Email usage and healthcare spending are two trends that share a similar upward trajectory. Residents of the United States lead the world in both categories, sending about 10 billion emails daily and spending more than $4.4 trillion on healthcare annually. So it makes sense that emails and healthcare take on new significance when combined into the unstoppable force known as healthcare email marketing.
Email marketing is the strategy of sending emails to customers. In the healthcare world, this typically involves people like new patients, current patients, and prospective patients. These messages work best when targeted to the needs, preferences, and goals of these specific audiences.
Your emails can be powerful tools for strengthening connections with patients and building loyalty. Even as social media, SMS, and other channels attract legions of users, email remains the preferred method for customers as they interact with an organization. And thanks to the streamlined and automation-friendly nature of emails, they provide one of the highest returns on investment possible in marketing. For every dollar you spend, the average return is more than $35.
In the past, many patients were reluctant to take their healthcare into the digital realm. With concerns about network reliability, data security, and other issues keeping some people firmly entrenched in the brick-and-mortar approach to seeing their doctor, it was less important for a healthcare practice to have a virtual presence.
Oh, how times have changed. Even the most old school of patients were forced to adapt due to the restrictions brought on during the COVID pandemic. To meet the rise in demand, technology became more user-friendly and secure. Thanks to these improvements, patients now expect to engage with healthcare professionals in the digital realm.
Effective healthcare email marketing examples have followed suit, often focusing on convenience and relationships. Consider the example below, which uses the subject line “See how easy it is to talk to an online doctor”:
Notice this email’s focus on convenience, connectivity, and results. Who wouldn’t want to get a bit more of those things in their life? And these same elements are relevant to all your healthcare email marketing, whether you’re announcing a new service offering, reminding a patient about their upcoming appointment, or sharing lab results.
Let’s look closer at a few of the different types of emails you might include in your overall email marketing healthcare strategy. Because just as there are specialties within medicine, each type of email has unique offerings for a patient.
These messages help you attract new patients and retain those who are currently coming to your practice. Your goal is to share what differentiates you from the competition and provide clear benefits to the patient. For example, if your office just acquired a cutting-edge device that will improve your level of care, craft a message that helps patients understand how this upgrade can help them. Or if you just opened a new office in an underserved part of the city, don’t miss the chance to share how this will benefit the community.
Your marketing messages will often be targeted to prospective patients, but there are plenty of opportunities to talk with those who have existing relationships with your office. For example, let’s say you’re rolling out a new virtual care platform that streamlines the whole process. You could include a patient testimonial, like in the example below, so that they can promote your offering in a relatable and believable way:
By approaching email with a marketing mindset, you’ll be able to come up with unique ways to build your brand and your practice.
It’s essential that every new patient receives a warm welcome to your practice. This is your opportunity to showcase your unique brand and how much you value them as an individual. Maybe you include a free article that is relevant to their needs. Or you could share a promotional offer that can be used on their next visit.
Welcome emails tend to get higher open rates than other messages, so be sure to make a great first impression. Let them know what they can expect from your practice in the future, the unique ways you’ll serve them, and how they can contact you with any questions.
Don’t be deceived by their boring-sounding name… transactional emails are essential for any modern healthcare practice. Common examples include:
Appointment reminders
Payment confirmations
Insurance questions
Insurance updates
By sending these messages via email, you’ll save your staff countless hours that would’ve otherwise been spent on the phone. Plus, the message will have a much better chance of sticking with patients. While a phone call relies on the person answering at a certain moment and also has no permanent record (unless you’re counting voice messages, which nobody really listens to), emails can be opened when it’s most convenient for the recipient. And when patients need to confirm the information that was sent, a quick visit to their inbox provides all the answers.
This is your chance to share insightful resources, medical research, self-care tips, and other content that is targeted to various patients. By establishing yourself as a helpful voice in patients’ lives, you will find that they’re more likely to open the other types of emails that are included in future campaigns.
While patient health messages are often targeted to certain patients, they sometimes offer relevance to your whole database. Consider this example, which was sent during the height of the pandemic:
While confusion and fear abounded in 2020, this healthcare company provided helpful resources and made a strong statement about how they prioritized patient health. Earning some serious bonus points, they also made the message shareable with a clear CTA at the bottom.
The only way for your email campaigns to be successful is to have the right people to send them to. This means that growing your list should be a top priority. Start by ensuring you have an email address for all your current patients. This will ensure you are able to stay connected with them and foster a strong relationship.
Next, use a lead magnet to gather the contact information from prospective patients who are interested in what you have to offer. Here are some examples of possible lead magnets:
Healthcare webinars
Downloadable guides
Video tutorials
Online contests
As long as your lead magnet is relevant and provides real value, you should be able to start collecting new email addresses for your list.
Don’t forget to take the steps necessary to keep your email list healthy. At least once a quarter, go through the list and delete any duplicates, erroneous addresses, or other obsolete entries. You’ll find that these periodic checkups improve your email deliverability rates, giving you a better send reputation and boosting the overall performance of your email campaigns.
Another key strategy is segmenting your list. We’ve already mentioned the common segments of prospective patients, new patients, and current patients. But you can dial things in further, such as geography, age, and gender. Creating these segments empowers you to send the most helpful messages to the right people. Your patients will appreciate the custom feeling of the messages and return the favor with higher open rates and engagement.
Before wrapping up, let’s review eight best practices that will elevate your email marketing healthcare strategies. If you’re not currently doing these things, pick one today that you can begin working on.
Track and analyze the campaign’s key email metrics
Ensure that your messages are optimized for those reading them on a mobile phone
Make it easy to share your content
By continually looking for new ways to refine your strategies, you’ll keep your campaigns stronger and your patients happier. Never rest on your laurels, as there are always improvements that can be made.
Getting the right results often comes down to having the right tools. Twilio SendGrid sets you up for success with professional-grade email templates and user-friendly automation tools. We’ll also help you gather leads, maintain your email lists, and track the metrics of your campaigns.
What matters most is that we deliver the industry’s highest average inboxing rate. So you can trust that your patients will stay connected and that all your hard work will pay off.
Create a free account today so that you can begin using Twilio Sendgrid to elevate your email marketing for healthcare.
