Use Emails To Keep Your Patients Engaged

by | Oct 1, 2019 | News

Did you know that email remains the most effective way of keeping in touch with your patients? Amid all the constant information bombardment from social media and other online sources, the email inbox remains the one place where your clients can exercise control over what they read, and when they read it. The non-urgency of this medium is what continues to make it the communication channel of choice for businesses. Indeed, your email subscriber list is the most powerful tool in your online marketing arsenal.

As a practicing dentist, you want to ensure that you send your patients regular emails with information about your business. Here are a few ways you can turbo-charge the email marketing for your dentistry practice to keep your patients and prospects not only informed, but fully engaged with your business – and keep them coming back for more.

Get their details

First, you need to capture the email addresses and contact details of prospective patients who locate your business via an online search. You do this by adding a contact form on your website where your patients supply their name and email address to subscribe for email updates from your business. Submitting the form subscribes them to your email list.
Another way to do this is to add a “Subscribe” button on the pages of your business blog as an easy way to subscribe to new post updates from your blog through email. Updates can include useful tips about dental hygiene in general, dental health news, the latest dental products that might be beneficial to them, information about the services your dentistry practice offers, and so on. Having your patients subscribe for email updates means they receive this information as soon as you publish it. Win-win for your patients and you.
You can also link to the sign-up form or pages through your business social media pages. Physical visits and appointments are not left out – ask your patients for their details and obtain their consent to send them emails. Local events such as health fairs, business meetups, and conventions which many of your patients would attend are an excellent opportunity to harvest names for your email list as well.

Make your emails count

For effective email marketing, it is best to implement a “confirmed opt-in” where your patients confirm they want to receive the information you would be sending through email. You should also segment your email list according to specific criteria such as demographics, age, frequency of appointments with your business, and so on. Try not to make the mistake of sending one email to everyone. Email marketing gives you the ability to be flexible with how information is sent out. For instance, there may be a new product for your younger patients or some information for clients living in a region. You can craft emails that are most suited to the various segments among your patients.

Your email contents

To keep your patients engaged with your business means you must communicate effectively. A well-crafted email should contain the following:

  1. A captivating subject line
  2. The name of your business
  3. Contact details for your business
  4. A clear call to action detailing what action you want them to take on your email (subscribe to your blog, click a link to your website, etc.)

What to send

What kind of content would you offer your patients through your emails? Here are a few ideas:

  • Automated messages to welcome new patients who just subscribed to your list
  • Reminders for dentist appointments (a convenient way of reminding them)
  • A newsletter with the latest news, products, services, and other exciting information about your business
  • Announcements of special client promotions, discounts, referral programs, and so on
  • Tips and articles from your business blog
  • Requests for feedback on how their appointment went, and how your business can serve them better (this can be sent immediately after an appointment for example)
  • You can also send personalized messages for that extra touch wishing them well on their birthdays, during public holidays, and so on.

With a robust email marketing program in place for your dentistry practice, the possibilities are truly endless. You are guaranteed to keep your patients engaged with your business. The icing on the cake is that this will also help keep your business top of mind when it is time for them to make that much-needed dentist appointment. So, build your email list today!
If you need help with crafting an effective email strategy, look no further than JR Marketing Group. As a full services digital marketing agency, we are committed to helping your business make the most of its online presence by reaching the right audience. Get in touch with us today.