As the healthcare industry evolves into a more consumer driven marketplace it essential that businesses implement strategies that allow them to retain existing patients while securing new ones. There are many ways to market within healthcare, and thankfully they are more economical than ever before. Traditional marketing methods such as print and radio advertising have made way for the less costly and more effective social media and email marketing.
A study conducted by consulting firm McKinsey and Co. found that email marketing is estimated to be nearly 40 times more effective in prompting purchases than Facebook and Twitter combined. The reason for this is because 91 percent of US consumers still use email daily. To be effective however, one must first understand the science behind email marketing.
The Science Behind Email Marketing
To be effective in email marketing, it is important to match email messages and offers with unique landing pages that highlight the information that was mentioned in the email. Custom landing pages can increase conversion rates by 25 percent.
It is also vital that businesses optimize their website for mobile devices. A mobile ready website converts the website pages to an easy to read format. Nearly 45 percent of all email marketing messages are opened on a mobile device. Therefore, both the message and the landing page must be mobile ready because according to Google, 61 percent of users are unlikely to return to a site they had difficulty accessing and an alarming 40 percent choose a competitors site instead.
Keep track of your email marketing successes and failures and tweak your campaigns according to the responses each generates. Pay attention to the time of day and day of week that generates the most opens and clicks. Use that information to make better decisions about when to send e-mails.
It is also wise to personalize your messages based upon the information and offers that your customers want to receive. For example, if you are an ophthalmologist that offers LASIK surgery, send your messages to people who wear glasses and contacts and meet your target age group rather than mass emailing all contacts.
Lastly, be sure to use your social media channels in conjunction with email marketing for the greatest reach. By creating messages that capture attention the likelihood for social media shares increases, further expanding your reach.
For more information about email marketing or to schedule a complimentary marketing assessment, contact MindStream Creative at (888) 324-5559.