What makes a patient tick and why? That’s what you’ll discover when you use psychographic research to further marketing efforts.

Psychographic data dives deep into patient behavior. It’s not about “who” they are; it’s about “what” they do and “why” they do it. Think values, interests, opinions, attitudes, and activities.

Say you survey a group of patients, and you learn:

  • A third of your patients will do exactly what the doctor ordered, take medications per label instructions, and rarely look up health information online. We’ll call them the Compliants.
  • A third of your patients will listen to the doctor, but not always follow his advice; will not take meds as prescribed; and will weigh their options against what they read online. These are the Balancers.
  • A third of your patients want a doctor who practices traditional medicine with alternative treatment options and look up natural remedies online. Let’s name them the Seekers.

What have you learned that augments your audience personas? Now think about targeting messages to these distinct patient groups.

When you combine age, location, income level, gender, ethnicity, education, and occupation with psychographics, the result is greater insight into your audience’s reasoning and decision-making, explains Harvard Business Review.

Here’s what you can do with these insights:

  • Target keywords
  • Create hashtags
  • Identify like-minded individuals
  • Influence emotions
  • Acknowledge values

The consumer world has been using psychographic insights successfully for years. Their secret sauce? Loyalty cards.

Loyalty cards track consumer purchases (behavior). That’s why you get coupons in the mail, or digital coupons added to your card for items you like to buy. Plus, retailers sneak in deals for other items based on purchasing habits. By identifying these patterns, merchants can determine the “what” and the “why” behind a consumer’s choices.

You probably won’t start using loyalty cards with your patients. But you can create ads, email campaigns or social media posts with messages that:

  • Prompt a patient to follow medical advice
  • Influence a patient to keep her appointments
  • Inspire a patient to participate in health and wellness programs

Imagine getting a middle-aged mom to manage her diabetes or quit smoking, simply because you appealed to what she believes. That’s psychographics in action. And the results are a happier, healthier, more engaged patient.

Ready to learn what makes your patients tick? We can help!