EMAIL IS ONE of the most effective marketing tactics you can utilize to grow your eyecare business. In fact, email generates $42 for every $1 spent, which is an astounding 4,200% ROI, according to Hubspot.com.
Why? Well, email marketing is a bit different than other marketing channels. First, you’re talking to your current patient base, so people who already know and love you. Second, they trust their eyecare provider so open rates from health professionals like an OD tend to be higher than other email marketing initiatives. This means that you already have their interest and now their attention.
Knowing this, you can use your email list to build loyalty, build trust, and communicate regularly to get more patients back through your doors more often.
But how do you plan your email marketing strategy? If you’re interested in expanding your email list for your practice, here are five tips to get you started.
Ask every patient for their email. Let them know you will be sending appointment reminders as well as valuable promotions and information about anything new happening at the practice. Assure them they can unsubscribe at any time.
Create valuable content. People who sign up to receive emails do so for a reason. They’re interested in your business, their eye health and want to learn more. Now, it’s important that your emails offer engaging content that keeps them on your list and gets them to visit your practice.
Test out different strategies and track which ones work the best. Finding the right content can take some time but if you make the effort to get to know your audience, the better your chance of providing content they want to subscribe to. Almost all patients love promotions!
Take advantage of your website. Your website is a great asset for building your email list, but a patient should not have to hunt around your website to find the subscribe button. You can make it easy for people visiting your site by making the subscribe button easily visible. Or have a blog feature they can subscribe to which acts similar to an email message.
You can also use pop-ups, feedback opportunities, quizzes and incentives to get people to provide you with their email. Lead magnets like an e-book on “What Causes Dry Eyes?” can work well to gain email addresses of potential patients.
Build beautiful emails. Gone are the days of the basic text email.
With email platforms like Mail Chimp, Constant Contact or industry channels like Weave or SolutionReach, the ability to send out beautiful visual emails with CTA (call to action) buttons to book appointments are easier than ever. Recruit a graphic designer to help you build an amazing email, or email template, that encourages user action.
Be consistent. Almost every eyecare business we talk to does not take advantage of email marketing. Yet it is one of the most economical, highest return on investment advertising options you can invest in.
Optical chains and mass merchandisers email every week. Your patients are getting messages from all of your competitors but not from you. With more and more competitors entering the market space it will become exceptionally important to communicate regularly with your patient base. Hit that list at least once a month!