Eager to engage patients and connect on a higher level? ECPs already have an arrow in the quiver: email marketing with an ROI that surpasses all other channels.

“My big bugaboo is people say email marketing is old; it hasn’t changed much,” says Chad S. White, author of “Email Marketing Rules,” a guide to best practices in the oft-misunderstood communications channel.

Au contraire.

Having leaned on email so heavily during the pandemic, more businesses recognize its power to engage. White, a former journalist and head of research for Oracle Marketing Consulting, offers tips to excel at email marketing, whose $42 ROI for every dollar spent outpaces other forms of marketing, according to Litmus.

DO!
SAFEGUARD AGAINST SURPRISES.

Covid-19 safety protocols remain crucial, and email is an undeniably powerful channel to convey the essentials—simply—to avoid unwelcome surprises.

“I know a lot of people feel like we are ‘done,’ but eyecare professionals understand we are kind of in the fifth inning of this thing and there will be more shifts and protocols,” says White.

All outgoing emails, including appointment reminders, should succinctly cover Covid-19 safety policy so patients know what to expect upon arrival. A simple banner graphic within the body of an email should link to the practice’s website, where safety practices are explained in greater detail.

“A lot of brands are sending dedicated emails about their Covid safety protocols. That’s totally fine; however, it is not enough. You need to have a banner in your emails, either at top or bottom, to continually remind people what these protocols are.”

White understands reluctance to highlight Covid risks, citing pandemic fatigue, but ECPs must convey the dangers of neglecting eye health. “We are seeing a lot of people putting off cancer screenings, ignoring chest pains, so there is a cost to inaction as well.”

DO!
SHOWCASE PERSONAL STORIES.

Consumer behavior shifted wildly in the past year, providing new opportunities to highlight personal stories in emails. That fashion-conscious, gregarious patient who splurged on multiple frames to mix up her look on Zoom calls embodies the “tabletop dressing” trend—accessorizing from the waist up—and she’d love to be featured as a style icon in emails.

Extended screen time has increased eye strain and interest in blue light filtering. Invite those patients to share their experiences—many are very eager—through a short story and photo emailed to your patients.

“People like to share and talk. Social media is evidence of that,” White says. “These short customer stories can really help emphasize changing needs in a way that it is not the provider preaching. It carries so much more weight when you have a customer speaking.”

DON’T!
GO DARK.

Disappearing from inboxes sends bad signals: Eye health is not important or the practice closed and patients need to find a new eyecare professional.

“Keep in mind people don’t read every email you send. They get busy,” underscores White. “If a few emails go unread, you could have a huge gulf of time pass between touches, and that’s when people forget about you. All businesses should be sending to their customers every month.”