Summer means long days, warmer weather, school holidays, and an uptick in travel. For pharmacies, this brings new opportunities to attract customers and boost revenue through promoting seasonal products and services. Here’s a look how PPC for pharmaceutical companies can put your pharmacy in the places people are actively looking.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) ads are a form of online advertising where you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. They appear at the top of search engine results or on social media platforms.
You set a budget, choose keywords you want to target, and create the ad. You’re charged only when someone clicks, so it is a cost-effective way to reach customers who are intentionally looking for your services.
Anticipate summer health demands
In summer, UK residents are more likely to be planning travel and holidays abroad. This leads to an increase in online searches for products and services such as travel vaccinations, antimalarial medication, suncare products, travel health kits, insect repellant and bite relief.
If your pharmacy offers any of these things, PPC is an effective way to increase your rankings in search engine results pages. Keep an eye out for products or services that might be in particular demand.
For example, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a warning in June about an increase of cases of typhoid in returning travellers to the UK, as well as concerning levels of imported malaria cases. If your pharmacy offers travel vaccinations for typhoid and/or antimalerial medication, you may want to focus on promoting these.
Select your keywords carefully
A successful PPC campaign hinges on targeting the right keywords. Focus on a single product or service and optimise for location. If you are an online only pharmacy who delivers products throughout the UK, focus on key phrases such as ‘next day delivery’. If you want to direct customers to a physical location, target ‘near me’ keywords.
You can also use geo-targeting to narrow your campaign focus to your town or city, specific areas with a high concentration of commuter or tourist footfall, or postcodes within five to ten miles of your branch.
Write compelling ad copy with a call to action
Your ads need to work hard for you, so make sure they are punchy, answer customer’s needs, and include a call to action. Avoid simply stating what you offer or generic phrasing that could be interchanged with a competitor: focus on your unique selling proposition.
For example, do you offer same day appointments, walk-ins, non-prescription travel medications, or a private consultation? People often leave travel prep until the last minute, so they are looking for fast and convenient solutions with no compromise on quality or privacy.
Include a strong call to action, such as a clear link to a dedicated landing page with an online booking form, prices, FAQs, contact information, and some evidence of your pharmacy as a trusted service: customer reviews, CQC registration, pharmacist qualifications, and so on.
By getting a PPC campaign right with location targeting, focused keywords and great copy, you can boost pharmacy custom and revenue this summer.