Over the past few years, we have seen some major shifts in how people find and gather information online.
We might sound like a broken record at this point, but the use of AI is growing as a means of gathering new information.
Many platforms are looking at ways of incorporating it into their offerings. For example, Apple officially announced their first wave of AI features, which incorporates ChatGPT into iOS18. (As of the time of publication of this article, we’re at iOS 17.5.1.)
Google has also rolled out new features that utilize AI to create overviews of certain topics in search results, but the results have been less than ideal. You may have seen some of the viral incorrect results floating around, and Google has admitted that the feature needs some work.
Additionally, social media platforms have also started incorporating AI into their toolsets. If you’ve been on Facebook, Instagram, or even LinkedIn recently, you’ve probably seen some of the new AI features. Beyond that, the use of social media has changed quite a bit in terms of advertising and influencer marketing.
These are all things that we as marketers need to be aware of, because our strategies will need to adapt to these changing behaviors.
How Have Behaviors Shifted for Key Demographics?
Depending on your company’s offerings, you may be marketing to several demographics. Each will have different priorities and different behaviors.
These are some of the behavior changes that have been noted among different groups.
The Business World in General
According to a Forbes Advisor survey (conducted in the spring of 2023), businesses are using AI in several different ways to improve operations, including customer service, cybersecurity and fraud management, customer relationship management, and inventory management. The majority of respondents believed that AI would benefit their business in some way.
However, the same survey found that 1 in 4 business owners were concerned about the potential effects of AI on website traffic, as consumers turn to ChatGPT and other tools rather than more traditional search engines. 43% also worry about becoming too reliant on AI.
Physicians & Healthcare Providers
Physicians are starting to warm up to the idea of using AI, with a Medicus report on 2024 Healthcare Trends noting that 42% of physicians are enthusiastic about the roles AI could potentially play in the workplace down the line.
According to the report, most would consider using AI to improve efficiency with administrative tasks, such as staff and patient scheduling, billing, and coding, hoping that this would allow them to allot more time to patient care. They also see potential value in helping with diagnostic tasks, such as summarizing a patient’s EHR prior to appointments, analyzing imaging and tests, researching conditions, and generating clinical notes from office conversations.
A smaller percentage of healthcare providers said they would consider using AI for diagnostic and treatment recommendations, and analyzing datasets to predict outcomes. As discussed in our podcast episode with Dr. Ronald Razmi, using AI to help with administrative and information-gathering tasks may help to build trust among physicians to consider using AI for diagnosis and treatment-related processes.
Consumers Over the Age of 50
In terms of consumer behavior, it’s helpful to understand what networks and technologies key groups are using, and how they find information.
According to Pew Research, Facebook is the most-used social network for those over the age of 50, with 69% of adults aged 50-64 and 58% of adults aged 65+ saying they use Facebook.
Additionally, AARP reports that while the majority of 50+ adults are aware of AI, they are a bit skeptical of it. Only 9% reported using generative AI tools, and only 31% were excited about its potential benefits. The report also touched on the use of technology to manage chronic conditions; while 69% of adults over 50 have chronic conditions, only 13% were using technology to help them manage those conditions.
When it comes to consumer behavior and researching prior to making a purchase, this group is most often turning to search engines. A PwC survey on consumer behavior notes that 60% of baby boomers (currently aged 58-74) turn to search engines to research prior to a purchase. Even those age 75+ have become comfortable with using search engines to research products, with 58% turning to search engines. However, these age groups are much less likely to gather product information on social media. According to the same survey, 10% or fewer of those aged 58+ use social media for product research.
Consumers Under the Age of 30
In contrast to those over 50, consumers under the age of 30 are more likely to use SnapChat, TikTok, and Instagram, according to SproutSocial. They also tend to be more active on social media compared to other age groups.
According to the PwC survey, consumers under 30 were still most likely to turn to a search engine for product research, but a large percentage also reported turning to social media for that information, with 44% from Gen Z (under age 25) and 38% of young millennials (aged 26-30) using social media for this purpose.
How should medtech companies address these shifts?
Now that consumers have a variety of channels and technologies from which to source information, it’s important for medtech companies to continue publishing relevant content to ensure that they are discovered by these algorithms.
Unfortunately, the algorithms used by search engines, AI tools, and social media tend to favor the larger, more established companies. Smaller and newer companies may have to get a bit scrappy to get visibility. Understanding how and where your target audience seeks information will help you optimize for those channels, though you may have to focus on the more unique aspects of your business to carve out a niche for yourself.
There are also things that your company can do to optimize content for AI algorithms, which will be important as search engines and social networks continue to roll out and improve AI-enabled results. SearchVolume suggests focusing on keyword research, optimizing for intent, structuring your content in a way that is easy to read and understand, and improving the user experience on your website. These things are not radically different from what was recommended pre-AI.
Above all, the focus is on the quality of what you put out. You can no longer get by with just optimizing your content for a few keyword terms. AI algorithms are intelligent enough to understand user intent even more than before, and will be more likely to feature your content if you create content that aligns with the needs of your target audience.
AI may be changing the ways that consumers find information, but the basic principles still remain. Keep focus on the things that will be most useful for your audience, both in content and functionality, and you will be better off for it.
Michael spends a great deal of time with the healthcare industry both professionally and personally, which gives him the perspective of what stakeholders on either side of the care equation need.
He began coding in 2008 and subsequently shifted his attention entirely to online marketing. Michael completed his MBA in 2018, focusing on the intersection of healthcare and marketing.
As the marketing manager, Ashley ensures that our clients’ marketing strategies are put into action. This includes content writing, SEO, online advertising, analytics, and interfacing with the tools, systems, and team members needed to help our clients accomplish their marketing goals.
