Top 5 common health tech PR mistakes to avoid
Navigating the landscape of health tech PR is no easy feat, and even the best companies can stumble. In our latest edition of Health Tech Connect, we’ve identified five common health tech PR mistakes that can undermine your communication strategy. Follow these steps to ensure that your PR campaign resonates with your target audience, elevates your brand and optimises your digital health messaging.
1. Overselling your capabilities
One of the most damaging mistakes in health tech PR is overselling what your solution can deliver. This often manifests as making grandiose promises about future functionality that has not yet been developed or carelessly using buzzwords like ‘AI’ and ‘machine learning’ without substantial backing. Digital health companies can fall into the trap of exaggerating their market readiness or implementation success, creating unrealistic expectations that can harm their credibility when the truth comes to light. Instead, health tech companies should focus on proven, documented capabilities and be transparent about both current limitations and development roadmaps.
2. Misunderstanding your audience
A crucial mistake in health tech PR is the failure to truly understand and adapt to your audience. Companies often stumble by using overly technical language when addressing non-technical stakeholders or oversimplifying messages when communicating with clinical or technical audiences. There is a tendency to overlook the varying priorities of different stakeholders—what resonates with clinicians might not appeal to IT teams or management. Success lies in creating a digital health communications strategy with targeted, persona-based messaging that addresses specific pain points for each audience segment.
3. Poor timing of announcements
Timing can make or break a health tech PR campaign, yet many companies fail to get it right. Common mistakes include launching news during major healthcare conferences, where competition for attention runs high, or not considering critical budget cycles within healthcare organisations. Some companies announce features too far ahead of actual availability, leading to frustrated stakeholders and damaged credibility. Missing important industry deadlines or failing to align with events like Digital Health Rewired or NHS planning cycles can significantly affect the effectiveness of your messaging. The key is to create a strategic PR calendar that aligns with industry events and cycles while also considering partner organisations’ timelines.
4. Neglecting stakeholder communication
A frequent oversight in health tech PR is failing to maintain comprehensive stakeholder communication. This includes not informing internal teams before external announcements, neglecting to brief existing customers about new developments, and overlooking regulatory bodies or compliance requirements. Poor coordination with partners or integrators can result in confused messaging and strained relationships. Additionally, failing to engage clinical advisors or key opinion leaders early in the process can lead to missed opportunities for valuable endorsements and feedback. Success requires developing a thorough stakeholder matrix and following a clear communication sequence for all major announcements.
5. Unclear messaging
Digital health messaging optimization Perhaps the most fundamental PR mistake is unclear messaging. This could be mixing multiple messages in one announcement, lacking a clear call to action, or maintaining inconsistent messaging across different channels. Companies often fail to explain the ‘so what?’ factor – and don’t provide clear evidence or proof points to support their claims. Try to create a clear messaging playbook, ensuring consistency and clarity across all communications channels. Our clients find a messaging workshop is the best place to start to help pull this document together.
We hope these top health tech PR tips help you to enhance your PR strategy and avoid you making costly mistakes. If you’re interested in finding out how we can help with your healthcare PR and marketing, please don’t hesitate to contact us!