Consider how many times you have checked your email today. In all likelihood, you have at least viewed several emails by now, if not crafted and sent several of your own messages. Email remains a powerful communication tool in our personal and professional lives, driving an average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent. In this vein, email newsletters still hold considerable community-building potential, which is just waiting to be unlocked. The unique nature of newsletters also provides a versatile range of ways to use this tool to grow your practice with existing patients and new ones alike.
The value of newsletters in healthcare
As suggested by the highly favourable ROI above, newsletters present an inexpensive and no-pressure way to build relationships with your broader community, be it already loyal patients, those seeking out a dental “home” like yours, or other individuals and organizations that could lead to mutually beneficial partnerships. Different types of content and formats do not allow the personality and personal touch to shine through quite like newsletters.
Benefits abound, including:
- By sharing the “latest” with your “fan club,” you demonstrate how your practice is always innovating and improving. Others have peace of mind that you are investing in the best technologies, products, and training to support their safety and comfort.
- Newsletters provide an approachable (if not unassuming) way to equip subscribers with an understanding of what makes your practice tick. You can subtly convey information about your office without it coming across as a hard sell or being dismissed as yet another piece of advertising.
- Due to the unique format and opportunity to discuss updates, important services and changes as bite-sized stories, practical and meaningful information may be relayed about topics that can make a real difference in your target demographic‘s lives. In turn, readers find value in content that provides tips or food for thought to improve their health and well-being.
- Updates on new technologies or new talent added to your practice help to further build your credibility, authority, leadership, and expertise in dentistry in your market.
- Newsletters may feature promotions and discounts that tie to some of your new products or services. They present a “low-key,” high-impact alternative to traditional forms of advertising to get more patients through the door.
- Due to the ongoing nature of newsletter communications, you can convey consistent messaging about your practice’s principles. This fosters trust, as consistency promotes authenticity in our overly airbrushed society. Think of newsletters as a welcome antidote to the impossibly glossy ads and marketing communications that ooze disingenuousness.
- Newsletters may be derived from existing content; for instance, they may be repurposed from longer-format website articles, blog posts, and other marketing collateral. By approaching newsletters this way, you maximize existing content and the ease of crafting regular newsletters. Content does not need to be “resource-intensive” to make a big impact.
The anatomy of newsletters that actually get read
Open rates refer to the percentage of recipients who actually opened your email. While good open rates vary by industry, anything above 30% is considered “solid,” while particularly robust open rates range from 45% to 50%. Open rates over 50% are typically reserved for those organizations and brands with exceptional loyalty and highly niche targets/audiences.
It is also important to note that you may encounter a perplexing dynamic of high open rates that do not translate over to “results.” This underscores the importance of “click-through rates (CTR).” In the context of email newsletters, CTR refers to recipients who not only opened the message but also engaged with it. For example, the recipient may have clicked on a link or click-to-call button within it. The good news is that even small tweaks, such as adding an unmistakable call to action, can get your CTR to align well with your open rates. So, open rates are not the be-all and end-all. They are a start—albeit a very good one—that indicates your newsletter content is on the right track and is making some sort of impression on your audience.
Newsletters that get opened and spur further engagement are:
- Helpful! They provide tips and suggestions on better care for teeth and gums, tooth-friendly foods, and so on.
- Focus on what you do best so subscribers can see the forest for the trees and not get overwhelmed by all the content.
- Light and fun – You can be helpful and add meaningful insights without scaring your readers with dire statistics on oral cancers or graphic details about certain diseases or treatments.
- Conversational – Newsletters are not whitepapers. They are not meant to be formal. Avoid the jargon and excessive medical terminology whenever possible.
- Positive – Focus on equipping your readers with information that empowers rather than frightens. Look almost anywhere, and you can find bad news. We all crave an upbeat break from the onslaught of negativity.
- Reward storytelling! Featuring the stories of real patients you have helped is one of the most impactful and personal ways to interest other patients in your services and expertise.
- Include one CTA per email – Don’t overdo it with several links or several “asks.” Just one good and clear call to action/item that encourages them to act will do.
- Add the recipient’s name in the title, but do it naturally to not appear overly “salesy” or “thirsty” for the recipient’s attention; i.e., “Jane, we don’t want you to miss this” or “John, we think you’ll like this.” Whatever you do, do not lead your newsletter with incredibly generic, uninspired, and boring titles like “Latest News” or “Big Update.”
- Send out newsletters at the same time each week – Your diehard fans will come to expect and even look forward to your content. So, ensure you deliver on what they expect by maintaining a consistent schedule. Nothing can set your progress back more than missing a newsletter or an irregular schedule of sending out newsletters seemingly at random.
- Consistency should also extend to the newsletter’s look and feel, down to the graphics and background colors, as well as the font size and type. We are largely creatures of habit. There is something cozy and warm about predictability in a world that is so unpredictable and dynamic.
High-quality marketing communications content for the public should replicate the informal and meaningful conversations you might have in the office with your patients or other partners. This approach is especially true of newsletters. Whenever you zero in on a topic and pull the information together for your newsletter, ask yourself, “How does this help the reader? What do they want to hear?” Deliver on your answers to those questions. Any communication should serve the patient and not be “self-serving.” By understanding and focusing on what patients want to hear, the newsletter will transform from words on a mobile device or desktop to real patient interactions. Those readers/subscribers will be compelled to take action, which translates to a real boost in your practice’s traffic, profitability, sustainability, and community impact.
About the author
Naren Arulrajah, President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, has been a leader in medical marketing for over a decade. Ekwa provides comprehensive marketing solutions for busy dentists, with a team of more than 180 full time professionals, providing web design, hosting, content creation, social media, reputation management, SEO, and more. If you’re looking for ways to boost your marketing results, call 855-598-3320 for a free strategy session with Naren. You may also schedule a session at your convenience with the Senior Director of Marketing – Lila, by clicking https://www.ekwa.com/msm/.
