3 Digital Integrations for Marketing Tools for Email and Social Media
In the previous issue of Element, we discussed seven digital integrations for productivity. We gave examples of specific applications you can use on your desktop or mobile device to help you quickly and efficiently manage the daily activities necessary to keep your practice running smoothly.
Some clinicians find marketing to be an enjoyable part of running a medical practice, while others see it as just another obligatory task to complete. But whether you love or loathe marketing, the reality is that it takes time—something almost everyone has in limited supply.
One of the best ways to leverage the time you devote to marketing is to tap into the power of automation. And that’s where digital integrations come into play. In a time when almost everyone keeps their phone within arm’s reach, digital marketing has become the norm.
If you’re tempted to stop reading because you saw the words “digital marketing,” please don’t. You don’t need a degree in software engineering or computer science to connect with existing or potential patients online. Tapping into the power of digital marketing can be as simple as sending emails to your patients or posting insights on social media.
The digital applications listed below will not only save you time, but also allow you to share the message of your medical practice with a larger audience than you would ever be able to reach in traditional ways.
Email service providers. Your list of email subscribers may be one of your biggest marketing assets. A report from the Direct Marketing Association of the U.K. found that every $1 spent on email marketing gives a whopping $44 return.
Email is considered a complementary activity because people check their emails while doing other things—an Adobe survey showed that 69 percent of Americans check email while watching TV, 57 percent check while in bed, and 79 percent check while on vacation. And some research shows that approximately 73 percent of young adults check their emails on the phone and state that email is their preferred means of business communication.
If you’re going to use email as a means to promote your practice, there are regulatory and logistical considerations. State and federal laws define who you can email and processes that may be required, such as providing a place for email recipients to unsubscribe. And individual email clients (like Outlook or Apple Mail) place limits on the number of people you can email at once, making it impossible to use these applications for email marketing.
Email service providers like MailChimp, Constant Contact, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, and Infusionsoft make it possible for you to comply with regulations and email a long list of subscribers in a few clicks. These applications also allow for email sequences to be automated and for email subscribers to be segmented into lists. They also create reports so you can see who opened your emails and who clicked through the links.
There are a few keys to successfully utilizing an email service provider. First, know who you’re writing to, and speak to their needs. Second, create automations to welcome new subscribers and introduce them to your practice. Third, follow a set schedule for sending out routine emails (like monthly newsletters).
Always provide content that’s educational, informational, or inspirational. Sometimes provide content that is promotional. If you consistently show up in a person’s inbox with interesting content, they will grow to trust you for your knowledge and expertise.
Landing pages
Landing pages or pop-up boxes. Assuming you’re convinced of the importance of email marketing, the next step is to increase your outreach. One of the best ways to grow your list of email subscribers is to offer free and valuable content in exchange for email addresses.
You can collect an email address in exchange for a free e-book or video series, for example, and then follow up with more valuable content in a person’s inbox. But be aware that there are regulations that guide the collection and use of email addresses. Check with your attorney to see which laws apply to your practice. Another good resource is the CAN-SPAM Act’s Compliance Guide for Businesses page on the Federal Trade Commission’s website, .
Once you have a free offer to promote, you need a way to capture the attention of online browsers. This is where landing pages and pop-up boxes come in. Despite how annoying a pop-up box can be, there’s no denying that it grabs attention. If you want your website visitors to notice your free offer, a pop-up box might be the best way.
Landing pages serve a similar purpose as pop-up boxes but have the advantage of being shareable via social media or other links. A landing page might have the same information as a pop-up box (stating the free offer and requesting an email address), but it has a specific URL that you can link to in an email.
Digital integrations to create pop-up boxes and landing pages might be included in your website building platform (like Wix or Squarespace). Or they might be added as plugins to your WordPress site. You can also build your own landing pages with software like LeadPages or Unbounce.
Social media schedulers
Social media schedulers. According to data collected by social-media management company Hootsuite, the average American spends over two hours a day on social media. Consequently, having a social media presence is the norm for businesses. In fact, 90 percent of businesses say they use social media for brand awareness. Potential patients might discover you on social media or, if they land on your website first, click over to see what you most recently posted.
Social media gives businesses—including medical practices—a casual and intimate way to connect with current and potential customers. When your followers see that you consistently post informative or inspirational content, they’ll feel more connected to you and your business.
Despite the extraordinary potential for social media to play a part in marketing your medical practice, it’s not without drawbacks. Social media can be a huge distraction and whittle away hours of your day. Brainstorming what to post every day can also take mental energy away from more important endeavors. One option is to designate an employee as your social media guru, or hire a social media consultant.
Social media schedulers can also be a godsend. Software like Hootsuite and Loomly allows you to schedule posts on several different platforms to deliver on specific dates and times. Some schedulers, such as MeetEdgar and SmarterQueue, save a library of your posts and share them repeatedly on a recurrent schedule.
Social media schedulers can save loads of time and energy, but keep in mind that you also need to show up in real time. When followers comment on your posts, it’s best for you to reply or at least acknowledge the interaction. Social media is most valuable for your business when you use it as a way to personally engage with potential customers and patients.