As website and online marketing take over a larger share of corporate marketing budgets, there is a distinct shift towards digital content and away from custom newsletters for physical therapy & other printed materials. This means that your practice should invest in its website, social media and online marketing. But, it also presents a strong case for targeted print campaigns that provide a balanced promotional strategy.
Think about your mailbox 5 years ago—it was often full with catalogs, coupons, flyers, bills etc. Now, 80% of that mail goes straight to your inbox, leaving you with only a handful of post items each day. What does this mean for consumer behavior? While we used to mindlessly throw “junk mail” into the trash, we now swipe and delete emails just as easily. And those few pieces of printed mail? We take more time to scan them and might even read a few.
Let’s take a look at how to get the best results:
Can Custom Newsletters Stand Out and Attract New Patients?
What if your practice had a custom newsletter mailed directly to patients? It might be one of 3-4 items they receive in the mail that day, getting more attention than the 45 emails in your inbox.
For example, someone checks the mailbox and has 5 items: a magazine, a personal card, two bills and your practice’s monthly newsletter. They will probably open the card first, place the bills on the desk to pay and thumb through the magazine. Your newsletter will be a disruptor (in a good way!).
Standing out from the normal items, a custom newsletter will bring different content and appeal to the patient’s sense of curiosity. They might not read the articles in detail—but they will remember your practice, the great care they received and how PT helped them feel better.
For design & content tips from over 20 years of data, check out these Free PT Newsletter Templates To Boost Results (scroll down the page).
Relevant Content Builds Relationships
While it’s not realistic to think that one newsletter will prompt every recipient to pick up the phone and call, you can expect to see results.
By sending a newsletter each month, you remind patients about your practice and how physical therapy can improve their lives. Different topics, like back pain or knee pain, can have varying levels of appeal.
One day, say when they receive your shoulder pain newsletter after a busy day working in the yard, it will click. Your marketing will be in the right place at the right time. The patient will connect with the topic. And, they will identify your practice with other newsletters on a range of PT conditions, building credibility. Now, you have established relevancy—the secret to the most effective marketing.
How Can You Go From A Newsletter To An Appointment?
Once your practice and physical therapy feel relevant, it’s a smooth transition for the patient to want to get care.
You need to make it easy for them to book an appointment. Include your phone number on the mailing panel (where the patient’s address is) and throughout the internal pages.
People are also almost programmed to go online to look up phone numbers so be sure your website is up to date and that it can be easily be found from Google. Key phrases like “[Practice Name] physical therapy” or “physical therapy [Town]” should have your website at the top of the search results. Some people may also use social media, like Facebook or Yelp, to find you. Be sure to have your phone number available across a variety of social media sites.
Not All Patients Are An Easy Sell
You might need to entice some with a call to action that begs for immediacy. What does that mean? Offer them just one more reason to make an appointment today. That could be an offer for a free evaluation on the back of the newsletter or a discount on treatment. If you see a lot of cash payments, you can also promote that you accept cash and direct access (saving them a referral from their primary doctor). A meaningful incentive to take action now can generate additional revenue for your practice and get more patients into PT.
Data Supports Blending “Old” And “New” For Best Results
A custom newsletter bringing awareness to your practice and how PT helps patients feel better might seem like an old marketing tool. But, with a visually appealing design and the reduction of other printed marketing in the mailbox, you can see big wins with results from monthly newsletter campaigns. See our complete newsletter system to learn everything you need to know about creating, promoting, and growing your practice!
But Isn’t Direct Mail Dead?
Did you know for every 1,000 newsletters you send, you can expect 5-10 patients to revisit your clinic for treatment? If you’re worried about the gaps in your PTs’ schedules, you can QUICKLY start filling them with people from your past patient list, using direct mail. Here’s how:
What Is the Anatomy of a Successful Physical Therapy or Chiropractic Newsletter?
Every successful physical therapy or chiropractic newsletter has these components:
- Cover: The cover of the newsletter needs to grab the attention of the reader! Feature a bold graphic design in bright colors. Plus, don’t forget to include your company name + logo so the recipient knows who’s sending the newsletter!
- Main Educational Article: Each month, you should have a main article that provides useful information on pain relief! Let me repeat myself: the main article should be useful! It is NOT about how great you are. You are providing educational information for free so that physical therapy or chiro patients trust you as a reliable source.
- Staff Spotlight / Story About Your Practice: This is where you get to showcase your great staff and company culture! Adding real photos from your clinic increases the authenticity of your newsletter.
- Patient Success Stories: In the interior of your newsletter, show a picture and a testimonial of a patient you’ve helped recently. The more specific the testimonial is, the better. This, more than anything, will help a patient trust you and come back in for care.
- Something Fun: This could be a recipe, an invitation to a workshop, or a special clinic announcement!
- Call To Action: Throughout the newsletter, encourage patients to come back in for care. Put your photo number or a link to book an appointment in a bright color on your newsletter.
- Mailing Panel: Don’t forget to add a mailing panel with your clinic(s) location, address, name, and hours on the back! This will help the patient find you.
Aren’t Patient Newsletters Super Expensive?
Sending patient newsletters are an investment. But they ARE worth it.
Just check out this multi-location clinic’s results. They invested $2000 over two months to print and mail their newsletters, and brought 68 patients back in the clinic in just 60 days! Their return on investment was 32 to 1!
Check it out…
Ready to get started sending custom patient newsletters? Practice Promotions helps Physical Therapy, Rehab, and Chiropractic Clinics market their practices with custom Patient Newsletters, Practice Websites, Advanced SEO Services, and Google Ads PPC. View our plans and pricing here.
