At first glance, you might not think you need to market your eye care practice. After all, people will always need eye exams, glasses, and vision rehabilitation. Using email for additional marketing may not seem necessary; will your practice really benefit from sending email to your patients? The answer, as you might suspect, is yes.
There are several solid ways email can help you retain existing patients in a competitive marketplace, as well as lead new patients to you. Moreover, done right, marketing via email can actually provide significant advantages to your patients–advantages they’ll appreciate that will keep them coming back to you.
Convenience. The first way to grow your practice with email is simply to use it as an everyday tool, if you aren’t already. Let patients set up appointment times via your website, and use email to confirm appointments or send reminders that it’s time to pick up that new pair of glasses. This is convenient for your patients; email provides a constantly accessible format for them to reach you. Email removes roadblocks when it comes to fitting an eye appointment into a busy schedule. It shows that your practice is professional, organized, and has your patients’ best interests in mind. It’s more than just eye care marketing; it’s a way of doing business that puts patients first.
Connection. You can stay connected to your patients with a monthly or quarterly e-newsletter. Include eye health topics, seasonal reminders, interesting facts about the eye, and standard information about your practice. For instance, if you stay open late one evening, include that information right next to a phone number and contact form for making an appointment. Emails with helpful information help your existing patients make decisions that help your business. You’ll reinforce your patients’ awareness of your business, leading to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth.
Conversion. Eye care marketing via email also helps your practice grow because you can see how people are responding to your contacts. You’ll be able to see exactly which special offers or eye health information draws the most response, and use this information in future communications.
Customization. Email marketing allows your patients to feel special. You can send out birthday-related offers and other personalized communications with very little effort, as well as remind people about annual exams. Information you already have can help you target specific market segments: older patients or contact lens wearers, for example. Again, you’ll be able to see what information leads to additional business, and what’s most helpful to your patient base.
Consultation. Use email to find out what your patients need. Consult with them by sending out survey when you need to gather information about improvements for your business. They are your best source of information for determining the future of your practice.