The Secrets of Email Marketing for Physical Therapists w/ Wes Taylor
Nov 25, 2024
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In this engaging discussion, Wes Taylor, the Special Projects & SEO Manager at Practice Promotions, shares his email marketing expertise for physical therapists. He emphasizes the importance of reaching out to patients at least twice a month to boost retention and referrals. Wes explains why platforms like Mailchimp may not be ideal and reveals strategies for crafting impactful emails that ensure HIPAA compliance. He also discusses the pitfalls of inactive subscribers and the need for targeted campaigns to maximize engagement and efficiency.
Email marketing is essential for clinics, providing a way to re-engage former patients through regular communication and reminders.
Establishing brand awareness through consistent email updates helps keep clinics in the minds of previous patients when care is needed.
Segmenting email lists enhances engagement by targeting messages to specific patient groups, improving open rates and overall marketing effectiveness.
Deep dives
The Untapped Potential of Email Marketing
Email marketing is a fundamental strategy that many clinics overlook, often accumulating a significant number of patient email addresses over time. This accumulated contact information represents not just a means of communication, but also a valuable resource for re-engaging past patients. With a high rate of deliverability, email marketing reaches individuals who have already established trust with the practice, making it an effective way to communicate with them. Clinics can maximize this potential by regularly sending emails to this list, reminding former patients of services and encouraging them to return for care.
Brand Recognition and Consistency
Establishing brand awareness is crucial, especially for clinics intending to attract back former patients. Email marketing serves as an effective tool for keeping the clinic's name fresh in the minds of patients who have previously sought treatment. Consistent communication through newsletters and informative emails helps maintain relevance, ensuring patients remember the clinic when they require assistance. This strategy emphasizes the importance of sending regular and engaging content rather than sporadic communications, which can lead to decreased interest and engagement.
Effective Email Content Strategy
Crafting emails that balance professionalism with engaging content is essential for maintaining patient interest. Emails should be visually appealing and easy to digest, incorporating bullet points and clear headings to guide readers through the content. The use of a friendly yet professional tone and avoidance of industry jargon or overly technical language helps foster connection. Additionally, including call-to-action elements, such as invitations to book appointments or reminders about insurance benefits, can further engage patients and encourage them to take action.
Segmenting and Targeting Email Lists
Segmenting email lists is a powerful tactic that allows clinics to tailor messages based on patients' engagement levels and past interactions. By targeting more active subscribers while gradually introducing less engaged individuals, clinics can improve their open rates and engagement metrics. This approach reduces the likelihood of being marked as spam by ensuring that emails are sent to recipients more likely to find the content relevant and useful. Ultimately, focusing on the most engaged segments can enhance overall email marketing effectiveness.
Navigating Compliance and Best Practices
Email marketing in the healthcare sector must adhere to strict compliance guidelines, including HIPAA regulations. It is vital to avoid including any personal or sensitive information in subject lines and to use secure platforms designed for healthcare communications. Practices should also avoid purchasing email lists, as these can lead to poor engagement and damage the clinic's reputation. Instead, clinics are encouraged to cultivate their own email lists through legitimate methods, ensuring they maintain trust and authority with their audience.
Newsflash -- if you're like most clinics, you have a list of hundreds (maybe thousands) of patient emails! You should be reaching out to them over email at least 2x a month -- because when you do, you'll boost patient reactivations, retention, and referrals.
After you listen to this podcast, you'll know...
Why you shouldn't use Mailchimp or ConstantContact
Which emails get the best open rates
How often you should email patients
About Wes Taylor
Wes is the Special Projects & SEO Manager for our clients here at Practice Promotions. But before that, he was a digital account manager for 5 years! He’s helped hundreds of clinics attract more new patients with their website, SEO, and email marketing.
Today, Wes will talk to us about how PTs get more patients with email marketing – WITHOUT violating HIPAA.
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