Content marketing is a specialized function of marketing that focuses on creating, publishing, and distributing valuable, relevant, and high-value content to attract and engage target audiences. Having been in strategic communications roles for more than three decades, I embrace this model as the modern version of yesteryear’s “integrated communications” approach, where we ensured that content was widely distributed and shared across all the communications channels available to us. Back then there were only a handful of channels where today new channels are popping up every nanosecond, making content marketing programs more opportunistic and increasingly complicated all at the same time.
Content marketing is a smart approach for companies of all sizes, including early stage and maturing companies that want to establish themselves as thought leaders, as well as to build trust, establish industry authority, generate leads, and ultimately drive profitable customer engagements.
It requires creativity to craft compelling stories with helpful information that’s search engine optimized, as well as the discipline to ensure that content is planned out and effectively distributed and leveraged across all communications channels for maximum impact. In today’s fast-paced digital media landscape, simply creating great content and posting it on a company blog isn’t enough. You need a disciplined approach to ensure the great content you worked so hard to create reaches audiences across all the ever-evolving channels available.
I have a mantra – create once, publish and post everywhere possible. The art of repurposing content across all the channels is important. Communications pieces shouldn’t be siloed, they should be shared.
That’s where the PESO model comes in.
Understanding the PESO Model
The PESO model stands for Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned and it is a structured framework for content distribution that ensures your content gains maximum exposure. Let’s break down PESO across the four areas and the common channels and forums within each.
Paid Media includes traditional and digital advertising where companies pay for visibility. It quickly expands reach, driving targeted website traffic and increasing brand awareness. Common paid media channels include:
Social media ads (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, etc.)
Pay-per-click (PPC) search engine advertising
Display advertising (banner ads, retargeting, and programmatic ads)
Sponsored content and paid influencer partnerships
Streaming ads on Hulu, NetFlix, Amazon Prime, etc.
Traditional media such as TV, radio, billboards
Earned Media is exposure gained through third-party entities. Earned media is just that – earned (not paid for). And it’s one of the most credible forms of media in the PESO model. It comes from external sources that provide the added value of independent validation for your company – its expertise, opinion, innovation or product. Earned media includes:
Press coverage (features, quotes, and mentions in the media)
Industry awards and recognitions
Speaking engagements at conferences and industry events
Coverage in industry analyst reports and recommendations
Shared Media involves organic content distribution through social engagement. Shared media is a critical component for consumer brands and is often an underutilized area for B2B companies. This includes:
Social media shares and engagements
User-generated content (customers organically sharing experiences with your brand)
Brand/company mentions and hashtags
Organic, non-paid influencer engagement
Community discussions (LinkedIn groups, Reddit, industry forums)
Owned Media refers to content that a company owns and thus directly controls. These channels are essential because they allow companies to manage their messaging, share stories and provide valuable resources to their audiences. Examples include:
Blog posts and company website content
Whitepapers, case studies, e-books, infographics, reports and other informational resources
Webinars, podcasts, and newsletters
Sales presentations and corporate reports
News releases
For a content marketing strategy to be successful, all four PESO areas and the many channels and forums nested within each should be considered.
Don’t just do a webinar – leverage the content across as many channels as possible. Don’t just do a news release on a news wire service, create a blog about bylined directly from an on-staff expert offering a personal perspective, post it to your newsroom and create social media posts. And that high-value earned media coverage, share it everywhere – work it into speaking engagements, awards applications, sales presentations, marketing collateral, social media channels, investor decks and more.
Content marketing isn’t just about creating high-impact and useful content – it involves strategic distribution and integration across multiple communication channels and touchpoints. By following the PESO model and maximizing earned media through smart distribution, companies can enhance their credibility and position themselves as true industry thought leaders.
In today’s content-saturated landscape, thought leadership bylines remains a powerful tool for building credibility and influence. For example, 88% of decision-makers believe high-quality thought leadership content improves their perception of an organization, yet 71% say less than half of what they read actually provides valuable insights, according to statistics cited by The New York Times.
This gap underscores the importance of crafting compelling, meaningful bylines that stand out. To increase your chances of publication and audience engagement, consider these three essential tips.
Go easy on the self-promotion: The quickest way to lose credibility in a thought leadership piece is to turn it into a sales pitch. While it’s tempting to highlight your company’s solutions, most publications require bylines to be vendor-neutral. Readers seek valuable industry insights, not an extended advertisement. Instead of pushing products or services, share a fresh perspective, unique data, or a forward-thinking analysis of an industry trend. If your content provides genuine value, readers will naturally associate that expertise with your brand, enhancing its reputation without overt self-promotion.
Focus on an industry problem: Readers engage with content that resonates with their professional challenges. A strong byline should tackle a pressing industry issue and offer actionable insights, not just general observations. Rather than reiterating well-known problems, take a deeper dive: Offer a counterintuitive take, present real-world case studies, or challenge conventional wisdom. For example, instead of writing about how digital transformation is crucial in healthcare, explore why certain digital initiatives fail and what organizations can do differently. Thought leadership isn’t about stating the obvious; it’s about advancing the conversation in a meaningful way.
Respect your readers’ time: In an era where executives and professionals are inundated with content, brevity is key. Editors and readers prefer bylines that get straight to the point, typically around 800 words. If your article stretches beyond that, tighten your argument by removing fluff and redundant points. Strong, concise writing improves engagement and increases the likelihood of publication. Aim for clarity over complexity, and ensure every paragraph serves a purpose.
Final thoughts A well-crafted byline can elevate your thought leadership profile, but only if it aligns with industry standards and reader expectations. By prioritizing valuable insights over self-promotion, addressing real industry challenges, and keeping your content concise, you enhance your chances of making a lasting impact. As the data suggests, high-quality thought leadership matters, so take the time to refine your byline and provide content that truly informs and engages your audience.
In healthcare technology, trust isn’t just a marketing goal—it’s the foundation of success. While established healthcare brands leverage decades of reputation, startups face the unique challenge of building credibility from scratch in a sector where mistakes can have serious consequences.
Leveraging Expertise Strategically
Your team’s credentials and experience are your first trust-building assets. However, many health tech startups underutilize these valuable proof points. Beyond simple bio pages, consider developing thought leadership content that showcases your team’s deep understanding of healthcare challenges and solutions. Regular blog posts, whitepapers, and speaking engagements help position your experts as reliable voices in the field.
Data-Driven Credibility
Original research and survey data are powerful trust-building tools. Consider conducting annual industry surveys that explore healthcare technology trends, challenges, and adoption patterns. This primary research can fuel an integrated content strategy:
Transform survey insights into comprehensive ebooks and whitepapers
Create press releases highlighting key findings for media coverage
Develop social media campaigns featuring data points and infographics
Gate premium content to capture leads while building authority
Use data points in media pitches to secure coverage and commentary opportunities
This approach positions your startup as a knowledge leader while generating valuable marketing and PR opportunities. Media particularly value exclusive data, making your startup a go-to source for industry insights.
Establishing Partnerships
Strategic partnerships with established healthcare institutions can significantly accelerate trust-building. Whether it’s pilot programs with hospitals, research collaborations with medical schools, or integration partnerships with established health tech platforms, these relationships signal credibility to your target market.
Many successful health tech startups begin by focusing on a single respected partner, perfecting their solution in a real world environment before expanding. This approach provides valuable case studies and testimonials—essential tools for building broader market trust.
Demonstrating Compliance and Security
In healthcare, compliance isn’t just about checking boxes—it’s about protecting patients. Clear communication about your regulatory compliance status, security measures, and data protection protocols is crucial. Consider creating dedicated security and compliance content hubs that explain complex requirements in accessible terms.
Be transparent about your current stage and future roadmap. If you’re still working toward certain certifications, communicate your progress and commitment to meeting industry standards.
Creating Evidence-Based Content
Healthcare decisions require solid evidence. Develop content that demonstrates both your solution’s effectiveness and your understanding of healthcare’s complexities. This might include:
Detailed case studies with measurable outcomes
Research collaborations and clinical validation studies
Regular analysis of healthcare trends and challenges
Clear explanations of your technology’s scientific foundation
Building Media Relationships
Focus on building relationships with healthcare technology journalists and influencers before you need coverage. Provide them with genuine insights, exclusive data, and expertise, not just company news. When you do have news to share, these established relationships will help ensure more informed, credible coverage.
Leveraging Agency Expertise
For many health tech startups, partnering with an experienced communications agency can accelerate trust-building efforts. The right agency brings established media relationships, content development expertise, and integrated campaign experience. They can coordinate media and analyst relations while developing compelling content that showcases your expertise.
However, success requires more than just hiring an agency. Designate a dedicated in-house resource to serve as the primary liaison. This person should facilitate content approvals, coordinate subject matter expert interviews, and monitor industry developments that could fuel new content or media opportunities. This partnership approach ensures your agency can execute effectively while maintaining alignment with your company’s goals and expertise.
The Long Game
Trust in healthcare technology isn’t built overnight. A consistent, multi-channel approach focused on expertise, evidence, and transparency will gradually establish your startup as a credible player in the healthcare ecosystem. Remember, in healthcare technology, trust isn’t just about marketing—it’s about demonstrating your commitment to improving patient outcomes and advancing healthcare delivery through validated, data-driven approaches.
Smart healthcare companies invest in creating a quality digital presence, primary through their websites. I’ve launched my share of sites over the years and can tell you that a lot of planning, debate, creativity, and effort go into every facet of a company’s website, whether it’s brand new or overdue for a revamp.
Decisions must be made about everything that appears on a website – sections, design, images, and content. Writing content for a website is one of the most challenging jobs in content creation because you are under immense pressure to grab visitors immediately or risk losing them forever. A Chartbeat analysis of user behavior across 2 billion website visits showed that 55% of visitors stayed on a page for less than 15 seconds.
That’s why every word should contribute to telling a company’s story and positioning that company as unique in its market. I know from personal experience that creating website copy is a painstaking process of writing, rewriting, rewriting, hating your life, and rewriting. You can’t just dash off website copy! But the hard work invariably pays off for companies when their dazzling new website is launched.
While many startups are happy just to get their sites live – and it is an accomplishment – others have content plans that extend beyond the launch, such as a blog page. Which is shrewd because a steady stream of original content can demonstrate a company’s “thought leadership,” the ability of its executives to understand the business-critical issues and pain points facing its customer base. Further, blogs provide an opportunity for startups to establish a human connection (podcasts also are excellent for this) with potential customers, partners and investors.
Unfortunately, many startup blogs begin with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and then succumb to the harsh realities of continual content generation. Maybe the team member who championed the blog and did the bulk of the writing got another job. Maybe the CEO or CMO are too busy to contribute the monthly posts they promised. Stuff happens.
The problem is that a blog page containing only three or four posts, of which the most recent was from two years ago, doesn’t reflect well on your company. It looks like you don’t follow through or you ran out of ideas. Worse, you’re losing a chance to showcase the thought leadership that can separate you from your competitors in the minds of potential customers. Remember, many visitors to your site are actively searching for a solution. Your thought leadership content, in conjunction with the marketing content you perfected prior to the website launch, can be the differentiator that wins business for your company.
A blog page (or a section for videos or podcasts) won’t help your business at all, however, if it’s gathering cobwebs. I would argue that no thought leadership content is better than outdated content or a threadbare page.
Indeed, many healthcare startups make a conscious decision not to create a steady stream of content for their site, opting instead to focus their full efforts on the products and services they offer. That’s a valid decision if they truly lack the internal resources or budget to sustain a quality content creation program. And I suspect most visitors to a healthcare startup’s website probably don’t judge the company based on its lack of a blog. Conversely, a thinly populated and outdated blog/video/podcast section may leave a bad impression to website visitors, who likely won’t return.
Healthcare startups don’t have to publish fresh content every day or even every week to have a successful content strategy. Even a blog post a month can help you deliver your message and raise your profile if the content offers something of value for visitors. It can’t just be generic blather that checks off SEO boxes and gives you something to share on social media. Your content should position your company as a unique voice addressing serious, specific business challenges with effective solutions.
If your company lacks the bandwidth or skill set internally to produce content on a regular basis, freelancers can fill the gap, though the quality of content producers out there can vary wildly. That’s why working with an agency such as Amendola Communications is a sensible option. A marketing/communications agency specializing in healthcare can match the right writer to the right client, increasing the odds that the client’s content strategy pays off.
Website content isn’t easy and it isn’t free. But it can be incredibly valuable if it helps raise a company’s profile, which can attract customers, the media, and investors. Consistency and quality are the keys.
When news came down the Thursday before HIMSS20 was set to begin that the conference had been cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns, it was tough to tell whether that loud sigh that rippled across America was relief or exasperation.
On the one hand, everyone who was on pins and needles waiting to see if their projects and presentations would be done on time were likely relieved to dodge a deadline bullet. Managers who weren’t sure whether it was prudent to send key staff to a potential covid-19 incubator (including me, quite frankly) were happy to have that responsibility taken off their shoulders.
Still, a lot of time, money and effort went into preparing for HIMSS20, and many health IT companies were counting on it to help them boost sales. They had to feel like Bluto Blutarsky (the late, great John Belushi) in Animal House after discovering Delta House had been expelled from campus, who famously said “Seven years of college down the drain.”
(I was going to share a video clip of that statement, but the only one I could find is definitely not safe for work. So you’ll just have to see it in your mind.)
Yet now that the initial shock has passed, it’s time to remember an even more famous Bluto quote: “Nothing is over until we decide it is!”
Yes, HIMSS is putting together virtual conference, which may be helpful. (I say “may be” because they’ve never tried it before so it will be a learning experience for all.) Regardless, however, there’s no need to wait for or count on the virtual conference to fulfill your HIT marketing needs. Because there is plenty you can do on your own to turn those frowns upside down. Here are a few examples:
Turn announcements and presentations into your own virtual events. Even if you’ve never done them before there is plenty of technology that makes creating webinars, podcasts and virtual roundtables even than ever. Especially if you have a great HIT-focused agency like Amendola to help.
Reschedule in-person demos and meetings as phone calls/online meet-ups. That time was set aside anyway. See if you can keep the appointment virtually.
Convert your HIMSS messaging into content pieces such as data sheets, infographics, white papers, case studies, videos, etc. Don’t forget customer presentations too. They can easily be converted into case studies, byline articles and sometimes even journal articles.
Take the effort you would have put into follow-up calls and emails after the conference and do them now.
Share everything you’ve created on social media. It’s probably the ideal time, because with more people working from home, or staying in rather than going out, social media is getting more attention than ever. Use all the channels available to you LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and wherever else you think your customers and prospects will be.
Yes, the cancelling of the live, in-person HIMSS20 conference may have seemed like a disaster. But it doesn’t have to be.
With a little creativity, and perhaps a little help from your friendly neighborhood PR and marketing agency, your final take will echo Delta House’s Flounder:
