Posted on July 20, 2021 in General
LISTEN: SMS Best Practices
Amanda Polk – Vice President, Miller Public Relations
Text messages have a 209 percent higher response rate compared to emails or phone calls and an open rate of 98 percent. Emails often become invisible among so many unread messages or get lost to spam filters. And according to a Zipwhip survey, 87 percent of calls are ignored if they’re from unknown numbers. It’s no wonder then that texts have become a staple in healthcare marketing. So, how can you ensure your SMS toning is right in order to find success with text marketing? Here are tips on how to do it.
Get Permission
Getting permission from prospects and compliance go hand in hand. It eliminates possible friction with your leads and HIPAA too. There are different ways to obtain consent for your SMS campaigns. One way is to send an opt-out text informing prospects that they can write “STOP” whenever they wish to.
It’s important to remember that just because you have the contacts of leads, it doesn’t imply you’re allowed to text them without their go-ahead. You can actually land yourself into legal trouble if you do so. Therefore, make sure you’re given explicit permission from prospects first and foremost, before ever texting them.
It’s also a good idea to seek legal counsel. That way, you’re assured your SMS campaign won’t violate HIPAA rules and regulations. Otherwise, violations can earn you hefty fines. You could also end up being dropped by carriers, among a host of other problems.
Select the Right Team
Not everyone has a ton of experience with SMS marketing. So, to get the most out of text messages, you’ll need to have a great team on board. As Amanda Polk, VP of Miller Public Relations, puts it, “find the right people who’re able to convey energy and personality via SMS without any body language.”
Establish A Relationship
This is key to your SMS marketing success. Text marketing gives you a chance to connect with your leads. So, work on educating your prospects. This will eventually persuade them to step into your practice.
For instance, if you’re a dental practice, you can talk to your leads about the health benefits of annual dental visits via text. Potential patients are more likely to come to your office if they’re convinced you can meet their healthcare needs based on specific benefits.
Don’t Flood Leads’ Inboxes
No one appreciates spammers. Sending too many texts every day will not only annoy your leads but will also make them lose interest in whatever you’re saying. It’s best to opt for strategic texts, which are more impactful.
Have a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
An effective campaign must have a compelling CTA at the end of the text. This will encourage your leads to take the next step. The fact is CTAs drive conversions. However, for any CTA to work, it has to be created with your particular goals and leads in mind. This means each call-to-action has to be tailored to motivate different audiences to take the desired actions.
For example, “take a look at our services,” “let us solve your problem,” and “book your appointment” are CTAs that serve the varied needs of leads and inspire them to act.
Keep Your Messages Short
Users will lose attention in a heartbeat if you send out long texts. Besides, most people don’t have the patience or time to scroll through a wordy SMS. As such, you have to impress them with a brief message.
This can be achieved with a concise text that addresses all the main points, of course, with a strong call to action included. Also, start off with an attention-grabbing phrase and remain relevant throughout to keep prospects hooked until the very end.
Take Your Marketing Strategy to the Next Level with SMS Messaging
SMS has quickly overtaken other marketing strategies, and for good reason. This communication strategy has unsurpassed open rates, not to mention highly receptive audiences. As a result, texts can deliver an impressive ROI on your healthcare marketing spend. By leveraging MDprospects’s integrated text marketing tool, your practice will have an easy time sending personalized marketing campaigns to leads.
Want to bolster your marketing efforts using text messaging? Just grab a quick demo from MDprospects today.
