Using NPIs to Target Physicians
Creating a personalized and effective campaign has always been a challenge for digital marketers in the healthcare industry. National provider identifier (NPI) targeting has made it possible for healthcare advertisers to achieve a 1:1 relationship with healthcare professionals (HCPs).
With NPI targeting, advertisers can now target HCPs based on their American Medical Association (AMA)-recognized specialty, subspecialties, and more. This feature has made NPI targeting a must-have for healthcare advertisers. Here, MassLive Media Group explores this topic further and provides additional reasons why NPI targeting is a healthcare advertiser’s best friend.
What Is NPI Targeting?
An NPI is a unique 10-digit number assigned to covered healthcare providers by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) makes NPIs mandatory for HCPs, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses.
For healthcare brands, implementing NPI targeting should be an essential aspect of their marketing strategy. Doing so can prevent campaigns from squandering resources on an unidentified audience. Nevertheless, while NPI targeting provides marketing professionals with several advantages, relying exclusively on it can restrict the available options.
How to Implement NPI Targeting
Healthcare advertisers can incorporate NPI targeting into their marketing strategies in several ways. The specific approach will depend on the HCPs being targeted, as well as the products or services being offered. Some examples of NPI targeting in real-life scenarios include:
- Medical device company using NPI targeting to promote their new knee replacement device to orthopedic surgeons
- Healthcare company using NPI targeting to reach primary care physicians and promote a new electronic health record system.
- Pharmaceutical company implementing NPI targeting to promote a new cancer drug to oncologists
- At-home care provider relying on NPI targeting to promote its services to elderly patients and their loved ones.
Reasons Why NPI Targeting Is Essential
Healthcare advertisers continuously search for the most effective and efficient way to connect with HCPs. NPI targeting allows them to do this in the following ways:
Accurate Campaign Reporting
Healthcare marketing is a very competitive space. Medical companies and wellness brands are investing in digital advertisements at record-setting rates and are projected to spend $19.66 billion by the end of 2024. With the amount of resources being pooled into this approach, healthcare advertisers must utilize refined targeting strategies to maximize efficiency.
For healthcare advertisers, an NPI number is the ultimate identifier and should be a go-to tactic for HCP campaigns. While NPI targeting may not be essential for healthcare campaigns, it is a necessary resource to determine which HCPs interacted with the targeted ads. NPI targeting allows advertisers to engage with HCPs more effectively. Therefore, by targeting only their identifiable audience, healthcare advertisers will see a better return on their ad spend (ROAS).
Enhanced Optimizations
Healthcare advertisers face difficulties in optimizing and scaling their campaigns without NPI-validated reporting. Inefficient targeting makes it harder to analyze performance, both during and after the campaign. This means that optimizations are mostly guesswork and may not be effective in creating more targeted messaging. Advertisers who use NPI targeting, on the other hand, bypass this issue. By using reliable data as the basis for their targeting strategy, they can confidently make performance-focused optimizations, helping to meet their marketing goals.
Staying Power
Even though NPI targeting is recognized as an effective marketing strategy for targeting HCPs, is it sustainable? Reassuringly, NPI targeting is well-positioned for the future of digital advertising. Additionally, it will remain a useful method for reaching evolving HCPs.
Much like everyone else, HCPs utilize various digital devices and channels more than ever before, both in and out of the office. These include mobile devices, tablets, and more. To create compelling healthcare campaigns, advertisers must consider all of these touchpoints and the role they play in an HCP’s path to conversion
With NPI targeting, advertisers can follow HCPs across all these digital touchpoints. This incredible insight helps them deliver targeted healthcare campaigns across premium lifestyle websites, mobile apps, social media, CTV/OTT, and more. These hyper-focused optimizations are only feasible using NPI targeting.
Targeting HCPs with MassLive Media Group
Advertisers in the healthcare marketing space understand its unique challenges. Because of regulatory requirements and the need for brand safety, healthcare marketing requires a strategic approach. For medical companies and wellness brands to reach their desired HCPs effectively, they must use NPI targeting.
MassLive Media Group serves medical facilities across the U.S. Our capabilities help clients find success through the latest trends and techniques for effective marketing, including NPI targeting. To learn more about our services, contact us today.
References
https://www.cms.gov/regulations-and-guidance/administrative-simplification/nationalprovidentstand