7 Tips to Get Your Emails Opened and Read
Email marketing can be intimidating, but it doesn’t need to be. By following a few simple guidelines, you can be communicating with your patients quickly and efficiently. Keep good marketing practices in mind when creating your emails. Here’s a list to help you get started:
- Subject lines: The best emails will never get read if a reader doesn’t open them. Subject lines should be compelling and brief. Tell your reader what they’re going to find when they open your email.
TIP: be careful using grammar and punctuation in your subject lines. Multiple exclamation points, for example, can make your email seem untrustworthy. - Specific call-to-action: Newsletters and promotional emails should include a clear call-to-action. If the goal is drive appointment requests, then make that really clear with a call-to-action such as “Request an Appointment.”
TIP: limit the number of calls-to-action you include. The more you ask them to do, the less likely the reader is to do anything. - Visual appearance: Paying attention to the layout of your email is important. Does your image load correctly? Would your call-to-action stand out better on a button? Make sure your email looks professional and like something you would read.
TIP: use a pre-built template with images and layouts already designed for you. - Email copy: Everyone is busy these days, including your patients. By writing short, concise emails, you ensure that even when someone scans your message, they’re getting the main point.
TIP: have someone else read your message when it’s done. Ask him or her to scan it first to ensure it makes sense when read quickly. Plus, it’s always a good idea to have someone check your work. - Be relevant: Send emails that are timely and appropriate for your audience. Relevant messages could include specials on services they’ve had before, appointment reminders, and articles about your providers.
TIP: is there a story in the news that relates to your specialties? Tell your readers about it! They’d like to know they can trust you for up-to-date information. - Design for mobile devices: More and more people are opening email on their smartphones and tablets and there’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to read an email because it’s designed for a desktop computer.
TIP: Use an email delivery service that creates emails to be mobile-ready; that’s one less thing for you to worry about! - Save time with marketing automation: Effective email marketing is not only achievable–it’s easier than ever with the abundance of email automation tools available. Choose a tool with a variety of premade, ready-to-send emails on topics specific to your business, with the option to customize promotions or specific offers as you like.
TIP: Work with an expert to help refine a targeted strategy to bring repeat business and fill appointments.
Combining these guidelines with your business-knowledge will help make your email marketing effective. Learn how Demandforce can help you implement these best practices and more, leaving you more time to run your practice! [Learn More]
Contributed by: Demandforce, a valued MedResults Network partner
