The best dental email strategy we've seen moves away from monthly newsletters away from a more classic 'High-Intent Trigger' model. We call it, "The Hygiene Reactivation Sequence" where we send a three-part message to a patient who is 30-60 days overdue for a cleaning. Email 1 is an educational touchpoint. Email 2 is a 'we miss you' card. Email 3 is a trigger titled 'Insurance Expiry'. By segmenting the list, so the patient who x-colored the last year out of a mill is receiving different follow up processes than the teeth-whitening lead, it's more of a clinical follow-up than a marketing message. In a recent campaign for a multi-location general practice, we got to 41.2% open, 4.8% click through palpably moving the needle on the practice - 'Insurance Expiry' trigger worked best giving us a 14% increase in reactivated appointments in 90 days - filling the schedule without the acquirable cost of new patients through a paid ad. A dentist's biggest asset is their current patient but also their hardest working assets. Automate the messages and enable the clinical team to focus on the person in the chair while the system strives to fill the next one. A sense of dependability for the patient and reliable schedule for the provider without the headache for the front-office staff.
The practice was developed to build the patient communication process around education focused on the anxiety surrounding "root canal" treatments. Renovo's pre-visit (48-hour) appointment reminders are focused on educating the patient regarding the endodontic procedure by providing them with a short video clip and simple explanation of the use of 3D imaging technology and microscopes used during the procedure. After the appointment (three days), an email with recovery information is sent to the patient along with contact information for any questions or concerns. The use of visual content is a result of research indicating most patients do not read but instead "scan" content, therefore, we include images with annotations to provide examples of expected treatment outcomes. The metrics demonstrate success. On average, the open rate for all patient communications is 42%, far exceeding the dental industry average of 20% for patient communications. Click through rates on educational video content averages 18% and demonstrates that those patients engaging with the educational content prior to visiting the practice arrive more calm and prepared for consultation. The open rates for referring dentist communications exceeds patient communications averaging 56% as it includes case studies and treatment outcomes to be discussed with their patients. As a result of this process, the practice has maintained consistent referral growth and avoided large expenditures on conventional advertising. Additionally, many patient reviews reference being educated prior to entering the practice.
I run Plasthetix, where I help dentists fix their email marketing. We recently segmented a client's list for a teeth whitening campaign and shared some patient stories. Open rates jumped to 38 percent and their phone rang off the hook that week. My experience is that tying emails to local events and always including an easy booking link is the best way to get more people in the door.