Aligning advertising with practical resources for anesthesiologists

Advertisers targeting anesthesiologists can leverage peer-reviewed content, clinical data, and clinical guidelines in their promotions to drive engagement.

Physicians across specialties are similar in how they prioritize, access, and trust professional content. But noticeable differences also exist between specialties — behaviors advertisers can make use of to engage physicians within each specialty more effectively.

Consider anesthesiologists. Like most physicians, most anesthesiologists (64.9%) consider peer-reviewed online medical journals the most credible online source in terms of professional resources. But recent data from Lippincott® indicates anesthesiologists are more attuned to practical guidance within peer-reviewed content — including best practices, clinical guidelines, evidence-based content, answers to clinical questions, and specificity in general.

What’s more, anesthesiologists have unique ideas as to what makes for credible promotional or advertising content within their preferred professional materials. Advertisers who align successful promotional content with the practical resources that anesthesiologists prefer are best positioned to engage this unique group successfully.

Four tips for engaging anesthesiologists with your promotions

A recent industry study conducted by Lippincott* uncovered key contributing factors to anesthesiologists’ perceptions of credibility in advertising. Below are four tips to help plan your next advertising campaign.

1. Choose publications with practical guidelines for your promotions

Anesthesiologists want content they can immediately use in their practice, and they trust resources that provide specific, actionable guidance for this purpose. That’s why in addition to peer-reviewed content, most anesthesiologists consider practical guidelines either their first (17.1%), second (31.7%), or third (14.6%) most influential content type among seven options available.

When creating promotional content for anesthesiologists, consider how you can tie your products or services to specific clinical guidelines they follow closely. Your goal is to demonstrate to anesthesiologists how your products align with or help them meet those guidelines. You might even suggest resources they can use to make informed decisions about your products.

2. Position promotional content in sections separate from core resource content

Anesthesiologists are less likely to want promotional content interspersed with the practical resource content they’re reading for guidance. Compared to all physicians in sum (16.1%), more anesthesiologists (24.4%) believe industry-sponsored messages should reside in a separate section of a publication — and that doing so adds credibility to those messages.

When planning your next advertising campaign for anesthesiologists, work with the publication team to determine where your promotions will appear in relation to the resource content anesthesiologists are reading. You might also consider using an annotation or other visual cue to help anesthesiologists identify your content as promotional material.

3. Keep promotional content brief and compelling

Anesthesiologists want concise, compelling content that quickly gets to the point. Indeed, most anesthesiologists (78.1%) claim they do not have enough time to read everything they want. This is an important consideration as you plan your advertising campaigns — be sure your promotional content is brief, to the point, and easy for anesthesiologists to scan quickly.

Anesthesiologists are also more likely than all physicians in sum to believe well-designed and visually appealing advertisements increase their credibility. In addition to keeping promotional content brief, advertisers who consider visual appeal when planning their ad campaigns are more likely to engage anesthesiologists successfully.

4. Include peer-reviewed research that substantiates your claims

When creating promotional content for anesthesiologists, be sure to include any relevant peer-reviewed research that supports your claims. Most anesthesiologists (61.0%) believe independent peer-reviewed research within advertisements that supports or substantiates their claims adds credibility to those promotions.

Highlight this research prominently within your promotions so that anesthesiologists can easily find it and assess its credibility for themselves. Doing so will help anesthesiologists feel confident about the products and services you’re promoting.

A strategic partnership can help

Anesthesiologists have unique preferences and needs when it comes to the content they trust, which means advertisers must tailor their ad campaigns accordingly. A strategic partner can help you identify resources that fit the mold in terms of anesthesiologists’ preferences. With the right resources and expertise at your disposal, you can create an ad campaign that anesthesiologists are more likely to find trustworthy — and ultimately successful.

Partner with Lippincott® HCP Access

The experts at Lippincott® HCP Access ensure your brand is delivering the right message, in the right format, at the right time. Contact an expert when you’re ready for personalized advice on a successful anesthesiology content strategy.

*From October 2021 to January 2022, Lippincott managed a survey blinded under the “HealthMedResearch” moniker to 1,013 qualified healthcare practitioners. This article highlights data about anesthesiologists, which were part of that sample.