Stay Out of Spam and at the Top of Mind
Email marketing remains one of the most effective digital marketing strategies for dental practices in 2024. With email open rates exceeding 22.5 percent for healthcare and dental industry emails, it’s clear that email is still an impactful way to reach patients and drive new appointments.
In this ultimate guide, the Now Media Group marketing team discusses best practices, examples, and tips for leveraging email to grow your dental practice this year. Call (858) 333-8950 to speak to a representative about your digital marketing strategy.
Setting Up Your Email Marketing Platform
The first step for creating an effective email marketing campaign is selecting and setting up your email marketing platform or software. There are many solutions to choose from, but the most popular options for small businesses and healthcare providers include:
Most of these platforms offer affordable monthly subscriptions, email templates, drag-and-drop editors, automation workflows, and analytics. You’ll want to select one that integrates easily with your practice management or patient communication software.
Building Your Email List
The effectiveness of your email marketing relies heavily on the quality of your email list. You want to build a robust list of current and past patients and prospective leads.
There are several ways to grow your list:
- Collect email addresses at check-in through your practice management software or on intake forms
- Add a signup form or pop-up on your website
- Offer a lead-magnet like a free teeth whitening kit in exchange for an email address
- Promote your newsletter on social media and ask followers to subscribe
- Purchase a targeted email list through a verified healthcare list broker
It’s important to follow email permissions best practices and only send to subscribed, opted-in recipients. You’ll generate the best results and ROI from emails sent to those who want to receive them.
Crafting Effective Subject Lines
Your email’s subject line is the first impression recipients see and determines if they open the message. Subject lines should be clear and compelling, highlighting the value to the patient. For dentists, effective subject line formulas can include:
- Urgency or Discounts: “Flash Sale – 50% Off Teeth Whitening Kits”
- Education or Tips: “Five Foods That Damage Your Teeth”
- Appointment Reminders: “Your Cleaning is Tomorrow at 2 p.m.”
- Reactivation for Inactive Patients: “We Miss You at [Practice Name]”
Subject lines should be short, actionable, and personalized. Always A/B test different subject lines to determine which resonates best with your audience.
Designing Responsive Email Templates
Once you grab attention with the subject line, the email design and content need to be delivered. Your emails should showcase your brand, voice, and values visually. Most email providers have templates you can customize to match your branding. Use a mobile-responsive template so your emails render nicely across devices.
Elements to include:
- Header image
- Logo
- Call-to-action buttons
- Social media icons
- Contact information
- Images of your office and team
The layout should guide readers naturally from top to bottom and make important clickable elements visible. Limit text and break it up into scannable sections for easy mobile reading.
Crafting Valuable Email Content
Your subscribers are most engaged when your emails provide value — not just promotions. Aim for a mix of content types:
- Educational Content: Share dental health tips, facts, infographics, or videos to position your practice as an authoritative industry source.
- Promotional Content: Offer discounts on services, announce sales, or introduce new treatment options at your office. Don’t overdo the hard selling.
- Appointment Reminders: Remind patients about upcoming appointments and prep them with questions to ask or instructions to follow.
- Patient Reactivation: Send emails checking in on inactive patients and offering incentives to rebook appointments.
- Surveys: Ask patients for feedback on their experience or preferences for your practice.
- Newsletters: Round up new content, testimonials, employee spotlights, and more in a monthly or quarterly newsletter.
- Consistency: Set a cadence for email sends that you can sustain long-term. Automate recurring emails like reminders when possible.
Measuring Results & Optimizing Your Approach
It’s important to track email performance and optimize over time. Look at open rate, click rate, conversions, unsubscribes, and other metrics. Use this data to refine your approach, including:
- Tweaking subject lines and content based on top-performing emails
- Removing inactive subscribers from your list
- Adjusting your email send frequency if needed
- Identifying and segmenting your most engaged subscribers
- Adding or removing email types that resonate or fall flat
- Testing new calls-to-action and email formats
- Ensuring your emails are reaching the inbox and not spam
Discover the Power of Email Marketing Campaigns
Email marketing offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage with patients and grow your dental practice in 2024. By following the strategies outlined in this guide, you can craft campaigns that grab attention, provide value, convert subscribers, and optimize over time.
For help creating your email marketing campaigns and strategies, contact our digital marketing experts at Now Media Group by calling (858) 333-8950. Our team will help you maximize your email ROI and drive new patients to your practice this year!