LocutusHealth Content Marketing Maturity Model: Enterprise Healthcare Tech
Built to assess and improve the content marketing program results of enterprise healthcare tech companies, the LocutusHealth Content Marketing Maturity Model serves as a guide for healthcare tech leaders in launching and improving the results of early-stage programs—laying the foundation of content marketing that:
- Positions marketing as a revenue center
- Drives business and thought leadership goals
- Supports sales enablement
- Encourages the professional growth of content marketing team members
Informed by the Gartner model, use this model for self-assessment, improvement, and roadmapping of your enterprise healthcare content marketing program through application of Value-Based Content Marketing pillars.
Examples of advanced, differentiated programs in healthcare technology and the provider space include:
Level 0: Nascent
- Content is non-existent beyond a basic website, a handful of outdated case studies and blogs might be available.
- Referrals, word of mouth, and executive relationships drive business.
- Sales is high-effort and high friction, with significant variability in messaging.
- Prospect and customer experiences are inconsistent and do not reflect value prop or differentiation.
Level 1: Experimental
- Strategy is typically non-existent or reactionary.
- Content creation is ad hoc and run by whoever has the bandwidth.
- Content themes are driven by internal insights with little to no objective market input.
- Publication is sporadic.
- Program may rely on press releases, media interest, and partnerships to drive awareness.
Level 2: Tactical
- An individual is in charge of production, sometimes with the help of third-parties.
- Metrics exist but are not informing strategy refinement.
- Publishing involves low-cost, low functionality tools.
- Usually there is some use of social media and possibly newsletters to drive distribution.
Level 3: Operational
- Strategy is informed by market research and customer inputs.
- Content is published on a schedule and is connected to company’s value prop.
- Basic metrics and KPIs are established and tied to business goals. Workflows are clear.
- Content has an owner with centralized resources to create, publish, and refine as needed.
- Distribution is intentional and measured. Some use of paid channels to yield predictable results.
- Sales conversations influence content and reps have the materials they need and a method of requesting more.
Maturity Model Levels
Many enterprise healthcare tech vendors stagnate at level 1 because of a lack of resource commitment, neglecting to establish an owner for content marketing, and a misunderstanding of the role content plays in remedying unfulfilled business goals.
Marketing and sales leadership that invest in a content program that aspires to level 3 and beyond can expect to establish marketing as a revenue center and leverage feedback on content to inform product development, thought leadership, and sales investment.