With almost 900,000 healthcare organizations in the US, it pays to have a competitive edge in reaching your target audience. You’ll need it to not only stand out from the pack but also acquire new patients and boost your bottom line.

Implementing an array of digital marketing strategies is one of the best ways of growing your practice and expanding your reach. Of these viable digital channels, email is one of the most powerful marketing tools for healthcare organizations and businesses.

And recent statistics paint a promising picture:

• Healthcare marketers can expect a return of $42 for every dollar they invest in their email marketing efforts. That’s one of the most impressive email returns on investment (ROIs) we’ve seen.
• The email open rate is 21.48%, on average, for the healthcare sector. That slightly surpasses the overall email marketing open rate of 21.33%.
• The healthcare industry’s average click-through rate (CTR) is 2.69, a slight uptick from the average CTR of 2.62 across all industries.
• Healthcare businesses that leverage content and email marketing enjoy 6x more conversions than those that don’t..

That being said, there’s a lot that goes into running successful healthcare email marketing campaigns, from putting together a strategy, to segmenting your email lists, to tracking the progress of your efforts while maintaining steady growth. It can get tricky along the way.

This guide provides a checklist for success for every important aspect of your healthcare email marketing strategy. Let’s get right on it, shall we?

1- Checklist for Errors/Mistakes/Omissions to look for before you Hit Send

In email marketing, mistakes and mishaps can happen, some sillier than others. Even so, they can cost you dearly, so you need to double-check your email before hitting send.

Here are some things you need to look out for before you send your messages to avoid costly healthcare email marketing embarrassment:

• Broken links – If there’s one mistake that gives many healthcare marketers sleepless nights, it’s sending a message with broken links. The mishap is even more grave if lead generation is the campaign’s primary goal. Leverage email test sends to weed out all broken links.
• Non-working social sharing buttons – It’s easy to break social media sharing links, particularly when copy-pasting your email content. Always try out the social buttons and icons to ensure they’re appropriately linked and work in your test email sends.
• Forgotten links – Forgetting to add a link is a pretty common mistake made by marketers who use buttons for calls-to-action (CTA). Double-check to ensure everything that needs a link is actually linked. These include images, social sharing buttons, CTAs, and anchor text.
• Crooked formatting – When you open the test email, ensure the formatting isn’t wonky. Are there lines that bleed onto one another? Are bullets showing correctly? Leave no stone unturned regarding formatting issues.
• Distorted imagery – Images make your email copy pop and get the recipient’s attention. However, pixelated, squished, stretched, or otherwise distorted imagery will do more harm than good. Correct these issues before you hit send.
• Grammar and spelling errors – Grammar and spelling matter more in healthcare email marketing than you think. Run a spell-check or have a grammar expert in the office double-check the final email copy.

2- Checklist for Meeting CAN-SPAM Requirements

Most healthcare marketing emails have an advertising or commercial intent, meaning they’re subject to CAN-SPAM regulations. You should be aware of and understand how to comply with the requirements enforced by this law that regulates commercial email.

• Check that your messages include your organization’s valid physical mailing address.
• Ensure you aren’t using falsified, deceptive, or misleading information in all aspects of your messages, including the routing, subject line, reply-to, “to,” and sender information.
• Ensure you clearly say who is sending the messages, whether from a specific healthcare provider, healthcare system, or medical practice.
• Check that the subject line of the email clearly shows what the content of the message is about.
• Make sure to disclose the email as advertising.
• Make sure that you provide an obvious and transparent way for recipients to opt-out of future communication from you. You can get in trouble if there’s no unsubscribe button or link.

Remember, you could face penalties of up to $16,000 for failure to comply with CAN-SPAM regulations. On the other hand, compliance can help you build trust, avoid spam filters, and boost open rates.

3- Checklist for Building your Email List

According to Digital Authority Partners, creating your email list is the first step towards successfully implementing your healthcare email marketing strategy. It includes your current patients, new patients, and prospects. You may also incorporate your blog subscribers, newsletter signups, and website subscribers into your contact list.

Keep these pointers in mind when creating and growing your contact list.

• Offer free consultations – We recommend offering free phone or online consultations, in particular. They’re easy, cost-effective, and convenient for everyone. In return, you’ll get a chance to acquire your patient’s contact info – email address, phone, etc.
• Encourage patients to provide their information – The easiest way to grow your contact list is to ask your patients for their information. They can leave this info at your practice office, via email, or on your website by filling out a form. Clearly indicate that you will add them to your email list and provide a checkbox for opting out of this.
• Publish regular newsletters – A newsletter subscription is another goldmine for building your email list. Make sure to offer your readers value in exchange for their contact information.
• Create and share compelling content – More than two-thirds of Americans do health-related research online. Tap into this opportunity to provide helpful, relevant, and educational content in exchange for email list signups.

Final Thoughts

Email is one of the most powerful digital marketing channels for healthcare organizations. The benefits are impressive across the board, from rates of CTR, opens, and bounces to ROI. Use the tips above to avoid embarrassing healthcare email marketing mistakes, build your mailing list, and meet CAN-SPAM requirements.