Why Hire a Healthcare Copywriter?
If you’re reading this, odds are you work in the healthcare industry…
And odds are you’re looking to expand or improve your marketing…
And odds are you read some blog posts here or there talking about all the important things your marketing needs…
And odds are several of those blog posts mentioned getting a copywriter.
And while having a professional writer helping you out sounds nice…
Marketing is expensive.
And a copywriter is just one of the things suggested to make it work.
You’re not just going to blindly follow a blog post’s advice to take on a temporary, part-time employee.
You want to know what a copywriter does and why it’s so gosh darn important to get one.
In fact, you want to know what happens if you DON’T get one.
All of that makes sense.
And all those questions are answered in this blog post.
What is a Healthcare Copywriter?
Simply put, a copywriter is a salesman who writes.
But instead of speaking to a customer face-to-face like salesmen, they write material that speaks for your brand.
That material could be a website, emails, ads, flyers, billboards, content… you name it… if a customer sees it, then 9/10 times a copywriter wrote it.
And just like the salesman, the copywriter’s job is to convince the reader to either A) become a customer now or B) become more likely to purchase later on.
Both are under the “marketing” umbrella.
But despite the similarities and overlap, each are a unique skill.
Most salesmen are poor copywriters. And most copywriters are poor salesmen.
A healthcare copywriter is just a copywriter who writes for healthcare businesses and healthcare content. Alongside their goals of convincing people to inquire on a brand’s services, the goals of healthcare writing include providing valuable information to keep people healthy and safe.
Sometimes that means helping the customer understand complex information and bridging the gap between medical jargon and patient understanding. Other times, that means getting their attention so they stop ignoring their health concerns. And other times, that means showing them that your services are worth every penny.
With me so far?
Signs You Might Need a Healthcare Copywriter
All that copywriter stuff is good and well, but if you can read this blog post, then you can also write. Which begs the question:
Why not write it all yourself?
Well, you could.
No one is stopping you.
(But then you might be as frustrated as the actor in my stock photo)
In same way that normal conversation is different than sales…
So too is copywriting different than regular writing…
And there are some tell-tale signs that a copywriter is worth the investment:
You Don’t Have Enough Marketing Channels or Materials: Unfortunately, modern people expect more than a single-page website and a Google ad. A full website is multiple pages. A complete email strategy is multiple sequences. A robust local SEO strategy means the right keywords, backlinks, and many blog posts. Social media engagement needs to be tracked and managed. Multiple Google ads need to be A/B tested to see which will best hit your KPI’s. And all need to work together as a cohesive whole.
You’re Confused by Marketing Terms: In the same way that the healthcare world is full of terms that confuse the average person, so too is the marketing world. And those words aren’t just mumbo jumbo; they are stand-ins for concepts that are proven to get results. If point #1 was full of words you do not understand, then it is probably worth your while to hire someone who knows them.
Your Marketing Channels Aren’t Performing: Marketing is never an automatic guarantee; it is educated guessing. But an educated guess means that you are right a lot of the time. And if marketing is done correctly, then you should eventually see results. None of these marketing channels are enigmatic mysteries; they are tools that are popular because they work. Google ads should bring quality inquiries. SEO should have your website rank. Emails should be responded to. If that isn’t happening, then you need to get someone who knows how to make your marketing work.
Other Clinics Look Better and You Don’t Know Why: You’ve scoured your competition, and one or two competitors have ads and websites you REALLY like. And you know it works, because they are getting more traffic and have more patients. But when you sit down and try to copy it, you aren’t really sure how. Because you don’t know why theirs works and yours doesn’t. But that stuff sticks out to professional marketers like a hairline fracture to an X-ray technician.
You Don’t Have the Time: Finally, we arrive at the number one indicator that you should have someone write, design, and manage your marketing. Everything… from brainstorming to writing to editing to managing to testing… eats up hours and hours of time. And the less you know about healthcare marketing, the more time it takes (not to mention the time to learn how to do it!). And if I know one thing about doctors, physicians, and healthcare professionals, it’s that y’all are BUSY. The last thing you want to do is reduce your rest and relaxation with family and friends in order to write a subject line or headline.
Medical copywriting is more than just writing catchy taglines and describing medical procedures or conditions. Every word, sentence, and paragraph needs to be clear, relevant, obvious, engaging, consistent, accurate, and appropriate. Each piece of your marketing needs to work together to achieve results.
Key Benefits of Hiring a Healthcare Copywriter
Hopefully, I wasn’t too heavy-handed in the section above. My point wasn’t to communicate that doing your marketing yourself is impossible. It’s not. But it is VERY hard, and not always the right choice.
But now it’s time to talk about what a healthcare copywriter does for you. And I’m not talking stuff like “saves you time”. That’s a given. I’m talking about how they actually A) bring more patients to your practice and B) make sure they stick around.
Guaranteeing People Understand
A copywriter prizes clarity above everything else. No one cares if you are creative if the customer does not understand what the product is. No one cares if you are persuasive if the customer does not understand what the product is for. No one cares if you are thorough if the customer does not understand how it will help them. Clarity is king.
This might seem obvious… but you would be shocked how easily non-copywriters will needlessly obfuscate and complicate. A good healthcare copywriter will act like a delicate, hyper-sensitive device that picks up on confusion. Everything else that follows… whether it be getting noticed or proof or persuasion or terminology… none of it matters if the copy and content is not effortlessly clear.
Getting You Noticed
The bottom line is this: people cannot choose you if they do not know you exist. In fact, in the marketing world, it is better to be REJECTED than it is to be ignored. Because when you are rejected, at least learn what does not work or who isn’t interested!
“Getting noticed” is the first step in customer acquisition. And to get noticed, you need the right combo of images and words. So whether it is ad copy, blog headlines, headers throughout a webpage, or subject lines on emails, a copywriter will make sure the most important, essential information is seen. And when it is seen, your target audience has a chance to respond.
Backing Up Your Claims
You need to prove to your potential customers that you have authority, credibility, and investment. Evidence that you’ll follow through with everything you promise them. As you can imagine, this requires more than saying: “Trust me, I’m a doctor”. In the marketing world this is known as “proof”.
People have been lied to, and so people are skeptical. As a result, not having enough proof can KILL an otherwise flawless sales pitch. A copywriter will know what proof to use, where to use it, and how often to use it. They will tastefully scatter it throughout your marketing materials so that everything you say to the customer carries more weight.
Compelling Readers to Act NOW
Many people can write well.
Some people can write about healthcare topics well.
And a handful of people can make your services sound good.
But very few can make people ACT.
This “causing them to act” is the persuasion side of copywriting.
While it is only a part of copywriting, it is what separates the good from the great.
And “act” does not mean “purchase”. It depends on where the customer is in their customer journey.
Sometimes it means picking up a pamphlet. Other times it means entering their email. Other times it means reading a blog post. But all of these “act” moments are leading up to the main “act” moment: when they call or book an appointment.
image is not owned by Riley James Copy
Writing Differently for Physical and Digital
And you can acquire customers two ways: physically or virtually. All traditional marketing is in some way physical: a billboard, ad in a newspaper, or participating in community events. All of these still require a copywriter to write something that people read. All e-commerce marketing, stuff like SEO Remember, if it is sales writing, then it is “copy”, and a copywriter tends to write it.
But if you go the digital route… and virtually everyone says you should… then your need for copy increases exponentially. You’ll need webpages, blogs, emails, and many different ads to test on social media and Google. And since each channel, whether physical or digital, has a differnet purpose, the writing is slightly different.
Shifting Content for Each Channel
In today's digital world, healthcare marketing is more than just having a website. It's about making content that connects with your audience and makes them want to return. A healthcare copywriter understands how to create content that can be edited and repackaged across several different marketing platforms. This might include:
Making social media posts that encourage conversation and create a community.
Writing helpful blog content that ranks you as a leader in your field.
Expertise in digital content strategies specific to healthcare
SEO-optimized landing pages, blog posts with clear calls to action for your website
Engaging videos, informative posts, community-building questions on facebook
Visually appealing graphics, patient stories, behind-the-scenes content on Instagram
Making Sure You Have Everything
As I state in this blog post, a single missing piece can ruin an otherwise perfect marketing strategy. Great segmented and personalized emails? Too bad, becuase your deliverability sucks and so its ending up in spam. Amazing healthcare content? Doesn’t matter, because your lack of backlinks means no one will read it. Is your website a graphic design masterpiece? Well no one will see it becasue your load time is too slow. Every marketing channel has unofficial “rules”, and breaking those rules means the channel becomes useless. A healthcare copywriter knows those rules.
Not Breaking HIPPA Rules
Speaking of rules… a healthcare copywriter knows what HIPPA is and will move heaven and earth to make sure they obey and abide. Copywriters of any other industry will be ignorant of HIPPA, and you will pay dearly for their ignorance. But a good healthcare copywriter will also guide you in getting necessary things like customer reviews while still remaining HIPPA compliant.
Knowing the Important Stuff
A good healthcare copywriter can easily handle difficult medical terms. Some had medical backgrounds and degrees, which is borderline essential for B2B (business to business) healthcare copywriting or when writing high-level papers and blogs for other healthcare professionals. But when you are writing to patients and potential patients, such a background can actually be a disadvantage.
A good B2C healthcare copywriter knows/can learn enough of the important medical information while still speaking in laymens terms.But its also the ability to translate complex concepts into accessible language A healthcare copywriter's key skill is to make complex medical concepts simple and easy to understand. They are experts in simplifying things, making sure that patient education materials are interesting and clear for everyone. This clear communication is essential for helping patients make smart decisions about their health.
Helping Them Follow Through
Healthcare is all about results. If patients get better, then they are likely to return, or better yet, tell their friends to book an appointment. The issue is that most patients do not follow through with a doctor’s recommendations. A healthcare copywriter will know how to keep up constant communication with your patients. Content will remind them of the benefits, encourage them to keep going, and ask them to book follow ups.
Changing What You Say To Who
We all understand that trust is key to a successful relationship between a doctor and a patient. This idea also applies to your online presence. A healthcare copywriter can create messages that are easy to understand, brief, and caring. This shows your dedication to patient care. When you hire a healthcare copywriter, you are putting effort into building trust with your audience. It happens one carefully chosen word at a time.
Tone matters. Using comforting language that people actually understand—helps patients feel informed, not overwhelmed. When the copy sounds warm and empathetic instead of cold and clinical, it helps people feel like they're talking to someone who actually cares. Add in stories from real patients, consistent messaging across every platform, and a willingness to be transparent about costs, risks, or outcomes—and suddenly, you're not just marketing a service, you're earning someone’s trust.
A Copywriter Doesn’t Just Write Ads.
They Make Sure Your Ideal Patients
Notice You…
Learn About You…
Choose You…
And Stick With You…
Conclusion: Why a Healthcare Copywriter is Essential
In conclusion, hiring a healthcare copywriter can change the way you talk to patients. They help make things clear, follow rules, and get people involved. Their skills in medical terms and online strategies help people understand complex ideas better and stay informed on their health. But most of all, they help you and make sure your marketing is on point.
Clear Communication: A healthcare copywriter can effectively communicate complex medical information to patients, making it easier to understand.
Increased Engagement: Engaging content can help attract and retain patients, boosting your online presence.
Boosted Credibility: Well-written content can establish your practice as a trusted source of information.
Time-Saving: Outsourcing your writing to a specialist frees up your time to focus on what you do best: caring for patients.
Improved SEO: A healthcare copywriter can optimize your website and content for search engines, making it easier for patients to find you.
With a healthcare copywriter, you can improve patient care by using creative content that boosts education and outreach. It also helps increase your visibility and interaction online. Don’t miss the chance to improve your healthcare communications. Trust a professional healthcare copywriter with your messaging today!
