Newsletters or more specifically, email newsletters have many advantages associated with them. When used properly, it can generate new patients and help in their retention. It helps build relationships with the reader and keep the practice at the top-of-mind of the potential patient.
According to a study done by McKinsey & Company, email marketing is up to 40 times more effective than social media. The same study also shows that the buying process happens 3 times faster than in social media.
Are you missing out on the marketing potential of email newsletters because you’re not sure what a perfect newsletter looks like? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. Many businesses struggle to come up with ideas to keep their email newsletters interesting and entertaining. Fortunately, creating attention-getting email newsletters is easier than you think.
To deliver the perfect newsletter, you will need the following key ingredients.
1. Value-packed content
The most important component of a newsletter is the content that provides value to its readers. Before writing a newsletter, it’s important to identify your target audience, what’s important and not important to them, and why they subscribe to your newsletter.
Not sure what to write? Here are some content ideas are:
- Product/company updates
- Promotions and special offers
- Event Invitations (such as Open Day invitations)
- Tips for patients
- Patient testimonials
- What’s new in the practice (ie it could be a new tool you have acquired within your practice and how it will benefit patients)
- New team members (introduce staff members, share something about their qualifications, what their hobbies are, etc. This helps them connect with the reader and helps build patient loyalty)
- Q&A on frequently asked questions from patients
- Blog – if you have a blog on your website, you can include an excerpt of this in your newsletter, with a link to the full blog post ( Read our blog post about blog posts here)
- Holiday or event themed posts (ie How to get your smile wedding-ready)
- Curate content – Not everything in your email newsletter has to be original. You can curate interesting articles or videos online and share them in your newsletter. Explain what’s interesting about it or how it is of benefit to patients. Make sure you credit the source.
- Orthodontic-related trivia or fun facts your patients may not know – this adds a twist of fun!
2. Good Design
An attractive newsletter is going to encourage readership, therefore the design of the newsletter should not be overlooked. It should be in line with the practice’s look and feel. It should be easy to read and pleasing to the eyes. Here are some tips when designing your newsletter:
- Make the newsletter presentable. Opt for a minimal look.
- Each element needs its space and maintain the white space to make it more readable
- Adjust the font to maximize visibility and readability.
- Add images or graphics where necessary. Images speak a thousand words as it conveys the message quickly and powerfully
- Maintain uniformity and keep the image size and headings consistent
3. A subject line that draws attention
In order to stand out from the clutter of your reader’s inbox, you need a catchy subject line that grabs their attention and makes them want to open the email. Your subject line is your first (and maybe your last) impression on users. In many ways, your email subject line is more important than your email body. After all, a great newsletter is worthless if no one sees it.
When writing a subject line, make sure to:
- Keep it under 50 characters (shorter subject lines has a 12% higher open rate)
- Pique the viewer’s interest (catch their attention and incentivize them to learn more by opening)
- Offer value (the best subject lines are the ones that promise value)
4. Call to Action
The most important reason why we’re writing newsletters is to promote a ‘Call to Action’. We want users to do something after they’ve read the newsletter. Whether it’s book a consultation, call to enquire, register for an event, or like your Facebook page, it’s important to ask the reader to take action. Make sure the call to action button is clear and visible so users can easily click on it, with no trouble.
Besides the above ingredients, a newsletter must also adopt the following methods:
Brevity
We are inundated with information every day and most people don’t have the time to read long articles. Opt for shorter, more frequent deliveries and stick to the point. It’s also helpful to indicate a ‘time to read: 3 minutes’ at the start of the document so users can expect how long the article is.
Storytelling
The best types of newsletters are the ones that tell a story. People don’t usually remember facts but stories stick with them. So when writing a newsletter, try to adopt a conversational tone to draw your reader in.
Reader Focus
When writing a newsletter, always write it for the reader. Your audience is not interested in your successes and dramas but rather, in how you can help them and what’s in it for them.
An email newsletter is a powerful tool to help nurture your readers, so make sure to take advantage of it!
If you want to accelerate your practice growth, reach out to us today
