By Dr. Greg Grillo
We don’t need to look far to find marketing channels to explore: social media, Google ads, webinars, and mailers offer a few ways to connect with patients. But email marketing campaigns still provide a cost-effective way to engage consumers in every industry, including dentistry. And 99% of email users check email every day, and 58% of people check their inbox first thing in the morning. Dental offices often overlook sending marketing emails, but they’re primed to deliver growth in 2022. Emails designed and delivered with the right strategies engage readers. While 45% of people avoid opening emails from unknown addresses, a message from a local dental office enjoys built-in credibility. Consider these 5 effective tips for an email marketing strategy:
5 Best Practices For Email Marketing For Dentists
1. Add Your Branding
Email campaigns align with your overall marketing efforts, and they need to reflect consistency. Ensure you send from an email address that identifies your practice and includes your logo and colors. Readers should instantly know they’re connected with your practice.
2. Stay On Schedule
About 40% of people say it’s common to have 50 unopened emails in their inboxes. So, we don’t want to overwhelm our patients with too many more. But you don’t want to be silent or send such sporadic emails that you leave patients wondering if your dental clinic still exists. Email workflows designed around proven timeframes help us find the sweet spot.
3. Keep Mobile Front And Center
More than half of today’s internet traffic takes place on mobile devices, and our campaigns need to display cleanly on small screens. Using a mobile-responsive design can i ncrease clicks by 15% , so it’s worth ensuring we’re meeting patients wherever they’re at.
4. Offer More Than Fluff
Consumers don’t always know what to believe, but we can make sure we’re a voice worth following. Educational emails with patient-centric messaging can help us deepen our connections. Always include a way for current and prospective patients to take further action with links or buttons for scheduling.
5. Design To Hold Attention
Readers love us, but they don’t want to spend an afternoon reading an email from their dentist. If appropriate for the subject, add graphics or gifs and give just enough information that’ll incentivize patient engagement towards another action. Using proven formats with catchy subject lines, or hiring a dental copywriter to produce custom content pays off.
Email Marketing Ideas For Dentists That Work
We need multiple tools to attract, engage, and nurture patients in a busy world. Another email may seem like more than people need, but it’s still a stalwart for businesses to engage with consumers. Below are a few types of emails that prove to inspire increased conversion rates:
Give Tips And Tricks For Better Oral Health
Dr. Google has emerged as a leading authority on health-related issues, and 5% of all Google searches are health-related. Emails that offer tips, videos, and product reviews engage patients and build trust. And what better place for them to get their information? Our dental practices emerge as a voice worth following for the best oral health guidance.
Reactivate Patients You’re Missing
In the best of times, patients get busy and fall behind on their preventive and restorative care. But the pandemic pushed many people’s elective care to the backburner. Emails crafted to bring existing patients back for recare can combine reinforcement with a simple Call-To-Action to make appointments. Legwork Treatment Opportunities makes uncovering unfinished procedures simple to nurture with email follow-up, while Legwork Reminders sends automated emails about upcoming appointments.
Nurture Interest To Bring More Production
Decisions to accept major treatment don’t always take place in the operatory. A patient may need a little help to make a buying decision, and we can facilitate the process. Segmented campaigns can deliver personalized information to an email list of patients based on their interests. If Mrs. Wilson asked about a smile makeover at her last visit, a series of emails that discuss the benefits of cosmetic dentistry might help her decide to take the next step. The Legwork Marketing Dashboard puts every type of campaign at our fingertips, including email.
Accelerate The Funnel
A potential patient may check out your website after clicking on an ad about sleep health that you’re running on Facebook. They like the video they see, but what’s next? They could fill out a contact form to download an e-report on CPAP alternatives. Next, an email workflow on sleep appliances can address the potential obstacles such as fear, cost, time, or trust. Make it simple for readers to take the next step to schedule an appointment. Legwork Dental Websites include patient assessment tools that put engaging tools to work for us.
Offer Promotions That Raise Eyebrows
You don’t always know what may encourage a patient to take the next step. But money talks, contests motivate, and celebrations inspire. Consider sending an occasional email to your patient database that presents a limited-time offer, such as $500 off Invisalign® cases. Or announce a contest that enters everyone into a drawing for referrals before a specific date. You can also send birthday or holiday wishes using your own creative ideas.
Email Marketing For Dentists That Work
Patients encounter up to 10,000 ads per day in many different formats. Email offers a different route from display ads that engage and inform through direct contact with patients. Consider how this sequence combines helpful information with subtle but specific marketing techniques:
- Email 1: Confirmation of a new appointment with relevant information.
- Email 2: Introduce your staff and highlight some of your office technology.
- Email 3: Send a reminder email the day before the appointment.
- Email 4: Send a follow-up email with a review request and link right after their visit.
Legwork software integrates email strategies into many parts of our office operations. A coordinated workflow includes multiple tools executed and monitored from a single platform. Our teams appreciate the efficiency that flows from reminders and confirmations, and our bottom line grows with campaigns and review requests.