E-Source

DIRECT TO PHYSICIANS
By Kim Dushinski

Over 60% of physicians actively use smartphones in their daily practice, according to Manhattan Research. If that’s not the best reason for pharmaceutical brands to dive head first into mobile marketing, I don’t know what is. It's the ideal way to keep physicians updated on brand information and to offer them samples—through a communication channel they personally use every day. Not only does mobile offer an eco-friendly way to market, it's also the single best way to communicate with doctors directly without having to go through a staff member. After all, nobody delegates cell phone use.

Optimize Existing Websites
But don’t get excited and think this means you’ll be able to buy a list of doctors’ cell phone numbers and start sending them text messages (that would be mobile spam); the true foundation piece of this marketing strategy lies in extending the reach of your Web properties. Mobile optimizing existing sites extends that content—but take it a step further and create a mobile app that will allow them real freedom as opposed to being tethered to their desk(top). From this mobile site or iPhone/smartphone app, doctors should easily be able to request printed patient materials, participate in market research, sign up for SMS alerts, and most important—with a click of a button—order samples, coupons, and vouchers directly.
Speaking of samples, it's critical that your mobile sampling is PDMA compliant, so you'll want to work with a vendor who is intimately familiar with the ins and outs of the pharmaceutical industry and knows the federal guidelines well. (For instance, One Eleven Interactive and MobileHealth Tech are two vendors that specialize in healthcare and pharmaceutical mobile marketing.)
Since the “build it and they will come” strategy only works in Kevin Costner movies, building the mobile-friendly Website or smartphone app is only the first step of the process. Getting it in the hands of doctors (via their smartphones) is the next one. This you do by integrating your mobile marketing into every other marketing channel you are currently using.

Spread the Word
Your Website needs to feature the app to download prominently and give the “nickel version” of the app’s features. Physicians can also request updates either via email or SMS text. Outgoing emails should announce the mobile site and the availability of the app (with a link to download) and explain all the possible ways the doctor can interact with the brand(s). Press releases should proudly proclaim your mobile presence.
Reps should include a quick mention of your brand’s mobile presence when they get a chance to meet with doctors, since these tools can help support the efforts of the sales rep and make them even more effective in covering their territory. Anything you do to market your brand needs to incorporate your mobile marketing campaign. After all, this is the best direct route—to the hip pocket of the physicians you are working so hard to reach.
Last, if you are interested in outmarketing your competition, the time to get going with mobile is now. The early bird to mobile will definitely get the worm.

Kim Dushinski is the President and founder of Mobile Marketing Profits, a firm that provides mobile marketing education and consulting services to marketing professionals and entrepreneurs. She is also author of the best-selling book The Mobile Marketing Handbook: A Step by Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Mobile Marketing Campaigns. She can be reached at kim@mobilemarketingprofits.com