Colorectal cancer marketing is hard. There, I said it. The typical call to action (screenings) is not a pleasant thought for anyone — even though it can save your life. Unfortunately, while the number of people being screened had been rising, the pandemic reversed that progress. Thus, it is more important than ever to figure out effective marketing tactics for this condition.

As I had the pleasure of sharing some thoughts around marketing to sensitive conditions at a past SHSMD conference, I have these three timely suggestions.

 

1. Take Advantage of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

With March being Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, you can leverage the messaging other organizations are doing. Consider it a free boost, or an echo chamber to amplify the outreach you do. We all know it takes significant repetition for consumers to respond. So any time they are hearing the same thing from multiple sources can only help. Health awareness months are one of the few times the background noise coalesces into a megaphone for good. So take advantage of the synergy. Furthermore, a quick Google search can help turn up free resources (like these and these,) to aid with your promotion of cancer screenings.

 

2. Use Humor for Effective Colorectal Cancer Marketing

Another tip? Consider injecting a little bit of humor into your campaigns. This can be especially effective for sensitive subjects like this one. One of my favorite campaigns from my days as a hospital-based marketer was simply a shiny red Corvette with the tagline: Time for routine maintenance on your tailpipe. This approach can work because consumers see themselves as people, not patients. Also, images of shiny, happy people sitting at a computer, on the golf course, or walking their dog are overdone. Appropriately-placed humor with a solid call-to-action, can be make your message stand out. It’s not about making light of cancer—it’s about alleviating the heaviness of what is a potentially scary procedure.

Here are a few more our team came up with:

 

3. Health Assessments: Because Some People Require Extra Motivation to Schedule a Screening

Speaking of a solid call to action, our Colorectal Cancer Risk Assessment works great for those consumers interested in learning more about their risk but who are not ready to schedule a screening. And honestly, that probably describes a lot of us. Some people just need to see it in black and white before they take action. Even better, the HRA personalizes the recommendations so everyone is getting the advice that is right for them. Plus, as this is a sensitive topic, they can digest the recommendations in privacy, at their convenience.

Furthermore, they are a perfect match for Facebook promotions during the awareness month. We see huge spikes in completions when our HRAs are paired with effective social marketing campaigns. Also, in the included follow-up emails sent out by our system, you can include valuable secondary content. For example, doctor profiles, misconceptions about screening procedures, information about preparation, and even scheduling links. Plus, the included Follow-Up Strategy Guide has additional recommended messaging to help you make the most of every completion.

If you don’t have our Colon Cancer HRA, there is still time to get one before March. Contact us if you want to know more. If you already have it, let us know if you want help in optimizing it. We’d love to talk strategy with you!

 

Hope these tips were helpful! Thanks for reading!