Promoting a medical brand in Russia – Checklist for Clinics in 2022

Promoting medical brands and services in Russia has always been a challenging task due to various restrictions and strict regulations. Moreover, in 2022, the situation got more complicated as many marketing tools were blocked within the Russian Federation, including Instagram*, Facebook* (owned by Meta**), Google, and its contextual advertising opportunities. However, despite the ambiguous market situation, the competition among medical brands remains fierce. Many companies have successfully adapted to the new marketing reality within a short period. QB Agency specialists, leveraging their experience in the medical industry, have prepared a checklist of essential conditions to achieve better promotion results in this sector.

Website Preparation

When it comes to any online marketing activity, a crucial aspect is the setup of the company’s website and its components. The website should function as an effective tool to attract new audiences and increase the number of online customers.

The primary focus should be on the website’s competent structure and usability, ensuring clear and prompt provision of information to customers, regardless of their source of origin. This means that all website pages should be intelligible and well-defined, with conveniently located visual elements, target actions, and understandable buttons. Moreover, messaging should be integrated into a logical response chain for various client requests.

Another significant aspect of successful marketing work is content compliance with all legal requirements. This factor plays a vital role during further moderation of the campaign, where not only creatives and ad texts are scrutinized but also the landing page. The website code is automatically checked using a bot, and forbidden words will cause the ads to fail moderation.

The website’s fast loading speed on all devices is crucial for effective marketing. Loading time should be less than 5 seconds on all resources, including mobile devices, or else users may lose patience and leave the site. To achieve this, it is important to optimize page weight.

Pass-through application forms are essential for efficient campaign optimization. Users should be able to access the forms from any page of the website to increase the likelihood of a targeted action.

Contact information should be easily accessible from any page of the website. Users still prefer to call and ask questions, so visible phone numbers and other relevant contact information should be provided. Dynamic call tracking is a useful tool for tracking calls and optimizing campaigns.

Cards of specialists are a key element to attract new customers. Users often search for information about specialists to make informed purchase decisions or to choose a brand. Therefore, it is important to provide detailed information about each expert, including their professional experience, qualifications, and real client reviews.

It is crucial to keep the website up to date with current prices and promotions. Any changes in terms of cooperation with clients must be promptly reflected on the website. Outdated information can damage the reputation of the company and lead to customer loss.

In addition, including supplementary information that highlights the benefits of the company’s products and services is also important. This information can include details about treatment methods, equipment, and additional recommendations on various issues. By providing this information, clients can better understand the value of the services and products offered by the company.

Web analytics is a crucial tool that provides valuable insights into customer behavior on a website. It helps to identify targeted actions and indicates which adjustments need to be made to optimize the website. It is strongly recommended to install Yandex Metric as a mandatory tool, and Google Analytics as an optional one.

It is important to note that competent website optimization does not yield immediate results, but it can be effective in the long term. Starting with website optimization, companies can gradually incorporate paid advertising tools into their promotion strategy. Developing a content plan for the campaign and defining its main goals are essential components of a successful promotional campaign.

Recommendations for the Advertising Campaign

We have prepared a set of recommendations based on effective approaches and techniques for promoting medical clinics in Russia, while also adhering to advertising legislation.

The main objectives of the campaign are to promote the company as a whole without mentioning specific products or services, focus on a particular medical direction rather than specific procedures, prioritize the medical directions offered by the company, and highlight individual clinic specialists.

To maximize reach, the advertising semantics should be tailored to:

• the narrow specialization of doctors
• diseases for which patients may seek medical advice
• specific symptoms
• geographic location
• brand-specific search queries.

When working with contextual advertising on Yandex, there are some key strategies to consider. These include creating adaptive ads with multiple options and titles, as well as combining ads that may not meet all stated criteria but can still pass moderation. It’s important to prioritize the most relevant ads when working with Yandex.

One of the main goals of promotion is developing effective advertising content that utilizes both text and visual elements. However, there are nuances to consider when approaching this aspect of the campaign.

Ten Essential Factors to Consider when Creating Advertisements.

Ten Important Points for Creating Advertisements in the Medical Field:

The creation of advertisements is an important step in promoting a medical clinic and should be approached with care. Here are ten points to consider:

1. The name of the clinic is crucial in any advertising message as it is fundamental to future interactions with potential customers. Make sure your clinic can be easily found online to avoid losing potential customers.
2. The cost of an appointment or consultation is important information for customers when choosing a service, so it should be included in the advertisement.
3. The experience and qualifications of doctors increase the trust of potential customers in the clinic and encourage them to visit the website for further information.
4. The year of the clinic’s foundation works to enhance its image, particularly if it has been operating in the medical field for a long time, which implies experience and high-quality service.
5. The number of clients also increases the level of trust if the information is perceived by users as reliable. Real customer reviews or other data can be used to achieve this.
6. Reference to well-established campaigns should include a detailed description of specific services offered on certain conditions, capturing the interest of potential customers and providing clear information about promotions to avoid misunderstandings.
7. Visual content such as real photos of doctors, the clinic’s atmosphere, and service being provided can leave a positive impression on potential customers.
8. The main message of the advertisement should be result-oriented, showing how the service will satisfy customer needs.
9. Graphs and drawings can be used to make a stronger impression on potential customers than photographs, but only if they fit with the overall design of the campaign.
10. The clinic’s address is important information for attracting customers who are ready to obtain services immediately and for targeting advertisements by geo-parameters.

When creating an advertising campaign, it’s essential to consider the ten points mentioned above. However, sometimes, ads fail to pass moderation, and it can be challenging to figure out why. In such cases, there are a few steps you can take.

First, make sure you have provided all the necessary documents that the advertising platform requires. Different platforms have different requirements, and it’s crucial to check them before launching your campaign. Allow for 3-5 days for the moderation stage.

Second, contact support and ask any questions you have about the situation. You can also file a complaint against competitors whose ads you believe do not meet advertising requirements while your similar content was rejected.

It’s important to resolve these issues promptly, and this is where agencies can be of great assistance. QB Agency specialists request a complete list of documents in advance and respond quickly to any changes that could affect moderation speed and advertising effectiveness.

In conclusion

Promoting medical services in the market is a challenging task, but it can be successful with the right approach. Although advertising is restricted by law and subject to specific requirements, partnering with specialized advertising agencies can expedite the process. Along with this, it’s crucial to utilize various advertising tools such as SEO, contextual ads, and SMM to attract and retain customers.

The key to success is finding a balance between these tools and making timely adjustments. Ultimately, medical marketing should be a long-term strategy that focuses on building loyalty and attracting new customers. QB Agency specialists can help develop an effective promotion strategy for your brand that adheres to legal and advertising standards in the medical segment.