Creating healthcare content? Think WIIFM.

Writing for hospitals and healthcare systems can be tricky. The institutions sometimes lose sight of what’s really important in the technology-provider-patient triangle: WIIFM – what’s in it, for me?

The focus is on benefits. And benefits. And benefits. The consumer cares about one thing and one thing only: WIIFM. That drives the arc of the story – and as the content creator, you are responsible to shepherd your subject matter experts towards answering that paramount question. It illuminates your background research, your prose, your interviews, meetings – and every creative concept you forge.

WIIFM is all that matters. But it’s not that straightforward.

I’ve written for healthcare organizations for over 25 years, including some of the best: Harvard Medical School, University of Pennsylvania, Geisinger, HealthSouth plus dozens more. And I am still taken aback when WWIFM gets lost in the sauce. But it’s not all that surprising, really. It’s not that the powers-that-be are callous or misdirected. On the contrary; with very few exceptions, they work daily and tirelessly to deliver the best possible care with limited available resources.

The problem comes with that daily, 24/7 commitment. They can get buried in the details of budgeting, negotiating, purchasing, hiring and building – all while trying earnestly to balance the politics of the board of directors,  donors, employees, general public and medical staff. It ain’t easy. Although all the stakeholders work together every day to keep the care flowing, each faction has its own interests and priorities – often in conflict with the faction on the other side of the hallway.

So, every advance in healthcare is a victory after a valiant battle – whether hiring a $250,000 new medical director or building a $500 million new hospital. And dodging shrapnel in the heat of battle generally makes a stronger impression than the strategic policy that led to the shrapnel-dodging in the first place. So the battle is what veterans tend to talk about.

Creating healthcare content the client likes isn’t too difficult. What’s harder is forging content the client likes and carries a meaningful punch for the consumer. That’s the balancing act.

The battle is important, for sure. Address it, give credit where credit is due and sing appropriate praises to the process that raised the bar of leading-edge care. But don’t bury the lede, whether it’s a print concept, web page, video script, slim-jim brochure or social media. Rule 1, WIIFM? Rule 2, see Rule 1. Examples below.

We could have focused on upholstery and wallpaper. Fortunately for the client, the ER wasn’t actually open yet so the concept could highlight on the right thing, instead. Click image to biggerize.

Convenient basic care, no appointment needed. What’s in it for Mom?
Keeping Colleen tumbling, that’s what.

At the risk of crystal-balling, I predict that if the client designed this ad, the doctors’ mugshots would have dominated, above the fold. I put the cabash on that idea.

The client mostly wanted to talk about the machine that goes “ping,” 3D digital blah blah blah. And I wondered – what’s in it for everybody? Breast cancer affects the whole community, not just the women fighting it. And a campaign was born.