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How to Get Your Business Holiday-Ready: A Marketing Checklist for Small Business Owners

How to Get Your Business Holiday-Ready: A Marketing Checklist for Small Business Owners

October may feel quiet, but for small business owners, it’s the month to gear up.

The holiday season is just around the corner, and with it comes a flood of customers, campaigns, and competition. Whether you sell products or services, these last few months of the year can make a big difference in your bottom line.

The good news? You don’t need a huge marketing team or budget to stand out. You just need to plan early and execute smart.

Here’s a simple, practical checklist to help you plan ahead, boost sales, and stay one step ahead of your competition.

 

1. Refresh Your Brand Presence

First impressions matter, especially during the holidays when shoppers are comparing options faster than ever.

Start by checking the basics:

✅ Is your website updated?

✅ Are your hours, contact info, and product details correct?

✅ Do your visuals still represent your brand well?

This is also a great time to give your website and social pages a little festive refresh. Add a holiday banner, tweak your colors, or update your profile picture with a touch of festive cheer.

And don’t forget about mobile optimization. Most people browse and buy straight from their phones. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you could be losing sales before customers even reach checkout.

💡 Pro Tip: Update your homepage headline or hero image to reflect the Season. Even a small festive element makes your business feel active and current.

 

2. Plan Your Holiday Promotions Early

Last-minute marketing is stressful marketing. Start mapping out your promotions now so you can focus on selling later.

✅ Decide what to offer. Will you give discounts, create bundles, or offer a limited-time product or service?

✅ Pick your key dates. Mark your calendar for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. If you’re targeting local customers, think about community events too.

✅ Prepare your marketing materials. Get your promo graphics, ad copies, and landing pages.

💡 Pro Tip: Don’t rely only on discounts. Focus on adding value instead, like free gift wrapping, early access, or loyalty rewards. These build excitement without cutting too deep into your profit.

 

3. Create a Holiday Content Calendar

Consistency beats chaos every time. Plan your content in advance so you’re not scrambling to post at the last minute. 

Create a simple calendar that outlines:

✅ What you’ll post each week

✅ Which platforms you’ll use

✅ Key dates or holidays to highlight

Include a mix of posts like product features, customer stories, gratitude messages, and even behind-the-scenes peeks of your team preparing for the Season. These make your brand more relatable and human.

And remember, you don’t have to post every day, just stay consistent. Scheduling tools like Meta Business Suite, Later, or Canva’s planner can help automate your posts.

💡 Pro Tip: Add fun themed days like “Thankful Thursday” or “Customer Appreciation Day.” They’re great for engagement and brand personality.

 

4. Optimize Your Ads for the Season

Ad competition heats up fast during Q4, and costs often rise, so every click needs to count.

Take time to revisit your ad strategy:

✅ Are you targeting the right audience?

✅ Does your copy use holiday-related keywords like gift ideas, Christmas sale, or holiday must-haves?

✅ Do your visuals reflect the Season and your brand vibe?

Run A/B tests early to see what performs best before you increase your ad spend. And don’t forget to retarget website visitors or past customers. These are your warmest leads who may need a slight nudge to come back.

💡 Pro Tip: Set aside time each week to review your ad performance. A few small tweaks can double your results.

 

5. Prepare Your Email Marketing

Your customers’ inboxes will be full, but great emails still get noticed.

✅ Segment your list. Send personalized emails to returning customers, new leads, and VIP buyers.

✅ Plan your sequence. Think teaser → launch → reminder → last call → thank you. This builds excitement and urgency.

✅ Make it festive. Use holiday visuals, short copy, and a warm tone that feels personal.

✅ Don’t forget your post-holiday email. Thank your customers and share what’s next—this builds loyalty beyond December.

💡 Pro Tip: Reward your best customers with early-bird access. Everyone loves feeling like an insider.

 

6. Strengthen Customer Experience

Big brands can outspend you, but they can’t outcare you. This is where small businesses shine.

✅ Train your staff. Expect more orders or inquiries this holiday season? Make sure your team is ready to respond quickly and kindly.

✅ Simplify the buying process. Reduce clicks at checkout, add clear “Buy Now” buttons, and display your shipping and return policies clearly.

✅ Add personal touches. A short thank-you note, a small freebie, or a friendly follow-up message can turn one-time buyers into loyal fans.

💡 Pro Tip: People may forget your discounts, but they’ll always remember how you made them feel.

 

7. Analyze, Adjust, and Celebrate

Once the Season is over, take a moment to track and analyze your data.

Look at what worked well: 

✅Which products sold fastest? 

✅ Which ads performed best? 

✅ What feedback did customers give?

Document everything while it’s fresh in your mind. It’ll save you time next year. And don’t forget to celebrate. Take a moment to appreciate how far you’ve come.

💡 Pro Tip: Schedule a quick team meeting or send out a “holiday wins” email. Recognition goes a long way in keeping morale high.

 

Final Thoughts

The holiday season can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. With a bit of planning and a clear strategy, you can turn this time of year into your most profitable (and enjoyable) Season yet.

Need help creating a holiday marketing plan that drives real results? Our team can help you design campaigns that sell and stay true to your brand.

Schedule a free consultation today.

 

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10 Simple Lead Magnet Ideas Any Small Business Owner Can Create This Week

10 Simple Lead Magnet Ideas Any Small Business Owner Can Create This Week

When you’re running a small business, one of the hardest parts is consistently finding new customers. Social media is great for visibility, but algorithms change. Paid ads can get expensive. What you need is a reliable way to reach potential customers directly, and that’s where email comes in.

But here’s the challenge: people don’t just give away their email address for nothing. You need to give them a reason. That reason is called a lead magnet.

A lead magnet is something valuable you offer in exchange for someone’s email address. It could be a guide, a discount, or even a checklist. The goal is to attract the right people, build trust, and start relationships that can turn into sales.

In this blog, we’ll cover 10 simple lead magnet ideas you can create this week, and how to actually make them work for your business.

 

What Makes a Great Lead Magnet?

A great lead magnet doesn’t have to be complicated. It just needs to do three things well:

  • Solve a real problem your ideal customer is facing.
  • Be quick and easy to consume.
  • Connect directly to the product or service you sell.

For example, if you’re a fitness coach, a “5 Healthy Breakfasts Under 10 Minutes” checklist could be a great choice. It solves a problem (what to eat), is easy to read, and ties back to your fitness programs.

 

10 Simple Lead Magnet Ideas for Small Businesses

1. Checklist

A checklist is one of the simplest yet most effective lead magnets. People love them because they’re quick, actionable, and give an immediate sense of progress.

Examples: 

  • A real estate agent could share “10 Things to Do Before Selling Your Home.” 
  • A wedding planner could create “The Ultimate Wedding Day Checklist.”

2. Template

Templates save people time and effort by giving them a ready-made structure they can follow. They’re especially powerful if your audience struggles with getting started.

Examples: 

  • A social media manager could share a “7-Day Instagram Caption Template.”
  • A financial coach could offer a “Monthly Budgeting Template.”

3. Quick Guide or Mini eBook

Guides and eBooks allow you to show your expertise while helping your audience solve a specific problem. Unlike a long book, a mini guide is short, easy to read, and practical.

Examples: 

  • A skincare brand could offer “The Beginner’s Guide to Choosing the Right Skincare Routine.” 
  • A bakery could share “The Home Baker’s Guide to Perfect Cupcakes.”

4. Discount Code

Discounts are a classic lead magnet for a reason. They provide instant value and encourage first-time buyers to take action right away.

Examples: 

  • A boutique clothing store could give “10% Off Your First Order.” 
  • A local gym could offer “First Month Free When You Join Today.”

5. Quiz

Quizzes are engaging because they’re fun, interactive, and personalized. They also give you insights into what your audience needs.

Examples: 

  • An interior designer could create “What’s Your Home’s Décor Personality?” 
  • A nutrition coach could build “Find Your Perfect Meal Plan Quiz.”

6. Free Consultation or Discovery Call

Offering your time for free can be a powerful trust-builder. It lets potential clients experience your value before committing to your services.

Examples: 

  • A marketing consultant could offer a “Free 15-Minute Strategy Call.” 
  • A financial advisor could give a “Complimentary Retirement Planning Review.”

7. Resource List or Tools Guide

People want shortcuts, and a curated list of tools or resources saves them hours of searching. This positions you as both helpful and knowledgeable.

Examples: 

  • A freelancer could share “5 Free Tools Every Small Business Owner Should Use.” 
  • A travel agent could create “Top 10 Packing Essentials for Stress-Free Trips.”

8. Worksheet or Planner

These interactive tools help your audience take action immediately, which makes them more likely to see results and remember your business.

Examples: 

  • A nutritionist could create a “Weekly Meal Planning Worksheet.” 
  • A life coach could design a “Daily Productivity Planner.”

9. Video Tutorial or Training

Videos feel personal and are often easier to understand than written content. They’re especially powerful for businesses that demonstrate skills or show results visually.

Examples: 

  • A bakery could share a “5-Minute Video: How to Decorate Cupcakes Like a Pro.” 
  • A fitness coach could create “3 Easy At-Home Workouts for Busy Professionals.”

10. Case Study or Success Story

Case studies prove your expertise by showing real results. They help potential customers picture themselves achieving similar outcomes.

Examples: 

  • A business coach could share “How One Client Doubled Their Sales in 30 Days.” 
  • A cleaning service could showcase “How We Transformed This Office in Just 2 Hours.”

 

How to Make Your Lead Magnet Work

Creating a lead magnet is only half the battle. To make it truly effective, you need to set it up properly and ensure it works for you around the clock.

Promoting Your Lead Magnet

Your lead magnet only works if people can find it. Promote it everywhere: on your website homepage, in blog posts, across social media, inside your email signature, and even during events. The more visibility it has, the more sign-ups you’ll get.

Keeping the Sign-Up Process Simple

Don’t overcomplicate it. If you ask for too much information up front, people won’t sign up. Keep it to the basics. Usually, just a name and email address are enough. The goal is to reduce friction so it’s easy to say yes.

Following Up with an Email Sequence

The lead magnet is just the start. What matters most is how you follow up. Send a welcome sequence that introduces who you are, explains how you can help, and shares more valuable content. Then, naturally guide your subscribers toward your products or services.

Making Sure It Connects to Your Business

The biggest mistake small business owners make is offering a lead magnet that has nothing to do with what they sell. Your freebie should attract people who are interested in what you actually offer. 

For example, if you run a bakery, don’t give away a free guide on digital marketing. Stick to something like recipes or baking tips. 

 

Final Thoughts

Lead magnets are one of the simplest and most effective ways to grow your audience and build lasting relationships with potential customers. You don’t need to spend weeks creating them. With just a bit of effort, you can launch one in a few days and attract the right people to your business.

So, instead of waiting for new customers to stumble upon you, create a lead magnet this week and start building your list.

Need help creating the right lead magnet and setting up your email funnel? Schedule a free consultation with us today, and let’s make it happen.

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6 Tips for Writing Email Subject Lines that Get Opened

6 Tips for Writing Email Subject Lines that Get Opened

A good email starts with a subject line that captures the recipient’s attention. It has to be engaging and interesting enough to give people a reason to open and read your email. But let’s face it. Writing a catchy, powerful subject line isn’t easy. Some don’t even give it much thought. If this is you, then you’re making a big mistake.

It doesn’t really matter how valuable your message is. If your emails aren’t getting opened, then they’re not getting read.

The chances of your emails being ignored are pretty high unless you have a powerful subject line. Use these tips to get your emails opened, read, and, and clicked.

Keep them short

Today, more and more people are checking their emails on their smartphones. What most people fail to realize is that only 30 characters of an email’s subject line are shown on a mobile phone. To avoid getting your subject lines truncated, we recommend keeping them short.

In today’s busy world, you want to make sure that your subject line conveys your message succinctly but clearly. Get right to the point in about six to eight words. Aim for no more than 50 characters or so, as longer subject lines may get cut off on some devices.

Come to think of it. What good is your subject line if recipients can’t even read them?

Communicate urgency

Everyone feels a certain level of FOMO in their lives. Studies suggest that people are more likely to respond to the possibility of missing out than gaining something. Use it to your advantage by applying it to your subject lines.

Consider using action phrases that convey a sense of urgency, so that people will act quickly. Instead of saying, “We have a special offer for you”, use action-oriented language to create a sense of urgency and motivate recipients to open the email.

You can say something like, “Offer expires in X days”.  Don’t be afraid to make the turnaround as short as 24 hours. Setting a deadline creates a sense of urgency that encourages the recipient to prioritize your email.

Tell them what’s inside

What is the purpose of sending the email? Is it to promote an upcoming event? Are you delivering an ebook you promised a visitor? Maybe you just want to share some tips or advice with your subscribers? Whatever the reason is, be very clear about the value of your email and what it means for your subscribers.

Make it clear that there is something valuable waiting inside the email. Use your subject line as a teaser.

Use language that implies exclusivity

People love being included in something exclusive. Using phrases such as “exclusive offer” or “members only” can entice them to sit up and really pay attention.

Use the principle of exclusivity to make readers feel special. Instead of saying “Please take part in our survey”, try saying “You have been selected to take part in our survey”. This suggests that they have been personally chosen and that their response truly matters.

Avoid using words that trigger spam filters

You may not be sending spam on purpose, but if you use certain words on your email, they are likely to be picked up by spam filters.

The last thing you want is for your emails to land straight in the recipient’s SPAM inbox. In some cases, people report an e-mail as spam based on their subject line alone. That’s why you should be careful when choosing the words you use in your email’s subject line.

Avoid using words such as free, no hidden costs, act now, 100% free, % off, $, guarantee. To make it easier, you can refer to Hubspot’s Ultimate List of Email SPAM Trigger Words.

Create some sense of mystery

Some subject lines work because they pique the recipient’s natural curiosity and interest. They know they will benefit from opening the email. But have you tried adding mystery to your email subject lines?

Mystery email subject lines create a bit of intrigue and playfulness. They’ll pique your subscribers’ interest, they’ll have no choice but to open and read the email. It might be just the creative tactic you need to cut through the noise.

Bonus tip: Test and analyze

Don’t be afraid to test different subject lines to see what works best. Analyze your open rates and adjust your approach as needed to continually improve your email marketing strategy.

Final thoughts

Crafting an email subject line is an essential part of any email marketing strategy. By following the tips outlined above, you can ensure that your emails are getting into the inboxes of your target audience and increase engagement.

 

6 Tips for Writing Email Subject Lines that Get Opened

6 Tips for Writing Email Subject Lines for your Yoga Practice6 Tips for Writing Email Subject Lines for Your Mental Health Practice

6 Tips for Writing Email Subject Lines for your Family Medicine Practice

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Maximizing Your Email Deliverability: 7 Tips to Ensure Your Emails Land in the Inbox

Maximizing Your Email Deliverability

According to Zippia, 332 billion emails are sent daily across multiple platforms. That’s a lot of emails! But let’s face it. Many of these emails never reach their intended destination — the recipient’s inbox. Some emails end up in the spam folder. The problem is that most people don’t check their spam folders. That means, your email will never be seen or read. 

As business owners, you probably use emails to send exclusive offers, the latest collections, or offer tips and advice to your potential and existing customers. In order to ensure the success of your email marketing campaigns, you must ensure that your emails land in the inbox.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss spam filters, why they’re important, and tips to ensure your email lands in people’s inboxes. 

Understanding Spam Filters

Spam filters are like a gatekeeper for your inbox. They’re designed to protect you from unwanted and potentially dangerous emails. They scan incoming emails for suspicious content or subject lines, analyze the sender’s reputation, and check whether there are attachments in the message. 

Once an email is identified as spam, it’s immediately filtered out and won’t appear in your inbox. This helps prevent users from being exposed to potentially dangerous material and keeps their valuable data secure from phishing attempts or other cyber threats.

With this automated process in place, you don’t have to worry about manually sifting through your incoming messages. All of the unwanted emails will be blocked automatically.

Best Practices for Better Email Deliverability

Tip #1: Authenticate your email domain

Email authentication is the process of verifying the identity of an email sender, which helps to reduce the chances of emails being marked as spam. 

There are two primary email authentication protocols: SPF (Sending Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). These protocols help ensure that emails sent from your domain and legitimate and coming from authorized sources. 

Tip #2: Prime your IP for success

Your IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique identifier used to send and receive emails. To maintain a good email deliverability rate, keeping a good reputation for your IP address is essential. 

This can be done by sending emails to a small group of subscribers first, then gradually increasing the number. This process is known as “priming” your IP and helps to establish a positive reputation with email servers. 

Tip #3: Use double opt-in

Double opt-in is a process where a subscriber must confirm their subscription twice. The first time, users would provide their email addresses. And the second time, they’d receive a confirmation email and must click a link to confirm their subscription. 

This process helps to keep your mailing list clean and reduces the chances of your emails being marked as spam. 

Tip #4: Avoid spam traps

Spam traps are email addresses that are used to identify and track spammers. These addresses are specifically created by ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to catch spammers. 

If your email is marked as spam, your IP address can be blacklisted, significantly impacting your email deliverability. You need to keep your list clean and up-to-date to avoid spam traps. 

Also, avoid purchased lists like the plague. The last thing you want is to send emails to people who have yet to opt-in on your list. This guarantees that you’ll run into a spam trap. 

Tip #5: Keep clean lists

Keeping a clean mailing list is crucial for maintaining good email deliverability. A clean list contains only subscribers who have opted-in to receive emails from you. 

Regularly remove inactive subscribers and those who have marked your emails as spam to keep your list clean. These people are more likely to mark them as spam since they are no longer interested in receiving your emails. 

Tip #6: Send an email that people love

People are more likely to mark an email as spam if they don’t find it valuable or relevant. Emails containing helpful information, such as news or updates, are less likely to be marked as spam, as subscribers will find the content relevant and interesting.

Use a clear and concise subject line. Avoid words and phrases that can trigger spam filters. This can cause your email to be marked as spam. Common trigger words and phrases include “earn extra cash,” “online biz opportunity,” “free,” “no hidden cost,” and “act now.” 

Tip #7: Check your sender reputation

Your sender reputation is a score that reflects the quality of your email content and the behavior of your subscribers. ISPs use this score to determine whether your emails should be delivered to the inbox or the spam folder. 

Monitor your sending reputation and email deliverability metrics. This will help you understand the performance of your email campaigns and make necessary changes to improve them, reducing the chance of your email being marked as spam.

Final thoughts

Improving email deliverability and avoiding spam filters are crucial for successful email marketing. Following these best practices can build trust with your audience, increase engagement, and ultimately achieve your marketing goals. 

Maximizing Your Email Deliverability

Maximizing Your Email DeliverabilityMaximizing Your Email Deliverability

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5 Ways to Boost Sales Without Increasing Your Marketing Budget

5 Ways to Boost Sales Without Increasing Your Marketing Budget

Most business owners think it’s impossible to generate sales without paid advertisements. This is why we often see startups spending a considerable chunk of their budget on ads.

But let’s face it. Small businesses don’t have a limitless marketing budget. In most cases, they need to think creatively to boost their sales. Increasing your sales with a limited marketing budget can be challenging, but it’s not impossible.

In this blog post, we’ll share five ways to pump up your sales without increasing your marketing budget. The best part? They can help you build a stronger relationship with your audience.

Leverage the power of social media

While not everyone on social media is interested to make a purchase, it’s one of the most cost-effective marketing channels. It gives you the chance to promote your products and get in front of your audience with very minimal effort.

When used correctly, it can help you generate more leads, build a relationship with your audience, and get them to buy your products later on. Plus, social media platforms have analytics, which allows you to monitor and track results.

Consistency is the key to social media success. Your audience value a steady presence, so make sure you post consistently. You don’t need necessarily need to post every day. If you can only post two to three times a week, then that’s fine. What’s important is that you stick to your posting schedule.

Keep your audience engaged with video marketing

Videos are one of the most popular choices for content consumption today. Believe it or not, videos can help you generate more sales. In fact, 80% of marketers claimed that video content helped them directly increase sales, and it can help you too. 

One of the reasons why videos increase sales is because they tell your story more emotionally and dramatically as compared to photos and plain text.

People are more likely to share the video with their family and friends if they are interesting, informative, and entertaining. This helps you reach a massive audience. Even better, 84% of consumers say they’re convinced to buy a product after watching a brand’s video.

Nurture leads with email marketing

Email marketing may look complicated and intimidating if you haven’t done it before. But it’s not as complex as it seems. Plus, it’s a great way to build a relationship with your audience and turn them into brand enthusiasts.

You see, not all customers who visit your products will buy from you. Some are just looking. Others would actually add products to their cart and then abandon their carts for some reason. In fact, studies suggest that 7 out of 10 customers abandon their carts. It doesn’t matter how good your products are; this happens most of the time. 

One of the most effective ways to turn prospects into customers is by nurturing them. You can educate them about your products. Let them know when you’re running a promotion. The goal is to establish trust and convince them to buy from you.

Another way to recover lost sales is by sending abandoned cart emails. It’s a follow-up email that is sent to customers who left your site without purchasing. The goal is to encourage customers to complete their purchases.

Generate leads with a strong SEO strategy

To boost sales, you need to have a strong digital presence. SEO is a great place to start.

Studies suggest that 89% of customers start their buying process with a quick Google search. They look up reviews for products they’re interested in. Or search for the best restaurants near their home.

SEO can help improve your online visibility and drive more traffic to your website, giving you more opportunities to convert leads into customers.

Implement a customer loyalty program

Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in converting leads to customers that you fail to realize that your best customers are right in front of you. 

Existing customers are 67% more likely to purchase your products than new customers. Why? Because they already know how good your products are, how fast your delivery time is, and most importantly, they know that they can trust you. This is why it’s essential to maintain a relationship with your existing customers. 

Loyalty programs play a huge role in retaining customers. They work because they make your customers feel more valued and appreciated.

It makes them more likely to choose you over the competition, which leads to repeat purchases, referrals, and more profits. 

Final thoughts

There is no denying that it’s possible to boost your sales with a tight marketing budget. Sure, you can focus on social media marketing, publish SEO-optimized content, or publish video content every week. All these can help you gain more exposure and eventually turn prospects into paying customers. However, relying solely on free marketing strategies will require a lot of time and effort on your part.

If you want quicker results, it is be best to re-invest a portion of your profits into your marketing and advertising budget. It will save you valuable time and provide a more scalable way for your company’s growth.

5 Ways to Boost Sales Without Increasing Your Marketing Budget

5 Ways to Boost Sales Without Increasing Your Marketing Budget5 Ways to Boost Sales Without Increasing Your Marketing Budget 

 

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6 Ways Healthcare Businesses Can Benefit from Email Marketing

6 Ways Healthcare Businesses Can Benefit from Email Marketing

Love it or hate it, email remains to be one of the primary means of communication. Despite its age, ubiquity, and versatility, most business owners assume that it is one of those things that doesn’t work. Maybe that’s even you and your practice. 

Email is actually a great option for marketing and promoting your practice. Here are 6 reasons why healthcare businesses and providers should do email marketing. 

Create a stronger relationship with patients 

According to a study that was conducted by researchers from Pew Internet, 80% of internet users have searched for a health-related topic online.

You know that there is a demand for healthcare content. People have already given you permission to email them. Now, they expect you to give them something in return. 

Email is a great place to share relevant and timely health information. You can share some tips on how to avoid flu at work or how to keep kids safe while playing in the snow. 

Your subscribers are already looking for these types of information online. By sending relevant and well-crafted healthcare content regularly, they’ll see that you care about their health and well-being. The more value you provide to your subscribers, the more they’ll look forward to hearing from you. When that happens, you’ll have a better chance of earning their trust and loyalty. 

Personalized communication

People love it when businesses and treats them as an individual. Email marketing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to show your patients and subscribers that you value and care about them. It allows you to keep in touch with your audience on a regular basis. It can be as simple as “Thank you for subscribing”, a sincere “Happy Birthday” or some healthcare tips.  

Personalized emails are more likely to be opened and read. Make sure that you address the recipient by their name. It is also a good idea to use a person’s name in the “from” field. People are more likely to trust and relate to an email that comes from a person as opposed to a business. 

Cost-effective 

There are a number of channels you can use to market your practice online. But email remains among the simplest, most cost-effective ways for you to market yourself and your practice. In fact, sending a monthly newsletter to your email list could cost you nothing more than your time. The best part? It lets you send your message around the world in seconds. 

When done right, email marketing helps you to increase the ROI from your digital marketing efforts. It keeps you top of mind with the folks on your email list and build a more personal relationship with them.

Extensive reach 

With the rise of social media, many businesses have abandoned email marketing, and we’re not surprised. 

There are 4.3 billion internet users across the globe. Approximately 80% of them have social media accounts. That’s huge! But here’s the thing. The average click-through rate for a Facebook post is between 0.5 and 2%. If you have 1,000 followers, that means only 5-20 of them will see your posts. 

Contrary to popular misconception, email marketing has great delivery and conversion rate. Almost everyone has an email, and they check it every now and then – while eating, while working or while waiting for the bus to arrive. 

If you want to reach your target audience, you can do so through email. While not everyone will click and read the email, they are 80% more likely to do so than a Facebook post they might not even see. 

Preferred method of communication 

Email is far less obtrusive than a phone call or in-person visit. Plus, it is perceived as a more private outlet than social media. For this reason, many people prefer to communicate via email when it comes to their healthcare and medical needs. 

A decade ago, people would use email to communicate with their family and friends. But a lot of that has shifted to social media, video chat, and texting. Email, on the other hand, is often reserved for work or business transactions, especially when dealing with very sensitive information. 

Target select audience 

We all know that the content is what makes an email great. But there is no point in sending out well-crafted, high-quality content if they are directed to the wrong audience. 

Email marketing gives you the freedom to organize your contacts into segments. That means you can communicate with them based on their age, location, interest, etc. This way, you can easily customize your message for the different audiences you communicate with. 

If you’re an emergency clinic, age would be an important demographic. For instance, you can send content that is centered on slips and falls to older adults on your list. For young adults, it could be about sports-related injuries.   

By segmenting your list by age group, you can tailor the content of your email to suit the specific health interest and current situation of the recipient. When relevant content reaches the right audience, you’ll stay on top of mind with patients, establish a strong relationship, and build lifelong trust.

 

Healthcare Businesses Can Benefit from Email Marketing

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6 Ways Mental Health Professionals Can Benefit from Email Marketing

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List Building: How to Get Your First 100 Email Subscribers

List Building: How to Get Your First 100 Email Subscribers

Let’s face it. Most visitors won’t buy your products or use your services on their first visit. The majority of them are just looking around. They’re not even sure your offer is what they really need.

Just because they aren’t buying anything, doesn’t mean you have to ignore them. Remember, these are potential customers or clients. And it is a good idea to capture their email address and start building a relationship with them. How? Through their inbox.

Having an email list gives you the opportunity to talk to communicate directly with your audience. You can even use it to pitch your products or services.

But the question is… How do you build an email list?
Here are some tips to help you get your first 100 email subscribers.

Who are you looking to attract?

This is one of the most important things you need to determine when building an email list. You need to have a clear understanding of exactly the type of people you want on your list. Otherwise, you won’t be  able to craft a message that resonates strongly enough to spark interest and gain trust.

Create a valuable resource and give it away for free

Let’s face it. Your visitors won’t just give you their email address for no reason at all, even if they like your brand. After all, it’s a personal thing. So you need to find a way to convince them to give it to you.

One of the most effective ways to do this is by offering a lead magnet. It’s an incentive you offer to visitors in exchange for their email address. It is usually a piece of digital, downloadable content like an ebook, PDF checklist, swipe file,  whitepaper etc.

When creating a lead magnet, ask yourself: What’s the one thing that would be useful to my audience? The goal is to come up with something that would make people excited. Once that’s done,  people will be more than happy to provide their email address.

Create an opt-in landing page

Now that you have created a powerful lead magnet, it’s time to start creating an opt-in page.

An opt-in landing page is a standalone web page that is created for the sole purpose of getting visitors to sign up to your email list.

Avoid super long opt-in landing pages. The longer the opt-in page is, the higher the chance visitors won’t read it to the end.  Every word and element of the page should support that single objective — getting them to sign up to your list. If it doesn’t, lose it.

To increase sign up rate, make sure that your CTA button stands out from the rest of your page. Use a larger font, contrasting colors, and prominent positioning.

Choose an email marketing platform

An email marketing platform is a necessity, especially if you’re serious about building your email list.

Not all platforms are bundled with the same features. Choose a platform that will help you incorporate email personalization and segmentation, plus automate email delivery.

If you’re completely new to email list building, MailChimp would be a great platform to get started. For startups and small businesses, ActiveCampaign is a great option. It allows you to segment contacts based on their stage in the sales funnel.

Make signing up as easy as possible

Capturing information is good. But if you’re asking for too much information, people may end up feeling skeptical about how their information will be utilized.

Limit the form to a few fields. Or better yet, just ask for their name and email address. Every additional field gives them a reason to change their mind.

The goal is to get people to sign up, right? So make it as easy and simple as possible for them to do so. The easier the process is, the more likely are they to subscribe. Plus, the less information you ask, the more people will sign up.

Drive traffic to your landing page

Now that everything is set, all you need to do is to drive traffic to your landing page. One of the best ways to do that is by running a paid traffic campaign.

The good news is that you don’t have to spend a huge sum of money on ads. In fact, Facebook allows you to started with as little as $5 a day. However, paid ads alone isn’t enough to grow your subscriber list. Make sure that you promote and share it across your social media platforms.

Conclusion

Building an email list not an easy task. And when you’re starting from 0, getting that first 100 email subscribers could be a daunting milestone. Don’t worry. It’s not as challenging as it seems. Just follow the tips above and you’ll be able to get your first 100 subscribers in no time.

With the right strategy and solid approach to A/B testing, you can see a significant growth in your email list.

List Building: How to Get Your First 100 Email Subscribers

How to Grow Your Email List for Your Counseling PracticeHow to Grow Your Email List for Your Health and Wellness Practice

How to Grow Your Email List for Your Nutrition Practice

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Email Marketing Tips for Your Healthcare Practice

Email Marketing Tips for Your Healthcare Practice

You’ve probably heard more than a few times that email marketing is dead. But statistics say not a chance. In fact, studies suggest that email marketing beats Facebook and Twitter in customer acquisition by 40 times. And for every $1 spent on email marketing, it generates $44 in ROI.

Email is one of the most efficient channels for delivering advertising messages to people who have shown interest in your services. It allows you to connect with them on a personal level, which helps you build a relationship with your audience and drives your practice forward.

So how do you ensure that your email efforts drive in the most bang for your buck? Here are some tips.

Create attention-grabbing subject lines

How many unopened emails do you have in your inbox? 500? 850? If you’re like me, then you probably have thousands.

You have great content to share, but it won’t matter if the emails aren’t’ getting opened and read. To boost your email open rates, you need to craft subject lines that subscribers simply can’t resist.

Keep in mind that people only scan their inbox very quickly, so make sure to keep your subject lines are short. Also, do tell them what’s inside. If a person signed up to your list and you promised to send them an in ebook in return, then you can use subject lines like “Your guide awaits!” or “Your ebook inside!”. This is better than just saying “Thank you”. It’s short, direct to the point, and lets them know that something is waiting inside the email.

Hit the right frequency

Think of the last time you unsubscribed from an email. If you’re like most people, I bet you did because you’ve been receiving too many of them from a single sender. That said, you need to consider this when sending emails to your subscribers.

The last thing you want is to bombard people on your email list with offer after offer. You don’t want to do it so infrequently either that they’ll end up forgetting about you.

So how often should you send emails to your subscribers? Honestly, there is no chiseled-in-stone answer.

But you can start by keeping an eye on what industry leaders are doing. They have done their homework and have built schedules that perform well.

Segment emails

Many of you probably receive dozens of emails every single day. Now, let me ask you. How many of these emails do you read? How many of them really resonate with you? I bet many of them don’t, right?

If you want to increase your open rates as well as your conversion rates, then you need to make sure that you’re sending the right messages to the right people. How? By segmenting your emails.

Segmentation means breaking your email list into smaller segments. This allows you to personalize your emails and ensure that the messages are completely relevant for each recipient. By doing so you’re likely to get 15% more opens and 60% more clicks than if you don’t segment your campaigns.

Make recipients feel special

Growing your email list is vital. But you also need to think of your existing subscribers. These people are the ones who avail of your services and helped you grow your practice. In addition to health tips and advice, you also need to give them something extra. It can be in the form a discount, free visit, or an exclusive offer.

Studies suggest that people tend to desire and give more value to things that are scarce. You can leverage on the principle of scarcity to make your readers feel special.

Let’s say you just published a book. Let your subscribers know that you’re giving them a chance to buy the book before you release it in public. Or you can also give them some discount vouchers for the trust and loyalty they have shown you.

Create a powerful CTA

The goal of email marketing is to get the reader to take action. A clever copy with a powerful call-to-action can make all the difference in your campaign.

A call-to-action is an important step towards actively directing the readers to your goal or objective. Simple call-to-actions such as “call now”, “schedule an appointment now”, and “buy now” usually works, but don’t limit yourself to the common ones. Try to think outside the box and create a powerful CTA that would grab a reader’s attention.

Email Marketing Tips for Your Healthcare Practice

 

Email Marketing Tips for Your Nutrition PracticeEmail Marketing Tips for Your Health and Wellness Practice

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Email Marketing to Increase ROI of Healthcare Digital Marketing

Email Marketing for Healthcare

In this blog we talk about email marketing for your healthcare practice or your wellness practice. Email marketing helps to serve a lot of different purposes. And so, we’ll talk about what those purposes are for your practice, as well as the different types of emails that we recommend making sure that you are sending out.

First and foremost, email marketing helps you to increase the ROI from your digital marketing efforts.

Increase ROI of Healthcare Digital Marketing

How does it do this? Well, the first thing that it does is it keeps you top of mind with the folks on your email list. Sometimes your email list might be comprised of past patients, or it might be comprised of somebody who just downloaded a resource from your website, or even somebody who just requested a consultation with your practice.

By receiving emails in their inbox at set frequencies, whether it’s daily, monthly, weekly, you are able to stay top of mind with them. When they think of your specialty, you immediately are the person that they think of. Just because you keep on popping up in their inbox.

Additionally, email marketing helps you to build trust with your patients and with your email list.

Build Trust with Prospects Online

Now you’re able to build trust because whenever you send out an email, you are sharing valuable and educational information with your email list. So the more you share this valuable and educational material, the more they will learn to trust what you have to say.

Put a Face to the Name with Email Marketing

Lastly, email marketing helps you to really get your email list knowing your physicians or your specialist. And so, by including things like videos or pictures of your staff and of your physicians, you are able to get them to know who you are as an office and who your specialists really are. So these are really important for making sure that you are increasing the ROI of your digital marketing efforts.

Types of Email Marketing to Include in Healthcare Digital Marketing Strategy

Now, what types of emails do we send out? So there are a few different types of emails, and the two most important ones that we’re going to talk about today are the automated emails that somebody would receive right when they request a consultation or right when they download a resource from your website and ongoing email newsletters.

Automated Emails Immediately After A Prospect Joins Your List

How many times have you had that happen where somebody fills out the form, you give them a call, and they have no idea what you’re calling about?

The reason why we want to send them something immediately is that online people are busy, they might click to download something on their phone or even click for a consultation, and then they forget about it.

We see this sometimes, especially when we’re running ads on Facebook, where somebody will fill out a form, and then after 30 minutes or an hour, they might forget that they filled out the form or not recognize your call when you call them to schedule that actual appointment.

By sending a follow-up email, especially one that includes a short message from your specialist, it helps them to remember who you are and to put a face to the name, so that they actually have a lasting relationship connection with your practice. So we definitely recommend any time you collect name and email address, to then send out a email immediately. Now, you can set this up through your contact management system, and through your medical record system that sometimes those have the capability to do this, or if you utilize something like MailChimp or Salesforce, that is an option there as well.

Integrating Email Newsletters into Healthcare Marketing

The next thing that you will be wanting to have the emails for is your newsletter. We recommend sending out a newsletter at least monthly, though a lot of our clients do send them out weekly. These newsletters are great places to share educational information with the folks on your email list. We recommend including videos of your physicians or your specialist, as well as tips, and even sometimes recipes, or exercises that your email list can do at home to help with the things that your specialty is around as well.

I bring up orthopedic surgeons quite a bit, but you could have knee exercises or stretching exercises included in that email list, to help people share it with their friends and family who might be going through the same thing. Or, for a pediatrics office, potentially, you have something in there that is geared towards healthy snacks for children at different age groups or different milestones, as well as some STEM toys or projects that they could be doing at home with their parents. The parent can share this content with their friends and family if they find it educational and share-worthy.

We highly recommend having this email marketing be a large part of your digital marketing strategy, so that once you collect the names and email addresses of individuals and they have opted into your email marketing, they not only receive an immediate email to remind them who you are and put a face to the name, but then they also receive these ongoing email communications so that you stay top of mind and they learn to know, like, and trust you.

If you have any questions about how to utilize email marketing for your wellness center, please head on over to socialspeaknetwork.com and request a consultation. We can’t wait to talk with you in more detail about how you can increase the ROI of your own digital marketing campaigns. And if you like this video, be sure to click that subscribe button or follow us on Podbean or iTunes.

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Email Marketing for Healthcare Clinics

Email Marketing for Healthcare Clinics

In this blog post, we are going to be talking about all things email marketing for health care centers, oftentimes health care centers and clinics are worried about remaining HIPPA-compliant while pursuing email marketing efforts as part of their digital marketing strategy period.

So you need to be aware of the technology that you’re using and make sure that you have a signed with the software of your choice. Email marketing is incredible way to stay top of mind with your patients and your prospects.

It allows health care centers to increase the ROI of their digital marketing efforts and build loyalty and trust with those in the community. Please take a look at the video below, and transcript to learn more about how email marketing can be utilized by your clinic in order to reach more prospects, book more appointments and increase the bottom line of your marketing.

Watch the medical marketing video

Listen to the Podcast

Read the Digital Marketing Transcript

00:00 Caitlin Mcdonald: Hello, everybody. My name’s Caitlin McDonald, I am the co-founder over here at the Social Speak Network, and welcome to the newest episode of the Social Speak Network podcast. In today’s episode, we’re gonna be talking about email marketing for healthcare centers. Now, a lot of times, people think that email marketing is something that they can’t do; they don’t want to break any HIPAA compliance rules, they wanna make sure that patient information remains private. However, you can still utilize email marketing to keep your prospects and patients aware of what’s happening at your practice and making sure that they think of you first and foremost when either they have a symptom that they need to come in to your specialist, or they hear somebody else needing help and support in your specialties.

01:00 CM: So not all email providers are created equal. We typically recommend utilizing an email platform, a CRM that is designed specifically for healthcare. There are a lot of great form builders out there that are HIPAA compliant; Formstack, Jobform are just a few of them that do have levels that are HIPAA compliant, so that means that the information that is stored there remains secure. So you aren’t breaking any rules by having people sign up through that. We always wanna make sure, however, that people are explicitly stating that they are interested in receiving marketing material from you. We sometimes go a step further and add text in there about… In the form itself, about receiving text messages regarding upcoming appointments, so that you can send them text messages as well, and have it just be very transparent what they’re signing up for. So for example, if it’s a request a consultation form, you wanna make sure that you’re taking those steps to also ask them if they want to join your email list, rather than just assuming that requesting a consultation also means email list.

02:22 CM: The similar sort of thing for patients who are coming in the door, maybe giving you a call, not filling out one of those forms. While they’re in your practice, you should always be asking them if they would like to receive marketing information from you, and then ask for their email address and have them physically sign a sheet of paper that says, “Yes, I’m giving this practice permission to reach out to me via email.” We always wanna have some sort of a form like that.

02:56 CM: Now, one of our favorite pieces of technology is called Influx MD, and this takes this a step further. So it doesn’t just create the forms, but allows you to create the forms and then track prospects as they turn into patients. So it goes, it brings a prospect all the way through to that first online booking. Now oftentimes, your admin will have forms and paperwork that they need to sign, new patient paperwork that they need to sign before coming in. And through Influx MD, we’re actually able to create systems and processes that automates this entire flow. So not only are you receiving their contact information and gaining approval that the individual would like to receive the marketing emails from you, but you also are able to, within that same module, make sure that you are bringing a prospect into becoming a patient. So this really increases the transparency as it relates to ROI, and how much you’re spending on advertising versus just bringing in the door.

04:16 CM: So the goal is obviously, in that first appointment, to have that positive ROI. But if you think about the entire lifetime value of a patient, this also helps to increase that as well, and do referrals as well. So in this case, we use the CRM as that initial point up to that initial patient consultation, then they’re moved over to your EMR. So it’s kinda two platforms that work side and side. Admin and staff who need access to the records can have that, whereas marketers like myself just see the reports and the data coming in.

04:57 CM: So what types of emails, when we’re talking about email marketing, should you be sending out to prospects and patients? I already mentioned one of them. Those are kind of status updates of your practice. So do you have a new doctor? Has staff changed? Do you have new nurses there? You want to provide that personal feel, that personal touch to your prospects, so that you remain top of mind, and so that they really know, like and trust your experts. Secondly, you wanna send out timely health information. Potentially you’re writing blog posts, which we’ve covered in previous weeks, or creating videos, which we also have covered in previous weeks. And so you wanna make sure that you are getting those resources and that information to individuals, and email is a great way to do that. So you’re allowing them to take their health to the next level because you are providing them with those resources and the guidance to help them live healthier, more fulfilling lives.

06:05 CM: Now the last thing is, like I said, the last general type of email that we would recommend sending out is for appointment reminders, as well as appointment follow-ups. You might see this a lot where in other industries, and it’s less so in healthcare, where you receive an email requesting a review. Now, reviews on Google still are… And Facebook and Yelp [chuckle] are still some of the most powerful social indicators that you can see online through your marketing. People who are not familiar with your practice will actually take a look at these reviews in order to help guide their decision on whether or not they want to contact you for that initial consultation. And once they contact you, they will continue to do more research. So these reviews help to give them peace of mind. So we do recommend utilizing a software tool that helps to send out these follow-up emails, and it also works with text message as well to folks who have been to your practice.

07:26 CM: So, again, just as an overview of these types of emails; so staff news and information, information about your practice, maybe new locations, new specialties, new equipment that you have, so kinda the press release type. Tips and health information, so this is the educational type of information. We do recommend even sending this out weekly, it’s a great way to stay top of mind. And you could combine the two, if you wanna just send out one monthly newsletter, you could add the featured staff as well as that health education. And then the third one is for appointment reminders and follow-up reminders for reviews.

08:14 CM: I hope that this has been helpful as you start planning out your email marketing strategy for your healthcare center. Again, my name’s Caitlin McDonald, I’m here with the Social Speak Network. And we’re just about all the way through our Q3, Q4 marketing overview for healthcare centers. This was our 10th week going specifically into a topic. But over the past quarter, we’ve talked about your social media strategy, Facebook advertising, Facebook groups, Instagram, Pinterest, blogging, lead generation, videos, running a podcast and more. So if you’ve missed any of those and you wanna dive into more detail, we have the full transcripts available at our blog. You can hop on over to our YouTube channel to view the videos or over to Social Speak Network on iTunes to listen to the audio. Thanks so much and I will see you next time.

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