Cardinal Digital Marketing

Don’t let social media changes derail your 2025 campaigns. Between Meta’s new privacy rules and TikTok’s uncertain future, healthcare marketers have plenty to keep an eye on. Our latest newsletter breaks down what’s happening, why it matters, and how you can stay ahead. Get ready to connect with today’s patients, no matter what comes next.

Healthcare marketers have historically had access to the same tools as any other industry (remarketing and conversion campaigns). But come January 2025, Meta will be categorizing healthcare companies into two groups: fully restricted and partially restricted. Here’s what this means for your Meta marketing strategy: ♾️ Meta’s Categorization: If your company treats a single condition or is a specialist, you may fall into the fully restricted category. This means you won’t be able to use conversion campaigns via the Pixel or Conversion API. 🙅♂️ Partially Restricted? Multi-service providers like hospitals may face fewer restrictions, but the specifics are still being determined. You might still be able to use standard events for some campaigns. 📲 Impact on Your Campaigns: You will need to evaluate the effectiveness of engagement and traffic campaigns, as conversion-based optimizations will be limited. This will require a shift in strategy to focus on video views or traffic signals. 😃 Audience Creation: The ability to create lookalike audiences using first-party data will be affected. You’ll need to explore alternative methods for audience targeting. 👣Next Steps? If you anticipate being partially restricted, consider transitioning from custom conversions to standard lead events to maintain some level of optimization. Here’s the deal: If you rely on Meta’s pixel or Conversion API for retargeting or Lookalike audiences, now is the time to act. Audit your data sources in Meta Events Manager, take a privacy-first approach, and focus on building a full-funnel strategy that doesn’t lean too heavily on any one platform. It’s a lot, but staying ahead of these changes now will save you headaches later. Check out our full podcast episode for more clarity on the impending update: https://bit.ly/41FqFbN

Your website is not just a key touchpoint in the patient journey, it's the digital front door to your brand. And a weak presence can thwart acquisition efforts. You need solid user experience to turn your website into a powerful 'digital front door' that can boost conversions. Here are a few key tips to keep in mind: ⭐ First impressions matter — invest in your digital front door ⭐ Overcome conversion barriers with better navigation, UX & UI, and clear messaging ⭐ Ensure users can access your website across ability levels & device types ⭐ Engaging experiences matter — surprise & delight users through depth of resources, interactive tools, & personalization ⭐ Leverage research-based resources, including performance data, online user data, & user test result repositories As we head into 2025, focus on these principles, and you’ll be ready to welcome today’s consumers through a digital front door that’s as inviting, accessible, and engaging as the care you provide.

What a weekend in Savannah! Our WHOLE team (on-site and remote) got together to celebrate success, indulge in some seriously good eats, and sing a little too much karaoke…🎤✨ Sure, we survived a bus breakdown (definitely a story for later)... But beyond the laughs, late-night jams, and historic strolls, this trip reminded us why we’re here: to help patients find the care they need, when they need it. Our bond only grows stronger as we head into 2025 with renewed energy and purpose. Here’s to working together, pushing boundaries, and connecting even more patients with care in 2025—cheers to what’s ahead!

Meta is changing in January 2025. For the first time, Meta is implementing restrictions on how healthcare groups can use their advertising features. Here’s what’s happening, why it’s happening, and what you should plan to do about it. ♾️ What is Changing? Meta will categorize all ad data sources (like pixels, ConversionAPI, and domains) into two groups for healthcare: Fully Restricted Properties: No website conversion campaigns allowed. Examples: condition-specific domains like treatmigraines.com. Mid Restricted Properties: Lower-funnel (BOF) optimizations, such as broader domains like hospital websites, will be limited. 📲 What Media Managers Should Do Right Now: Audit your data source categorization. ✅Go to Events Manager in Meta. ✅Select your pixel or other data source. ✅Click on Settings → Manage Categories. You won’t know your final categorization until later this year, but there may be an appeal process once categorizations are confirmed. 💡How This Impacts Strategy These changes only affect bottom-of-funnel (BOF) campaigns and audience creation: Pixel/CAPI Audiences: Retargeting and Lookalike Audiences based on BOF actions (e.g., form submissions) may be restricted or unavailable. BOF Optimizations: Shift to tracking key actions like button clicks (“Fill Form”) instead of completed submissions to maintain performance. 🔎 What Stays the Same? TOF Campaigns: Top-of-funnel strategies remain unchanged.  Lead Forms: No changes reported—lead form campaigns remain unaffected. 💢 Don’t Panic, Plan Ahead You’ve got this. These changes mean healthcare marketers need to work a bit harder, but effective campaigns are still absolutely possible. For an in-depth look at Meta’s 2025 updates, check out our article that walks through the full update: https://bit.ly/3VDC3kS If you need help, we’re here to support you. We can audit your campaigns, review your data sources, and advise on the best strategies and next steps to keep things running smoothly!

Full nest alert! 🪺🎄 We've got all our ATLiens + remote Flockers under one roof. There’s nothing like working together (IN PERSON), building stronger relationships, and collaborating to help connect more patients with the care they need. And the fun’s just getting started—we’re heading to Savannah this weekend for our holiday party! Here’s to the amazing team that makes Cardinal what it is. 🥂✨

Building your 2025 roadmap? Don’t leave digital stranded on an island. It’s got to connect to the big picture… AKA your business goals. Start by syncing up on what your organization needs most, from expanding into new markets to improving cost efficiency. Talk to operations and get the right data to chart your growth trajectory. The sooner you know the priorities, the sooner you can lay the tracks to success. Roadmaps built with full alignment lead to smarter strategies and better results. Need help with your 2025 roadmap? Check out our latest episode of Ignite where we teach you how to set clear goals and build a roadmap that keeps your strategy on track: https://bit.ly/4g42cl5

If your marketing team isn’t synced with ops on which locations are swamped and which are starving… you’ll keep burning budget steering patients into spots that can’t handle them all while underutilized locations sit empty. Which means frustrated patients, wasted budget, and zero growth. “If we are not looking at the access to care and capacity utilization of each provider and each practice, it falls on deaf ears. You can do all the marketing or operational things you want to try and retain patients, but if you don’t have the capacity to take on what you’re already handling, first, you can never grow.” —Allison Horn, MBA, VP of Marketing at Imagen Dental Partners When marketing teams understand service line revenue goals, patient LTV, and capacity constraints, they can build smarter roadmaps for campaigns. It’s not about ignoring smaller service lines or only focusing on the biggest moneymakers—it’s about prioritizing with purpose. By syncing with ops and the C-suite, you’ll know where to invest and where to pull back, turning a finite budget into efficient campaigns that actually move the needle. Strong alignment means stronger outcomes—for your patients, your budget, and your bottom line. Period.

Spotify Wrapped… but make it healthcare marketing. 🎧 We’ve been listening to the top healthcare marketing leaders, diving into the data, and the results are in. These are THE top hits shaping the industry going into 2025. With rising healthcare costs, patients are acting more like savvy shoppers—comparing options, costs, and convenience before they hit “add to playlist.” Basically, you need to connect with patients on their terms and make sure your marketing efforts are backed by smart strategies that get results. Check out our blog ‘Healthcare Marketing Trends in 2025: Marketers Doing More’ to dive into ALL the trends and make sure your strategy is hitting all the right beats: https://bit.ly/3BhJ2Jc

Think social media is just for younger audiences? Think again. Across all healthcare verticals, platforms like Facebook—and even TikTok—are becoming key tools to connect with consumers in authentic, engaging ways. 💙 Use social media as a window into the real experiences your brand creates 💙 Capture and share genuine moments that resonate with your audience 💙 Break stereotypes—platforms like TikTok can surprise and delight while expanding your reach Tune into our latest episode of Ignite with special guest Kristy Ruppe Craddock, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Commonwealth Senior Living to learn how to create a digital strategy to connect with not just one… but multiple target audiences! Listen here: https://bit.ly/41dF5Qk