CASE STUDY

What headlines make GPs stop and engage? — and how you can create them

With Australian GPs playing a pivotal role in frontline healthcare, managing diverse and complex patient needs, it is critical for them to stay up to date with the latest medical information.

However, rapid advancements in medical research, guidelines, and treatments are only of value if GPs are made aware of them and take the time to read and understand the information.

Content created for GPs that is concise, relevant, and easy to consume is more likely to be read and acted upon, as it aligns with their demanding schedules and helps them integrate new knowledge into practice efficiently.

So the key question is, “What makes GPs stop and engage?” – and how you can implement these learning’s.

From reviewing a number of highly successful GP engagement campaigns across AusDoc for a broad range of therapy areas and drug types, several key insights can be extracted to enhance pharma and GP engagement:

1. Maximising Content Resonance

Emphasise Practical and Actionable Insights:

Content that provides tangible benefits for a GP’s practice, such as treatment guidelines, quick-reference materials, or expert videos, consistently outperformed other content.
Specifically, headlines offering guidance, tips, or clear benefits such as “What doctors need to know” or “fast facts and prescribing tips” were on average, more effective in creating engagement.

Highlight Novelty and Relevance:

Campaigns that highlighted novel or “game-changing” treatments achieved higher click-through rates by focusing on innovative and compelling messaging. Selectively leveraging words like “gamechanger,” “next generation,” and “revolution” resonated well with GPs seeking new solutions.
Create Curiosity: Headlines that suggest unique insights or challenge conventional understanding draw greater attention e.g., “Top 5 skin conditions easily confused with …”

2. Timing, Location and Delivery

After-Hours Engagement:

Across all campaigns, the majority of GPs engaged after their working hours, suggesting that targeted delivery or availability during these times can improve reach and engagement.

Localisation and Accessibility:

Significant engagement occurred among GPs working and living outside of major cities, many of whom due to their physical distance, are not called on by face-to-face pharma reps or cannot easily attend in-person education events. Therefore, content must be designed to be easily accessible to those in regional and remote areas.

3. Digital Mediums and Formats

Email Campaigns:

Solus eDM campaigns consistently demonstrated high open and click-through rates, emphasising the value of targeted email outreach.

Video Content:

Short, expert-led videos with actionable insights achieved notable engagement. Incorporating more video assets could further enhance campaign effectiveness.

AusDoc Platform:

Branded content and microsites on AusDoc were particularly effective in driving engagement and lead generation. With over 50K GPs and specialists, ensuring a presence on AusDoc with tailored content is crucial.

4. Creative Execution

Strong Headlines:

Headlines that are concise and emphasise practical benefits or innovative aspects performed better than those with general or abstract messaging.

High-Quality Visuals:

Engaging visuals, particularly those aligned with patient or GP-centric narratives, are recommended and should be seen as a priority.

Let’s review some top-performing headlines across recent campaigns

Note: We have removed any reference to brand names or other information that would make them easily identifiable.

Campaign A

“XXX dubbed a potential ‘gamechanger’ by dermatologist”
Click-Through-Rate (CTR): 3.6x industry average

“Top 5 skin conditions easily confused with XXX”
CTR: 2.7x industry average

“Why this next generation drug is a game-changer”
CTR: 2.5x industry average

Campaign B

“XXX Management: Why 2024 marks a new era in XXX control”
CTR: 3.4x industry average

“Something Needs to Change: Improve XXX Management in Australia”

CTR: 1.9x industry average

Campaign C

“What doctors need to know to counsel patients about XXX management”
CTR: 3.2x site average

“What health care professionals recommend for XXX”
CTR: 2.8x site average

Check List: Key Takeaways & tactics you need to know

Highlight Novelty and Innovation: Words like “gamechanger,” “next generation,” and “revolution” resonate well with GPs seeking new solutions.
Emphasise Practicality: Headlines offering guidance, tips, or clear benefits (e.g., “What doctors need to know” or “fast facts and prescribing tips”) are effective.
Create Curiosity: Headlines that suggest unique insights or challenge conventional understanding e.g., “Top 5 skin conditions easily confused with XXX” draw attention.

Using these approaches can significantly improve the appeal and click-through rates of future campaigns.

Discover the headlines that engage GPs — and how AusDoc can help you leverage them – Contact the AusDoc team to discuss creating a successful campaign now.