PracticalDermatology

Email newsletters have always been a popular strategy to create a personal connection with potential dermatology clients. The Nielsen Norman Group’s Email Newsletter Usability report claims that readers almost always felt an emotional attachment with their newsletters. The report was based on 270 email newsletter reactions from six different countries. You can say that email newsletters have been a time-tested approach in client outreach.

Newsletters are more personal than websites, as they are delivered directly to a user’s inbox. This creates an ongoing relationship over time that fosters a comforting expectation at the consumer’s end. Email newsletters can certainly create a more personal and deeper bond between your dermatology practice and potential clients.

The only challenging task in this endeavor is to maintain this special bond with your dermatology clients on a sustainable basis. By following these seven steps you can ensure that your email newsletter campaign delivers the desired results.

Be Relevant

Reading a good newsletter is like talking to an old friend where news and gossip are swapped. If your email newsletter does not contain content that is valuable, interesting, and informative, then it will fail to capture your potential customer’s interest. The most critical aspect of newsletter success is to be relevant as well as informative at all times. It is important that you understand the true meaning of informative, relevant, and valuable content.

The following features were highlighted by 40 percent of users as critical components of content, per the study conducted by Nielsen Norman Group:

• Price or Sale reports—especially price drops
• News relating to personal hobbies and interests
• News about important events, deadlines, and other such dates
• Company actions and news related to work (cited by two-thirds of respondents).

Case in point: Lisa Lillien has a dedicated following to her daily newsletter with more than one million subscribers. She has technical know-how on watching your weight while eating everything you love. Her newsletter includes newly released diets and recipes around low fat/cal eats and sweets. Lisa Lillien, aka Hungry Girl, started an email newsletter in 2004 and now has New York Times bestselling book deals and features on “Good Morning America,” “The Rachel Ray Show,” and more. An informative newsletter that is relevant clearly pays off in the long run.

A few examples of informative content:

• Contests/contest winners
• Webinars or videos
• Blog posts
• Reviews
• Testimonials
• Fan photos
• Tips and tutorials
• Interesting facts
• Recipes
• Photos
• Infographics
• Events, dates to remember, and holidays.

Do Not Hard Sell

Sales should never be the main focus of your email newsletter. You can send offers and sales in promo-specific emails, instead. To get your newsletter right, you should think of it as a trusted friend that is granted access by your reader into her home (inbox) and life. You would think twice before opening the door if you allowed a friend into your home, only to see him turn into a pushy salesman.

Add a sales pitch or a sales update into your newsletter only as a friend would. For instance, you can ask, “Did you know that you can save 30 percent on the friends and family rebate this month?” and not push further.

INCREASE ENGAGEMENT ON FACEBOOK

There are standard, contemporary, and emerging ways to add more excitement to your Facebook network. Watch this Ekwa Marketing video to learn how to increase engagement on your Facebook page.

Make It Short and Clickable

The average person spends just about 51 seconds in scanning through a newsletter. You need to make sure that you keep the content brief with blocks, snapshots, takeaway messages, bullet points, and bold calls to action.

Every relationship involves give and take. Hence, provide enough information to pique your reader’s interest and make them click through to your blog, social media network, or website for more information. You need to remember that the aim of your newsletter is creating a relationship with your audience rather than making a sale. You can expect more sales once a potential customer is informed and educated about your offer.

Also, make sure to put big and bold calls to action after each content block. This can be in the form of “Read More,” “Learn More,” or “Watch This Video.” This gives a clear, specific, and strong message to your reader to click through for more juicy details.

Consistency Is Key

Nobody really likes friends who are inconsistent and unreliable. You might have them, but you would never rely on them while making important decisions. The same principle applies to your email newsletter. If you urge your readers to watch out for a newsletter the same time next week, then make sure that that newsletter is ready and sitting in their inboxes.

The best way to make sure that your newsletter works is by picking a frequency—daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly etc. Also, mention in your opt-in forms the details regarding the newsletters.

In a study, 69 percent of people reported that they look out for newsletters eagerly. They also commonly made it a part of their routines. There are very few marketing strategies that can get your brand this level of consumer engagement.

Use a Catchy Subject Line

The subject line is your first impression, and this is important in all types of relationships. Your subject line has the power to either pique interest or fizzle out. It is possible that your potential customer might not even open the mail if your subject line is not compelling, intriguing, thought provoking, or interesting.

The “From Label” also plays a critical part in ensuring that your newsletter gets opened. It will be better if you state your company or brand name instead of personal name.

Be Open to Response

There is possibly nothing more disappointing than a friend who does not respond. This clearly shows that the person was not truly listening to begin with. By using “Do Not Reply” tags in your newsletter you advertise that you are not interested in your audience’s opinions and comments.

By keeping open feedback channels that are checked daily and replied to, you can ensure that your readers feel taken care of and listened to. You might also receive some valuable questions, feedback, insights, and suggestions that might be able to improve your newsletter in order to snag that customer next time.

Do Not Hold On

Breakups can be difficult, however, it is easy to break up calmly rather than make a scene. If a reader wants to unsubscribe, then you should simply take it in stride. Make the unsubscribe link easy to find and allow your readers to leave gracefully and easily. Remember to assure them that they can always come back.

Create a Friendly Bond

A personable, effective and orderly newsletter will take time to create. However, it creates a friendly bond between you and a client. Your clients will always treat you as an affable and trusted friend if you follow these seven effective steps.