Over the past several years the public attitude towards the chiropractic sector and the legitimacy of the health benefits it can deliver has resulted in chiropractors becoming highly competitive in the marketing of their services.
It has become common in Australia for chiropractors to advertise their services using a variety of media platforms. Content marketing, social media channels and email marketing campaigns have proven a powerful tool to educate and persuade patients.
At the same time patients expect more from their relationship with a trusted provider and this includes being kept up to date with allied health news and information.
Email marketing is nothing new, with many companies sending newsletters via email to existing or prospective customers. As of 2014, revenue for the email market is nearly $10 billion worldwide and it is estimated to be $20 billion be the close of 2017.
The medium is increasing in popularity because no matter the industry sector, providing thought-provoking information to consumers and clients generates engagement, drives traffic to websites and encourages purchasing decisions.
In this modern internet-driven information age, the client is more marketing-savvy than ever before and will often switch off when exposed to more traditional advertising messages.
Not every email marketing campaign is successful, however. Let us take you through some of the most important things to avoid when starting out.
- Make your email subject line reflect your value. An e-newsletter is different to a sales letter. You want to avoid using words like FREE and 30% OFF or SALE. Consumers are now used to being swamped by such sales hype and will most likely delete your email before opening it at all.
- Use news in your e-newsletter to engage. Nothing grabs peoples’ attention more than presenting them with relevant and timely information. For example, if it’s coming up to Halloween a focus on some amazing skeleton facts could be the focus. Both giraffes and humans have seven vertebrae in their necks, the spine is so flexible it can bend far enough to form two thirds of a circle, etc. Promote special events like Spine Health Week.
- Give them a mix of serious and fun information. For best results, it’s best to produce a mix of serious need-to-know information promoting your expertise and the benefits of your field together with some more light-hearted facts to inspire conversations and expand exposure.
- Keep it consistent: both quality and quantity. Be sure to keep up the level of engaging, thought-provoking content and you will ensure your subscribers will continue to have a positive impression of you and your brand. It’s best to send out a new email every month, at the same time, with the same amount of content.
- Are you asking enough questions? Nothing drives interest like asking questions of your prospective patient. Identify some of the common areas of interest or confusion that may still be surrounding chiropractic treatments and address these by asking questions of your audience.
- Be emotive and sensory in your approach. You provide a service that can aid people of any age and any profession and your content should reflect this. Include images with your articles that feature athletes, elderly people being active and children bounding around the backyard. Your language should be positive, energetic but keep a professional tone.
There are many more ways to better engage with your patients, both current and future, through a carefully produced and executed email marketing campaign.
In this exciting information age where cost-effective online content marketing is on the rise, the professional website is no longer enough to stay competitive.
In 2012 the open rates for e-newsletters sent to smaller mailing lists of between 5 and 499 people were much higher (36.66%) than those targeting groups of 10,000+ (20.1%) or even those targeting 500 to 999 (30.64%).
Located in Sydney and specialising in online marketing campaigns for both large and small enterprise, Infodec Communications is home to a dedicated group of experienced communications experts who offer cost-effective solutions, bridging the gap in the shifting online marketing landscape.
Contact us today to discuss what strategies will work best for your business—communicate your brand with us and discover the benefits of content marketing.
