Top 5 Email Campaign / Newsletter Tips

Do you connect with your patients by email?

Are you taking advantage of this very easy, cost-effective way to remind patients it’s time for a flu shot, to let them in on an introductory discount for your newly-acquired laser, or to share your trusted interpretation of the latest healthcare study?

In case you haven’t tapped into this powerful tool, consider how email campaigns allow you to better care for and educate your patients. It’s a simple way to inform patients about important new services, provide special introductory offers, reinforce healthy habits, and help them understand what the latest hot health topic really means.

Whether you choose E-newsletters or personalized announcements, you will send a compelling message to your patients that you are totally committed to their care and well-being.


Our Top 5 Email Campaign Tips:


1. Use an Email Service Provider

Using your own email account to send mass marketing emails can create problems. There’s often a limit to the number of emails your account can handle at once. Plus, large mailings are frequently flagged as spam, which can lead to getting blacklisted. Exposing your mailing list creates privacy issues, and not having an “unsubscribe” option is against the law.

Email Service Providers or “ESPs” (such as Constant Contact, MailChimp, or AWeber) offer a safe, secure and easy way to manage your list, to let patients opt in or out, and to help you comply with anti-spam laws.

One of the best features is a tracking report that shows how many people actually opened your email, clicked through to links, and forwarded it on to others.


2. Build Your List and Spread the Word

Email marketing is permission-based, so it’s important to encourage your patients to subscribe:

• When you ask patients for their email addresses, explain that they will receive periodic announcements and important information. This message can be included on the registration form for new patients, while current patients can be approached when they come in for an appointment.
• Let patients know you respect their privacy, that their email information will only be used by your office, it will never be shared, and it will be kept entirely secure.
• Include a sign-up box for information updates on your website, in all email signatures, and on Facebook and LinkedIn pages (if you have them).
• Post a sign in your reception area encouraging patients to sign up on your website.
• Set up a “share with a friend” link in each email so patients can share useful information with friends and family.
• On each message, always offer the means to easily unsubscribe. However, if you are consistently providing relevant, useful, and interesting content, you’ll minimize the chance of losing readers.

3. Look Professional and Stand Out

Remember, branding carries over into everything you do, and email marketing campaigns are no exception.

While ESPs enable you to create decent-looking emails with their built-in templates, a professional designer can help your practice really stand out by giving you a polished, professional look to boost your credibility. The design should include your logo and be consistent with the look, feel, and tone of your practice.

Photographs are great for visual impact, but keep in mind that many readers turn off images and links by default, so it’s important to include descriptive text as well.

4. Keep it Simple…and Valuable

Email newsletters are much easier to read when they are short and sweet. Think of your patients, and put yourself in their shoes when they ask “What’s in this for me?”

Emails should not be sales pitches. A good rule of thumb is that 80-percent or more of content should be valuable information (health education, online resources, current topics, and health alerts), leaving 20-percent or less for promotional items (specials on new services, procedures and products) that introduce patients to the value you have to offer them.

Keep your E-newsletter and announcements concise – they will be quicker for patients to read and easier for you to write.



5. Stay in Touch and be Consistent



Send emails on a frequent and regular basis, but not so often that patients feel inundated. Nothing is more of a turn-off than feeling like you’re being spammed – it’s a sure way to lose your subscribers.

Holding to a monthly schedule is quite reasonable. Patients will know what to expect and you’ll stay top-of mind with them. Building strong relationships through steady communication will keep your practice vibrant and your patients loyal.

© 2012 Latady Physician Strategies. All rights reserved

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Latady Physician Strategies helps physicians transition to Concierge and Direct Care medical practices that help them treat their patients the way they want to be treated, while rediscovering their enjoyment in practicing medicine.

CONTACT US

Nancy Latady, MBA

Owner/Principal

Latady Physician Strategies

info@latadyps.com

781.275.1415

www.LatadyPhysicianStrategies.com

Conventional to Concierge Medicine