Sweep your audience off their feet

A guy walks into a bar.

“Hi, I’m Sam.  I am a top executive at Company XYZ and I have an MBA from Cornell.”

What are the chances you’re genuinely interested and want to continue the conversation?

Not very likely. Why? Because even with impressive credentials, Sam made it all about him right from the start and sounded like a complete bore.

Don’t be like Sam.

The same goes for medtech marketing. You’ve got a brilliant solution, you have extensive data and research, and you know your product will make an impact. But you could be missing an opportunity to engage with your audience before you delve into the details.

You need to capture their attention first, take them on a journey, and then you can get to the specifics later. Your first impression can make or break your relationship with your audience. Your goal? Stop people in their tracks.

Appeal to emotions

Even though you may be targeting surgeons, investors, or the C-suite, we are all just human beings at the end of the day. Establish empathy.

Remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? Your opening should appeal to their need for self-actualization. Then you can work your way down the pyramid to features and benefits. At Alluvia Studio, we use a benefits pyramid to help clients identify that top level need and tie it back to the solution.

My friend and productivity guru Tim Yewchuck taught me a simple technique of adding the words “so that” to this process. Define your feature at the bottom of the pyramid, and then add “so that ______” to the sentence. Fill that in. Keep filling it in as you move up to the top of the pyramid.

Push the limits

A common thing I’ve seen over the years is that clients will play it too safe. While, yes, you must be careful about the claims you make as a highly regulated medtech company, you can be creative without being risky. Your legal and regulatory teams will help advise your messaging to ensure the right safeguards are in place.

If you are new or growing, think about how your messages, visuals, events, social media and more can be a little more disruptive.

(If you’re a big brand, this is less important, although staying fresh and creative is. If everyone knows who Sam is, he can walk into the bar and get attention.)

Test new ideas

Ask someone for a fresh perspective from your team or use social media to do some testing with your target audience. Leave some ideas on the table that make you a little uncomfortable – those ideas could end up being the message that your audience resonates with the most! Even simple things like adjusting the font, graphics, colors, tone of your copy, etc. could make all the difference. As long as everything aligns with your brand personality, you can afford to push the limits a little bit.

Do your homework

Try this exercise.

First, go to the junk folder in your inbox and start scanning. Make a note of which email catches your eye and why. What makes it compelling enough for you to decide to open?

Next, head over to social media and start scrolling. Note what grabs your attention first. What did that company or person do that caused you to stop in your tracks?

Last but not least, do this exercise at tradeshows you attend as well. Walk the perimeter and pay attention to who’s grabbing your attention and why. Make a note of the compelling ways they present their brand.

Bring in the pros

You may need to outsource the task of creating engaging marketing material for your company. And if you’re the decision-maker, I encourage you not to be afraid to go there. Creating messaging and materials that captivate your audience is not everyone’s strength, and that’s okay. But you must be willing to bring someone in who can do that for you.

Conquer it internally

If you’re working on your marketing material internally, you can start small by testing out new messaging. Experiment with a flyer for an upcoming event, or a post on social media. These are safe opportunities to try out some creative messaging on a small scale. For paid social campaigns or emails, you can try out A/B testing to see what’s resonating with your audience.

Get inspired

Need some inspiration from another medtech company? We worked with the team at Shape Memory Medical to create branding and messaging, and that team had the discipline to see it through to a compelling, beautiful website. It does an excellent job of giving the reader just enough information to pique their interest without overloading the reader too soon with the details. Check out their website here: https://www.shapemem.com/

Making a good first impression is not the be-all and end-all. Engaging marketing ensures your audience stays interested in your product no matter where they’re at in the customer journey. If you're a newly funded MedTech company, my team and I at Alluvia studio can help you create captivating marketing material that draws your ideal audience in and keeps them hooked. Book a 15-minute introductory call, we’d love to connect with you.

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At Alluvia Studio, we partner with medtech executives and companies to produce compelling marketing strategies, stories, and visuals that clearly define the immense value of their patient care innovations. Our experience and knowledge in healthcare and medtech allow us to deliver critical and timely marketing solutions that free our clients up to relentlessly pursue their goals.