some want to work more efficiently, and others see their competitor online and simply want the same appearance. If the last one is their only motivation, they are probably going to lose the battle.

What is digital?

The digital game-changers like Airbnb, Uber, and Youtube have all something in common. They changed the market with a service which was faster, easier and more fun than the traditional way. And that’s in my opinion what digital is all about; Finding out what people really want and building your service around it. Although pharmaceutical raw materials might sound boring, it’s even more valuable to provide your customer with a great experience. Don’t forget; your customer is used to digital tools like WhatsApp, Spotify, and Netflix in their daily life as a consumer. If you manage to provide the same experience in their business life, they will love you. All you have to do is to put your customer on number 1.

Customer is king

It sounds easy, but how do you put your client on number 1? It depends on the type of customer, but in our case, at Pharmaoffer, we try to build everything as user-friendly as possible. This means that we try to learn from our customer experience, and we analyze it. It’s not easy to create a customer experience that fits all your customers and their needs. But the key is here that we never think that our client is stupid. If they go in the wrong direction on our platform, we believe it’s our problem, so we have to improve the information or call to action on our website. So, no matter if you don’t know how to spell the product, speak the language, or used to use websites at all, ITS OUR PROBLEM.

Your Google ranking

If you had to search online the API that you are selling. Let’s say for example, Paracetamol, which 3 keywords would you use in Google while searching for a new supplier? Maybe “Paracetamol, manufacturer, bulk” or “Acetominophen, GMP, API.” Ask as much as possible colleagues to do the same.
Now check if you can find your company on Google with the keywords from your list?

Welcome, please come in

Have you ever visited your website from a customer point of view? Just give it a try to find out what your customer experience is. Do you feel welcome as a customer on your website? Is your company easily approachable? Is it easy to contact the team, or do you only have a contact form on the website?
Most websites from API companies are outdated and have the look and feel of a 90s website.

Less is more

It’s not only about the look and feel, but also the content is essential. People don’t read the entire text on your website; they scan. Potential customers are looking for information about your company to get to know you. Not the usual stuff like “We are the leading company in…” or “we increase the quality of global healthcare…” You might be right, but people read these kinds of sentences basically on all pharma websites. Make sure you’re unique!

Just start!

The best way to start digitizing your company is, just start! There are easy ways to begin. Think of register your company on Google and experiment with advertising. Advertising is expensive, but It’s a great tool to find out which keywords are relevant to your business.
Create content on your website and share it regularly on, for example, LinkedIn. You can think of sharing news or write a blog. Make sure you use the keywords from your list in your content.

Investigate the possibilities of reaching new customers on online platforms such as Pharmaoffer. When your company takes quality seriously, it can be a great way to start.
Just shoot us a message, and we are happy to discuss the possibilities with you.
It’s an ongoing process. The most important aspect is to be open to changing the way you have traditionally approached it.