Be sure to follow these crucial do’s and don’ts in order to make the most of your efforts.
Do treat your patients’ email addresses as you would want yours to be treated. This is in your interest as well as theirs – nothing is a bigger turnoff than finding your inbox filled with messages that are of no benefit to you. Be judicious when you decide how to use your patients’ email addresses. For example, if you decide to send a newsletter, a monthly communication may be a better choice than a weekly one. On the other hand, if you offer weekly specials -say, 10% off of a different designer frame every week -your patients might want more regular contact. It all comes down to the benefit you offer to your patients.
Do use email to make your patients’ lives easier. Remind them when it’s time to schedule annual exams, and include a link to your website for real-time scheduling. Setting up reminders like this can be automated, saving you and your patients time and trouble.
Do track your email communications to see what information drives the best response. Do you get a lot of clicks over to your website when you offer eye healthcare information? Do patients call for appointments after receiving your newsletter? Keep track of this kind of activity after you send out emails, and you’ll soon see what kind of communications gets you the results you want.
Don’t send unsolicited emails. Let potential patients choose to receive email from you by including an obvious way to do so on your website. Unsolicited emails tend to be poorly targeted, poorly received, ineffective, and – there’s no other word for it—spammy.
Don’t ignore the basics in your emails. Include an incentive for patients to take action -visit your website, schedule an appointment, or order contact lenses. Make it easy for them, and you’ll see the results.
Don’t forget that people scan their inboxes and emails at a rapid pace. Keep your subject lines short and clear. Break the information in your emails into small, easily assessed segments. That way, each patient can find information that’s useful to him or her without wading through frustrating amounts of detail.