12 May To Send, or Not to Send: When to Email Your Clients (& When Not To)

Email is a powerful tool for medical practices to use to communicate with patients and promote their business, but not every situation is email-appropriate. Learn the Do’s and Don’ts of patient emailing.

DO Email When:

• They become clients. A warm welcome puts your practice in a good light by reassuring your patients that you are responsive and engaged.
• They have a birthday. Many practices make it a habit to send Birthday cards to their clients via ‘snail mail,’ but this can be a costly and time-consuming project for your staff. Emailing a birthday greeting gets you the ‘points’ for being thoughtful, and saves time and money.
• You make a change. Introducing a new staff member? Changing business hours? Sending a quick email to notify your patients of developments in your practice will help them feel more connected to it.
• You’re offering something. Send an email to get the word out about discounts, special offers, or partnerships. Just make sure to avoid words like “free,” “sale,” and “discount” directly in the email subject line, because they could cause your email to end up in the recipient’s “spam” folder.

DON’T Email When:

• You’re discussing very sensitive information. Nothing can replace a face-to-face consultation with a patient, and email does have a reputation for lacking in communicating emotions. Plus, email messages can be forwarded to third parties and reprinted in an instant, and are not always secure or HIPAA compliant, so protect yourself by saving sensitive communication for another medium.
• The topic is time sensitive. This should probably be ‘Don’t ONLY email’–emailing about a change in an appointment time or need for other timely info is fine, but because emails can often be overlooked or delivered incorrectly, it’s best to follow up with a phone call to make sure the message is received.

Want more marketing tips? For more on the latest marketing strategies for medical practices, contact us! We’d love to talk more about helping you get the most out of your marketing.

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