As a healthcare provider, you interact with your customers differently than most other service providers. Likewise, you’re very likely to approach your email marketing campaigns’ messaging and overall engagement differently.
This guide is designed to help you get that messaging right. To do this, I’ll walk you through some of the reasons why you need email marketing, and share 5 tips you can use to get instant results.
If you stick around till the end, I’ll also show you three ways to get even more bang for your buck with email marketing.
Why you need email marketing
Marketers rely on email marketing to engage their audience, generate sales, and serve their industry better. As a healthcare provider, you’re in a unique position to enjoy these benefits and more.
Engage your patients
Industry findings suggest that healthcare emails have an open rate of 23% and a click-through rate of 3.6% which shows that patients are actually eager to hear from their healthcare providers. Use this to your advantage by providing regular updates on their preferences.
These will generate engagement that keeps your business in mind so when your readers eventually need healthcare, they know who to visit.
Be the source for up-to-date information
You are also one of the most trusted sources for medically accurate information, and by interacting with you, customers acknowledge this. It would be a waste not to meet their expectations.
A marketing campaign allows you to inform them of critical health information that’s relevant to their wellbeing. You can also provide updates on current events like the pandemic, flu season, or similar occurrences.
Filling a role like this helps build trust between your brand and your customers.
Sell your products
Every time you launch a new offer, you can generate instant sales from your email list. You can also use your readers’ preferences to personalize their recommendations so you only promote offers that they are likely to buy.
For every 1 dollar you spend on email marketing, you can expect to make 42 dollars back, according to constant contact. Those are pretty impressive numbers.
The best tips to get you started
Now that we’re clear on the benefits, it’s also important to understand the best ways to achieve them. Here are five strategies that can help you generate awesome results.
1. Automated welcome emails
Welcome emails are your first contact with new subscribers and they set the tone for the rest of your relationship. Set them up to trigger immediately someone fills your online form or provides their details in one of your clinics.
The welcome email is also a great way to define expectations and let readers know what they stand to enjoy. Some providers even add bonus benefits like a discount coupon, highly sought after PDF, or a free online consultation.
It’s also a good idea to identify your reader’s preferences by asking them to sign up for specific newsletters. (More on this in the next section.)
2. Current health news and healthcare tips
You’ll get a better open rate when you provide information that people actually expect from you. As a healthcare provider, this will be in the form of medical news in the area, or the world as a whole.
Talk about ongoing subjects like the pandemic, or specific healthcare tips like recent studies on cancer prevention diets.
Another great idea is to share specific tips with your audience, based on your professional experience. If you have a blog, you can share snippets of popular articles in your newsletter with links back to the original post.
Even though these emails aren’t primarily to generate sales, they provide value and keep your readers interested and engaged.
3. Your community activities
Many healthcare providers partake in community outreach programs, launch awareness campaigns, and even offer vaccinations. If you have any of these events coming up, emails are a quick and effective way to spread the word.
People in the area can join in and help you give back to the community. Individuals who can’t join will know about your activities and may develop a deeper sense of loyalty to your business.
4. Product promotions and discounts
This is where you really rake in those email marketing dollars. Everyone loves promos, and more than 7 in 10 people will respond to your promotions (Marketo). The promos can be on anything, depending on the service you offer. If you’re a dental service, offer a discount on teeth whitening.
You can also promote products and services without discounts if they are relevant to the readers. As a trusted source, people will be more likely to consider your offer and click through to the purchase page.
5. Client testimonials
Testimonials and case studies are some of the best forms of social proof out there. They are particularly valuable for your business when a lot of your audience is still on the fence about what your offer can do for them.
Testimonials, written correctly, are unbiased and non-salesy. They present the information in a neutral tone, a little like relaying the news. In this way, they can convert leads and generate sales for your business.
Extra tips
If you’re looking to get even more out of your email campaigns, try these three tips.
Use a custom-designed template
A beautiful template makes your emails easier and more pleasant to read. Here are some amazing templates from healthcare providers that will stand out in any inbox.
You can find templates like this and many more on sites like Formget. The best part is that you can change most elements to suit your brand identity and core message.
Try A/B testing
A/B testing is also known as split testing and it’s an experimental process where you send variations of the same email to different groups within your overall email list. The email can vary in content, overall layout, heading, or product recommendation.
The purpose of A/B testing is to see which emails perform better so you can send more of those. The findings can help you maximize your open rates and subsequently get more value from your email campaigns.
Create tailored newsletters
This takes a bit of work, but it really pays off in the long run. If you have a large or growing audience, you can create tailored newsletters for specific interests. For example, newsletters for people with kids, people interested in losing weight, or elderly patients with specific health needs.
These tailored emails will give your readers a wider range of options, making them more likely to stay subscribed. It also helps when you’re trying to sell products because you can narrow down the recommendations and get a better response.
