Email marketing should be part of your marketing plan for numerous reasons, not the least of which is that it’s likely the most inexpensive way to communicate with past, current, and prospective patients.
Six Benefits of Email Marketing
- It builds trust with your subscribers.
- It’s the most direct way to communicate with your database.
- It’s inexpensive, particularly when compared with traditional marketing.
- It’s controlled contact: while your website waits for visitors, email lets you deliver information to your subscribers whenever you wish.
- You can cover multiple topics in one email.
- Your subscribers can easily share your emails with others.
What Can You Discuss In Email Marketing?
Your emails can cover a number of topics, including (but not limited to) the following:
- Details about—and links to—procedures that you offer.
- Announcements of new treatments, products, and staff members.
- Especially good Before & After photos.
- Special offers.
- Upcoming events.
- Social Media promotion.
- Articles of interest about your industry.
- Announcement of new blog posts.
- Reminders about the financing programs you offer.
- Announcements of awards/recognition/certifications.
Costs of Email Marketing
A particular benefit of email marketing is the fact that most email marketing sites (such as Constant Contact and MailChimp) charge a flat fee based on the number of email addresses in your account. You could, literally, email your audience every single day and still pay a flat monthly fee based on the number of email addresses in your database.
What to Avoid in Email Marketing
- Sending Too Often: A monthly email works well because it’s regular enough to remind them of your practice while not annoying them with too-frequent emails. The exception to this is when anything negative about your industry hits the national news. If and when that happens, an email explaining the situation will increase your readers’ trust in your knowledge and judgment.
- Marketing Without Permission: We all receive unsolicited emails that clog our email accounts. It’s annoying and doesn’t make us want to do business with the companies that overuse their contact with us. Don’t be that business.
- Sharing Personal Information: Be careful when sharing testimonials or Before & After photos that no identifying information is revealed unless you have explicit (signed!) consent from the person(s) represented. This applies not only to the names associated with testimonials and photos but also to photos of your events, since there are people who do not want friends or family members to know that they have dipped their toes in the waters of cosmetic surgery (or even Botox!).
The Bottom Line:
Email marketing is inexpensive, immediate, and easy. If you aren’t availing your practice of this simple and effective approach to staying in touch with your patient database, now is the time to reconsider.