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Engagement Metrics (and What to do About Them)

Engagement Metrics (and What to do About Them)
Engagement Metrics (and What to do About Them)
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For women’s healthcare marketers, engagement metrics are crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of marketing efforts. Understanding how your audience interacts with content, campaigns, and services helps measure impact, optimize strategy, and improve patient outreach. In this article, we'll explore key engagement metrics, provide examples, and discuss methods to calculate and leverage these data points to improve marketing effectiveness.


Why Engagement Metrics Matter

Engagement metrics provide insight into how well your marketing content resonates with your audience. Unlike vanity metrics (such as follower counts), engagement metrics reveal how deeply people are connecting with your messaging and taking action. For women’s healthcare marketing, engagement is particularly important for building trust in sensitive areas such as reproductive health, mental wellness, and preventive care.

Tracking these metrics allows you to:

  • Identify High-Performing Content: Focus on what works.
  • Optimize Campaigns: Adjust tactics to improve weak areas.
  • Drive Conversions: Move leads further down the patient journey.

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Key Engagement Metrics and How to Use Them

Below are essential metrics for women's health marketers, complete with examples and formulas for calculating effectiveness.

1. Click-Through Rate (CTR)

CTR measures how many users clicked on a link after seeing your content. It’s crucial for understanding how compelling your call-to-action (CTA) is.

Formula:
CTR (%) = (Number of Clicks / Number of Impressions) × 100

Example:
You run an ad campaign promoting prenatal care services, and the ad receives 10,000 impressions with 500 clicks.
CTR = (500 / 10,000) × 100 = 5%

How to Leverage It:
A low CTR suggests your CTA or ad copy needs improvement. A/B testing different headlines or images can increase click engagement.


2. Conversion Rate

Conversion rate tracks how many users take a specific desired action, such as booking an appointment or signing up for a newsletter.

Formula:
Conversion Rate (%) = (Number of Conversions / Number of Clicks) × 100

Example:
Your campaign leads 200 users to your appointment scheduling page, and 40 book a consultation.
Conversion Rate = (40 / 200) × 100 = 20%

How to Leverage It:
Monitor where drop-offs occur. Are users abandoning the process at the appointment form? Improving form design and reducing friction can boost conversions.


3. Engagement Rate on Social Media

This measures how actively users engage with your social content through likes, comments, shares, and saves.

Formula:
Engagement Rate (%) = (Total Engagements / Total Followers) × 100

Example:
Your Instagram post on breast cancer awareness receives 500 likes, 50 comments, and 20 shares. You have 10,000 followers.
Engagement Rate = (570 / 10,000) × 100 = 5.7%

How to Leverage It:
Content with high engagement may indicate strong emotional resonance. Use similar content themes to maintain momentum and continue educating your audience.


4. Time on Page

For healthcare marketers, time spent on key pages (e.g., blog posts or service pages) shows how engaged users are with your content.

Example:
A blog article on prenatal nutrition averages 3 minutes and 45 seconds of reading time. If your other pages average only 1 minute, this page is clearly engaging readers more deeply.

How to Leverage It:
Create more in-depth content similar to high-performing pages. Use internal linking to guide readers to appointment booking or related resources.


5. Bounce Rate

Bounce rate measures the percentage of visitors who leave a page without interacting further.

Formula:
Bounce Rate (%) = (Single-Page Sessions / Total Sessions) × 100

Example:
Your landing page for mental health services has 1,000 visits, but 700 visitors leave without clicking any links.
Bounce Rate = (700 / 1,000) × 100 = 70%

How to Leverage It:
A high bounce rate may indicate irrelevant content or a confusing layout. Optimize by ensuring CTAs are clear and relevant to user intent.


6. Email Open Rate

Open rate shows how many recipients opened your email, providing insight into the effectiveness of your subject lines.

Formula:
Open Rate (%) = (Number of Opens / Emails Delivered) × 100

Example:
You send a wellness newsletter to 5,000 recipients, and 1,250 open it.
Open Rate = (1,250 / 5,000) × 100 = 25%

How to Leverage It:
Test different subject lines, personalization, and send times to improve open rates. Personalization ("Your October Health Tips") tends to increase engagement.


7. Email Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR)

CTOR measures how many users clicked a link within the email after opening it.

Formula:
CTOR (%) = (Number of Clicks / Number of Opens) × 100

Example:
Of 1,250 email opens, 150 users clicked a link.
CTOR = (150 / 1,250) × 100 = 12%

How to Leverage It:
A low CTOR indicates that the content within your email may not be compelling. Try optimizing link placement and making CTAs more actionable.


8. Appointment Conversion Rate

This tracks the percentage of users who complete an appointment booking after reaching your scheduling page.

Formula:
Appointment Conversion Rate (%) = (Completed Appointments / Total Page Visits) × 100

Example:
Your online scheduling page receives 500 visits, and 100 users successfully book appointments.
Appointment Conversion Rate = (100 / 500) × 100 = 20%

How to Leverage It:
Use reminders, testimonials, or trust signals (e.g., patient success stories) on the scheduling page to reassure users and reduce hesitation.


Illustrating Engagement Across Multiple Channels

Let’s say you launch a campaign promoting breast cancer screening services during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Your multi-channel approach includes:

  • Social Media Posts: High engagement rate (8%), with users sharing the importance of early detection.
  • Email Campaign: 30% open rate and 15% click-through rate to the screening information page.
  • Landing Page: Moderate time on page (2 minutes), with a conversion rate of 18% for booking appointments.

By analyzing these metrics, you identify that while social engagement is strong, conversion improvements could be achieved by refining the landing page and CTA placement.


Methods for Leveraging Engagement Metrics

To maximize the value of your engagement metrics, follow these steps:

1. Set Benchmark Goals

Compare your metrics to industry standards for healthcare marketing. For example, a social media engagement rate above 3% is considered strong for healthcare brands.

2. Use A/B Testing

Test variations of headlines, CTAs, and imagery to see which versions drive higher engagement and conversions.

3. Segment Your Audience

Analyze metrics for different audience segments (e.g., age groups, geographic locations) to tailor your content more effectively.

4. Implement Automation and Retargeting

Use automation tools to nurture leads based on their engagement history. For example, users who clicked on a mental health resource email but didn’t book an appointment could receive a follow-up reminder.

5. Monitor Trends Over Time

Track engagement metrics monthly or quarterly to identify trends. Are there seasonal spikes in interest for certain services? Adjust your marketing calendar accordingly.


Measuring and Enhancing Engagement

Engagement metrics provide invaluable insights for women’s health marketers. By tracking key indicators like click-through rates, time on page, and conversion rates, you can continuously optimize your strategies to improve patient engagement and outcomes. With thoughtful analysis and strategic adjustments, these metrics can help drive both short-term campaign success and long-term community trust in your healthcare services.

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