Build a trusted voice—and actionable next steps—by using storytelling techniques found within the most consumed stories online.
Few things are more personal than your own health and wellness. Therefore, content around this subject matter—from preventative care to managing a preexisting condition—should be delivered in a voice that’s both respectful and respected. After all, people seeking out health-focused content have a lot of choices, and it can be overwhelming to pick and choose what to read, trust, and, ultimately, use as your guide moving forward. Fortunately, as marketers, there’s much we can do to gain the audience’s trust and separate ourselves from the competition. Here, we explore the importance of creating a trusted, reassuring voice that delivers valuable information without ever intimidating or confusing. Let’s get started.
Reality check: Most health content—especially from those closest to the research and those who practice medicine—often gets tripped up in complicated, dense language. Sadly, the rule of thumb seems to be, “why use one syllable when six will do?” As marketers of health care messages, we know better. To connect and be understood, our message needs an effective, simple package that consumers gravitate towards. More than that, we know that good content builds an honest relationship, a two-way street of trust.
What better example to follow than lifestyle content?
Speaking the language of the head of household
Lifestyle content—stories about fashion, travel, food, the home, and other similar topics—are the staples of most casual reading in America. The reason: These stories resonate. They surprise, delight, and share unique insights about topics that touch daily life. Lifestyle content also connects incredibly well with women, which is especially important in the context of health care since women are increasingly the head of household and the main decisionmakers.5[LINKED TO INFOGRAPHIC 1]
The lifestyle approach—a comfortable, relatable voice discussing emotionally driven topics—is especially helpful for sharing important health messages. There’s a common misconception that consumers immediately jump to health specialty sites when they’re in crisis or looking for direction. Truth is, 88% of women do not engage regularly with health-focused websites, instead preferring to learn about health and wellness issues through lifestyle brands they already know and trust (like Bustle and theSkimm).
According to Real Women Talking®, a study conducted by the Meredith Data Studio, these consumers want to “deal with conditions and mental health by reading lifestyle articles so they can hopefully learn about how to care for and treat conditions. Lifestyle content empowers women to make their lives, or someone close to them, more comfortable, more positive, more enriching, and this is the health content they look forward to reading.”4
The road to simple
Simply put, health consumers are eager for the kind of clear, approachable messaging found in traditional lifestyle content. They are looking for a voice they can trust, and they are looking for actionable next steps. As marketers, how do we embrace the lifestyle approach while remaining a trusted source of health information? The first step: keep it simple. For 60% of consumers, simplicity ranks among the top characteristics they look for in their content.3
Embrace the “less is more” mantra with these lifestyle content pro tips:
- Jargon is your enemy. Even medical research on communication shows that “simple words and short sentences”1 are essential.
- Break it down into steps. If a medical message is complex, find the basic pieces of the message and put those in easily understood language.2
- Presentation, presentation. Ideas that are easy on the eyes—like a colorful infographic or this bulleted format—go a long way in keeping users focused.2
- Now keep doing that. Being reliably simple and straightforward about health and wellness builds empathy and trust with your audience.2
Key take-away: A content strategy that is based on clean, conversationally written communications can open a door for health and wellness brands.
Borrowing the ethos of lifestyle journalism—great tips from a good friend—can help you become a trusted part of your consumer’s daily life. This is especially true within a health context, where trustworthiness is your best ally in inviting customers to learn more about you and hear what you have to say.
- Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3037129/
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ecpe/teaching-patients-about-healthy-lifestyle-behaviors-communication-is-the-first-step/
- https://www.marketingcharts.com/featured-82418
- Real Women Talking® : The Power of Lifestyle Magazine Media for Pharmaceutical Advertising, February 2021 and April 2021
- https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/more-women-have-become-homeowners-and-heads-household-could-pandemic-undo-progress#:~:text=Half%20of%20all%20households%20are%20now%20headed%20by%20women&text=Even%20among%20married%20two%2Dearner,to%2046.1%20percent%20in%202019.
