As a dentist or dental office manager, it is difficult to keep track of patient interactions and market your services. Emails can be an effective way to accomplish all these elements. In particular, a drip email campaign communicates the right message to the right audience at the right time. It is a tool that showcases your practice as efficient, caring, and savvy.
Email Campaigns for Dentists
Drip emails are an automated sequence of emails designed to get an audience to take a certain action or feed them information. They can be personalized with each recipient’s name and relevant details. Each campaign builds on a single message or theme, with a set number of emails deployed over a specific timeframe.
The messages, targeted to specific audiences with “drips” of information over time, increase contact and build trust. Here are three examples:
Existing patients: Drip emails can remind patients about their upcoming semiannual appointments. Each email will contain the appointment date and time with a confirmation link. However, each will also carry a slightly different message that is engaging, enlightening, and educational.
For example, the initial email can present information about team members with a link to your About Us page; the second can link to your newsletter or request a follow on social media; the third can discuss a new piece of equipment in the office; a fourth can reinforce the safety measures you follow or introduce a promotion. The final email can be a thank-you after the appointment with a link to your Google review page.
Highlighting your services: Drip emails are a low-pressure way to increase awareness of your higher level services such as cosmetic procedures, clear aligners, sleep apnea treatments, and sedation dentistry.
Before treatments or procedures: If a patient has been scheduled for a procedure, such as a filling, teeth bleaching, or a crown, you can create three emails: one explains the procedure and its benefits; a second could feature testimonials, if applicable; a third could highlight any special night-before instructions. After the procedure, you can follow a customary phone call with an emailed thank-you, aftercare instructions, and invitation to leave a review.
Welcome new patients: It is important to make new patients feel comfortable and accepted into the “family” from the beginning. You could, for example, send an email thanking them for choosing you. The second touchpoint could be a friendly reminder of any follow-up appointments and a link to your About Us page. Other emails, say monthly or semimonthly, can highlight the different services you offer with links to each.
Email marketing can connect your audience to services pages, videos, review sites, and newsletters. It can easily direct patients to your social media and YouTube channels.
What Makes a Successful Drip Email Campaign?
The keys to successful drip email marketing include a clever subject line that prompts your audience to open the email. The body needs a call to action without being overtly salesy. Images or videos embedded in the email can also spark interest. In addition, analyzing each campaign, or testing different subject lines and messages, can help you sharpen your focus and increase open rates. Sending out drip emails is automated, and therefore easy; the setup takes work. Do you have the time? Software can help you schedule emails and personalize the message, but setting the right tone for each type of email is an art. Contact Identity Dental Marketing to help you craft effective messages for each point in the marketing lifecycle, deploy your emails, and analyze your campaigns’ effectiveness.
