9 Common Mistakes in Healthcare Copywriting

(And How to Avoid Them...)

Copywriting is hard. Healthcare copywriting is even harder.

You have to accurately communicate complicated medical details. But don't forget to simplify it so that the general public can understand. And also make sure they have a good user experience. Oh and be sure to make it skimmable. And gawd forbid you fail to provide some direction for how you want them to respond!

You see what I mean?

If you can read, you can write. But writing and copywriting are two very different things. And when the marketing-inexperienced assume they can write copy, they usually make some big mistakes that undermine their marketing goals. This blog post identifies the most common healthcare copywriting mistakes and explains how those mistakes sabotage your branding and marketing.

1. Overloading Content with Medical Jargon

It's easy to use confusing terms, especially in the medical industry. You get used to using the specific, official terms in order to be as clear as possible among your professional audience.

But have you ever read something that seemed like it was in another language? You likely felt confused and maybe a bit frustrated.

Well, your readers will feel the same way if your website, pamphlet, emails (etc.) are filled with medical jargon. Its not that they don't have medical degrees (though remember, they do NOT), but that much of the most basic terminology is foreign to them. They likely don't know what they have, how to properly describe the pain, or the proper term to refer to the part of their body that is in pain!

Complex language confuses and frustrates readers.

By using simple language and focusing on what is most important to your audience, you can create healthcare copy that connects and informs. Keep in mind that using clear language doesn’t mean you are "dumbing down" the information. It’s about making it easier for your audience to understand so you can talk to them well.

And if you're not sure, a good way to check is to read your text out loud, like you are having a conversation. If you trip over words or feel like you need to explain them, that’s a sign you might need to simplify.Y ou can also share your writing with someone who isn't in the medical field.

2. Ignoring Emotional Triggers in Patient-Focused Content

Healthcare issues, concerns, and choices are very personal. Often people searching for your site or engaging with your content know something is wrong, but do not know what is wrong. When something is wrong with our bodies, we experience a range of complex feelings, especially when everything is still so unknown.

You should think about what your reader is feeling. What challenges are they facing? What worries do they have? Imagine what they are likely to be feeling as they engage with your copy... like hope, fear, and uncertainty... and empathize with them as you write.

When you recognize and respond to those feelings in your content, you build a better connection with your audience. A great way to make your content relatable is by sharing patient stories. Stories can connect with us emotionally. They help us see our own experiences in what others go through, building trust and understanding.

3. Writing Without Considering Local SEO for Healthcare Services

SEO stands for "search engine optimization". It means writing web page content so that it not only is enjoyed by site visitors, but also is understood and ranked by search engines.

To put it simply: its a whole dayum thing. And it takes already difficult copywriting and makes it THAT much harder, because now you are writing for both robots and people. Its a balancing act that is not easily overcome.

For the context of this blog post, all you need to know is is that if your webpage is about x-rays... then the word "x-ray" should feature in the titles and several times throughout the copy. In other words, stay on topic!

Learn More About My SEO Copywriting Services

4. Missing Calls to Action That Convert Visitors into Patients

When someone visits your website and enjoys what they see, what should happen next? If you don’t have a clear call to action (CTA), they may just leave without doing anything. A CTA shows your audience what you want them to do. This could be booking an appointment, downloading a resource, or contacting your office.

In healthcare marketing, your calls to action need to be clear and interesting. Just saying "Contact us" is not enough. Here are some good examples of CTAs often used in healthcare marketing:

• Schedule a Consultation Today!

• Download Our FREE Guide to Managing Diabetes

• Learn More About Our Service

  You must give people a reason to act. Use words that inspire action and create urgency. Your CTAs should be easy to see on the page. You can do this by using buttons, bright colors, or larger text. Keep in mind, the goal of your CTA is to help potential patients convert. You want them to go from being interested visitors to making appointments.

5. Focusing on Yourself, Not the Reader

This is the most counterintuitive of the healthcare copywriting mistakes, which is why it is also one of the most common pitfalls for medical brands. Basically, you need to talk about THEM... while also informing them about YOURSELF and YOUR BUSINESS.

Even health writers still make this mistake. It is natural to think: "Oh, the visitor is at this blog, they must want to learn about this thing they searched"... and they do... BUT ONLY WITHIN THIER CONTEXT.

Its a somewhat pessimistic view of the human condition, but keep in mind I'm not saying: "people only care about themselves". I'm saying: "when interacting with marketing content and copywriting, your target audience ultimately only care about themselves".

This is why features and benefits are so important. If you focus on the benefits of your services, and only discuss your services enough for the benefits to make sense, then your content marketing and medical copywriting will stay reader, rather than you, focused.

6. Information Overload

One of the most common copywriting mistakes, particularly for credentialed healthcare providers, is putting way too much content in a piece of content. They try to say everything at once, rather than guiding the reader step-by-step.

I don't know if you have ever stepped in front of a firehose, or accidentally found yourself beneath a REALLY big wave, but way too much too quickly is OVERWHELMING. It confuses rather than clarifies your consumer audience and compels them to move away from, rather than towards, you and your healthcare services.

In digital marketing, this is avoided by viewing all your copywriting and content writing within a sales funnel. A sales funnel is an intentional customer journey you lay out for your customers. The idea is that the farther along in the journey, the more information they need and can handle.

7. Being Afraid to “Sell”

This healthcare copywriting mistake is actually a "95% of every business owner ever" mistake.

Yes, some business owners go WAY overboard, pummeling their readers with cheap sales tactics and pressuring them to sign up, buy, or make an appointment.

But if you are even remotely concerned that you are doing that... then odds are you are not selling nearly enough!

You cannot be passive or apologetic. Your copywriting is just marketing writing, which means it is a salesman in writing form. It is meant to talk about how gosh-darn-awesome you are and how you will help specific people with specific problems.

So don't be shy in singing your praises! Don't hold back from making (true) promises. If you believe in yourself enough to offer your services, then you should believe in yourself enough to market your services!

8. Assuming Trust Instead of Building It

I am sure I have written about this elsewhere, but its worth repeating.

First of all, your credentials are substantial proof... but they cannot do the heavy lifting of creating new patients apart from clear communication and persuasive writing.

Credentials don’t replace clearly identifying what you do, who you do it for, and why it matters. It can't replace storytelling, testimonials, or patient-centered language. And it can't overcome a failure to outline how it benefits them.

Secondly, keep in mind that if your patient has already been on a long, difficult health journey, then they have had other doctors...with just as impressive degrees... either let them down at best or question, blame, and mislead them at worse. They are giving you a try because you are credentialed, but you still have to earn their trust.

9. Poor Formatting

As someone in the medical field, you understand just how complex healthcare can be. Its multilayered, nuanced, and important. It deserves pages of pages of text to explain and be precise. After all, there are a reason there are so many medical academic journals.

I get it.

But while you eventually want your patients to takje their health seriously and read up on the subjects relevant to their bodies, that is for later down the road. Its something they will do once you have built trust with them.

To help get them there, you have to not only make your copy readable, but you not only have to make it easy and pleasing to read, but you have to make it skimmable. Big blocks of text, tiny fonts, no skimmability—it’s a readability nightmare.

Conclusion

In conclusion, good healthcare copywriting needs a mix of medical knowledge and care for patients. Don't use too many technical words that can confuse readers. Instead, make complex ideas easier to understand. Use emotional triggers to connect with patients on a personal level. It is also important to focus on local SEO to improve visibility. Lastly, add strong calls to action that can easily turn visitors into patients. Writing copy that connects emotionally, teaches, and helps patients can greatly improve your healthcare marketing. If you want more help with your healthcare copy, just reach out for a friendly consultation.

Key Highlights

• Using too much medical jargon can confuse and alienate your audience.

• It's important to tap into your audience's emotions and build trust.

• Don't forget about local SEO to reach potential patients in your area.

• Always include clear calls to action so people know what to do next.

• Using patient stories and testimonials can make your content more relatable.