Navigating Challenges in Academic Medical Center Marketing

Academic medical centers (AMCs) operate at the intersection of healthcare, education, and research—each with distinct audiences and challenges. Recently, top experts participated in a Strategic Health Care Marketing webinar sponsored by Primacy, including Charlie DeLong, VP of Technology at Primacy; Suzanne Hendery, CMO at Renown Health; Don Stanziano, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer at Banner Health; and Tara Coyle, Web Director at Medical University of South Carolina. The panel was moderated by Therese Lockemy, Founder and Principal Consultant at Inner Path Digital. The panel discussed strategies AMCs can use to refine their digital marketing efforts, engage audiences more effectively, and drive long-term growth.

This market has many challenges, especially balancing the needs of patients, students, researchers, and healthcare providers within a highly regulated industry. Simultaneously, consumer expectations for seamless, digital-first experiences continue to rise, putting pressure on AMCs to modernize their online presence. Budget constraints add another layer of complexity, forcing marketing teams to do more with less while justifying their impact to key stakeholders. Rapid advancements in AI, changing data privacy regulations, and evolving search behaviors further complicate digital strategies.

It's easy to let these challenges and uncertainty keep organizations on the sidelines, waiting for things to unfold. However, there is an opportunity to actually lean in and lead amidst the uncertainty. This is the time to double down on innovation and think about where we can be more efficient, how we can optimize our tech stack, where we can do more with less, and meet audiences where they are.

Strategy #1: Break Down Marketing Silos

One of the biggest hurdles for AMCs is the fragmentation of marketing efforts across different departments. Many institutions operate in silos, leading to disjointed digital experiences for patients, students, and researchers.

“A unified digital experience is key,” DeLong explained. “When patients, students, and researchers visit your website, they should feel like they’re interacting with a single, cohesive institution—not a series of disconnected entities.”

A prospective patient might search for a specialist, land on a department page with outdated information, and then struggle to make an appointment because the scheduling system isn’t integrated across departments. Similarly, a medical student may find it difficult to navigate between academic programs and research opportunities due to inconsistencies in site structure and content strategy. To solve these issues, AMCs must establish strong internal governance frameworks that ensure alignment between marketing, IT, and clinical teams. Regular cross-departmental meetings, shared content guidelines, and centralized digital experience platforms (DXPs) can help create a more unified approach.

Strategy #2: Leverage Data for Personalization

AMCs have access to vast user data, yet many struggle to make it actionable. Organizations have fragmented data systems, with patient or student information often siloed across different EHR platforms, CRM tools, and website analytics. These fragmented data systems lead to inefficiencies in marketing campaigns and patient communications. AMCs should focus on investing in data unification strategies, either through customer data platforms or AI-driven analytics tools.

AI-driven behavioral insights can help identify patients at risk of appointment no-shows, triggering automated reminders or alternative scheduling options. Similarly, prospective students exploring online programs can be nurtured through targeted email workflows based on their browsing behavior and past interactions with the institution’s website.

Strategy #3: Meet the Audience Where They Are With SEO and Content Strategy

Despite its potential to improve patient access, search engine optimization (SEO) is often overlooked in AMC marketing. Too often, organizations create content based on what they want to say rather than what their audience is actually searching for. A successful SEO and content strategy requires an audience-centric approach that aligns with search intent and user-friendly language.

To improve search visibility, AMCs should focus on:

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): Google prioritizes content from credible sources, making it essential for medical organizations to publish expert-driven content that’s well-cited and reliable.
Long-tail keyword targeting: Instead of just optimizing for broad terms like “cancer treatment,” incorporating patient-friendly, question-based queries like “What are the early signs of breast cancer?” can attract more qualified visitors.
Structured data implementation: Using schema markup (e.g., MedicalEntity, FAQPage, HowTo) can improve how AMCs appear in search results, increasing visibility and click-through rates.
Local SEO optimization: Since patients often search for services near them, optimizing Google My Business listings and ensuring NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) consistency across directories can significantly boost local search presence.
Content that prioritizes readability and engagement: While medical expertise is critical, content should also be digestible and accessible, using plain language to connect with patients at various literacy levels.

Strategy #4: Save Costs Without Sacrificing Impact

With tighter budgets, AMCs must find ways to reduce costs while maintaining high-impact marketing strategies. Smart technology investments should prioritize automation and efficiency while allowing the flexibility to scale.

During the webinar, panelists shared strategies to help AMCs stretch their marketing dollars while still driving strong results:

Invest in automation tools, saving time and reducing labor costs by handling repetitive tasks.
Consolidate media buying and renegotiate contracts for better pricing and more streamlined operations.
Reframe marketing as an investment rather than an expense, so that teams can prove their value through data and protect their budgets.
Prioritizing high ROI channels like organic search (SEO), first-party data collection, and targeted digital campaigns.
Work closely with clinical, IT, and operations teams to find cost-saving opportunities and improve efficiency.

Strategy #5: Innovate While Navigating Compliance and Data Privacy

AMCs must balance digital innovation with strict regulatory requirements, such as HIPAA, ADA compliance, and evolving data privacy laws. While compliance is essential, it shouldn’t be an excuse for outdated digital experiences or ineffective marketing strategies.

According to Charlie DeLong, early collaboration with legal and compliance teams can streamline approvals and prevent regulatory roadblocks, ensuring marketing initiatives remain agile and effective. As recent data privacy regulations force organizations to rethink tracking methods, AMCs should take a strategic approach to analytics and first-party data collection rather than rushing into short-term solutions.

To stay ahead, AMCs should:

Adopt first-party data strategies to reduce reliance on third-party tracking tools.
Learn from retail best practices to enhance patient digital experiences.
Streamline patient access points, such as reducing the friction caused by multiple phone lines and siloed appointment systems.
Use marketing-attributable growth metrics to demonstrate ROI and secure budget allocations.

Strategy #6: Use AI in Marketing & Operations

Like most industries, AI is rapidly shaping the future of marketing. Technology is meant to take the small and mundane away. This empowers our people—our thinkers—to develop better ideas and market more effectively. However, human oversight is of utmost importance, particularly in creative and strategic decision-making.

As AMCs continue to integrate AI and digital experience platforms (DXPs), institutions that embrace these technologies thoughtfully, not just for the sake of innovation but to truly improve user experience, will be the ones that stand out. AI has immense potential to drive efficiency, improve patient engagement, and enhance digital experiences for AMCs. A few examples of how AMC institutions are using AI are below:

Clinical workflows to improve efficiency
Persona development and content strategy
Call center optimization, ensuring agents have patient data before answering calls
AI-assisted charting, allowing physicians to focus more on patients than screens
Virtual nurse support, with AI-powered nurses available on hospital TVs

Academic medical centers must balance innovation, compliance, and cost-effectiveness to stay competitive in an evolving landscape. By leveraging smart technology, patient-centered SEO, and data-driven marketing strategies, AMCs can improve patient access, enhance digital experiences, and drive measurable growth…even with tighter budgets. For information on how Primacy can help solve these pain points, reach out here.