One of the biggest mistakes I see physicians make when it comes to marketing is waiting too long to implement an email marketing strategy.
The primary reason for this seems to be that it is not something that is typically top of mind.
In thinking about digital marketing, SEO and social media quickly become the focal points.
However, in the internet marketing circles, one of the things we know we want to focus on is email marketing, specifically what’s known as list building.
Email Marketing Is NOT Dying
Some people in the social media circles are claiming email marketing is dying, but the data suggests otherwise.
Social media certainly has its place as part of a digital marketing strategy, but it can’t replace the relatability and security of email marketing.
An email is definitely more relational than a social media post. I think we all intuitively understand that. Even as part of a mass send, emails can still be customized with our names and feel like they were just sent to us.
From a security standpoint, you don’t actually own your audience on social media, but you do own the email addresses in your database.
Plus, the algorithms in every social media platform control how often your posts are seen and by who. Don’t just assume that when you post something on social that all of your followers will see it.
But with email, you own the list and largely have a direct line of communication to everyone on it.
What Is Email Marketing?
When it comes to healthcare professionals, email marketing should be thought of less like a Nordstrom promotional email and more like an email you get from a blogger you follow, letting you know that a new post is available.
It’s personal, is informational, and helpful. It’s a value-first marketing strategy. And as a result, the people who follow you are interested in what you have to share.
An email list is the most direct way you can push information to your current patient and prospective patients.
When you publish new content on your website, you should also send out a snippet to your email list with a link back to your site. This continues to keep your patients engaged with you and is a more effective way for them to share information with their friends and family, generating referrals.
Email Marketing Helps Your SEO
Aside from having a direct link of communication to patients, the SEO benefits are one of the best reasons to consider implementing email marketing.
How does email help with SEO?
For starters, it drives traffic back to your website. And not just any traffic, qualified traffic.
People already on your email list are more likely to visit and spend time on your website, which signals to Google that there is value, which helps rankings go up (or maintain if you’re already on top).
The amount of time people spend on your website matters when it comes to SEO.
If people are “bouncing” off of your site quickly, Google associates that with a lower value. But the opposite is also true. The longer someone spends on your site, the more value Google thinks it has.
You want to send out an email to your readers every time you post new content with a link back to your site.
Establishing email marketing needs to be on the must-do list for every doctor who is serious about marketing themselves. If you don’t already have a system in place, I recommend setting up MailChimp, which is the email platform I recommend.