How to predict your patients’ needs to determine a next best action strategy builder

‘Next best action’ strategies for engagement can increase brand awareness in a way that resonates greatly with your target audience

Have you ever gone online only to see ads for things that you’ve thought about but don’t remember ever typing in? While some believe that their computers are listening to their private conversations or even somehow gaining access to the deep recesses of their mind, the reality behind the sudden appearance of these timely advertisements is likely due to next-gen engagement, or “next best action,” and you can develop your own next best action strategy builder.

What is next-gen engagement?

Next-gen engagement refers to the use of analytics to predict a customer’s next steps, providing the opportunity for brands to be right there and ready to meet their needs in real-time. This is sometimes referred to as “next best action” marketing and involves gathering information on customers that can be used to promote a sale or retain a relationship long-term.

It’s like when you go out to eat and the server brings a drink refill before even having to ask. They’ve anticipated your need in advance and responded accordingly, providing a level of service that makes you want to go back to that restaurant in the future. Providing this same level of engagement in health care can greatly improve patient response.

Engagement and health service use

One Accenture survey reinforces that awareness is key when it comes to patient use of therapeutic services. It found that, once patients because aware of the availability of a specific therapeutic, 58% decided to use that therapeutic. Approximately 4 out of 5 of these patients further stated that they considered the therapeutic service to be “extremely or very valuable.” Yet, only 19% of the subjects surveyed knew that the service existed.

Imagine what the response would look like if every patient who could benefit from your chiropractic services was aware that they were available. Your patient list would grow, solely by making potential patients more aware. This is where next-gen engagement or next best action strategy builder comes into play.

How a next best action strategy builder works

Ad Age reports that predicting and responding to patient needs in advance requires deploying a marketing model that considers the “four D’s”:

• Data foundation – obtaining a full-circle view of your target patient by using a platform that collects data about their online habits
• Decisioning – utilizing analytics to learn more about how your prospective patient makes decisions and what triggers them to take action
• Design – developing a way to manage the data collected, helping you decide which marketing methods may have the most impact
• Distribution – taking all of the information collected to deliver your digital marketing strategy while monitoring the responses to learn which methods work best for achieving your desired results

Benefits of next best action engagement in chiropractic

Predicting what your online audience wants and responding in real-time enables you to promote your chiropractic services in a way that is most relevant to the viewer. You are able to meet their needs right when those needs are being experienced, increasing the likelihood that they’ll take the action you request.

It’s like giving someone a glass of ice-cold water when they are incredibly thirsty versus waiting until they’ve already had a glass or two to hydrate themselves. Striking when the need is at its highest (when they are the thirstiest) makes you the natural choice because you were there to meet that need.

Being there when the need is strongest also helps position you as a health care provider who will be there for them during times when they may require the most help. This establishes you as a partner in health that will walk with them through difficult periods and be by their side every step of the way.

Employing next best action strategies for engagement can increase brand awareness in a way that resonates with your target audience best. If you work with a marketing service, inquire about their next best action strategy builder and services. You can also find various online platforms that offer this ability, promoting you as a chiropractic provider who can both predict and meet your patients’ needs.