Social media might be ruling the throne right now, but don’t underestimate the power of a hot email list.

Whether you’re new to the game or not, it’s no secret patients are itching for quality email sequences to connect with you. Email marketing is actually proved to be one of the best methods of marketing for medical practices to connect with new and existing patients.

In fact, according to Mailerlite, the average email open rate for healthcare marketing emails is 23.46%, with a very high click rate of 3.62% (which is higher than most industries).

With that said, let's look at how you can improve your email subject lines to achieve higher open rates.

Here’s a quick rundown of what we'll cover:

• Email marketing best practices for 2022
• Promotional subject lines
• Reminder subject lines
• Follow up subject lines

Email marketing best practices in 2022 for healthcare providers

Use personalization

Long are the days where you shoot out a generic, “Hey you!” subject line and hope every patient is instantly captivated.

People need personalization and your patients like to feel special.

Just as you give every patient unique attention during appointments, the same goes for email marketing.

Automate your process

Since you’re out saving the world most of the time it’s obvious you don’t have much time to spend on emails. Make your life easier and incorporate email automation into your workflow.

An email tool can help you better manage your contact list and make it easier to track your email open rates, click-through rates, and other metrics. An automation tool also allows you to test and preview emails to make sure it's error-free and optimized for mobile devices.

Segment your email list

Next, make sure to segment your list. Segmentation can make it easier to personalize and target specific groups of people. For instance, maybe one segmentation is your geographic location and another is about specific interests. With segmentation, your patients are less likely to unsubscribe to your emails.

Other best email marketing campaign best practices include inserting a bold juicy header, incorporating images of yourself or relatable gifs, and most importantly — don’t forget that call to action at the bottom.

Once you have all your ducks in a row with updated email marketing tactics, it’s time to get started on those subject lines.

Best email subject lines for promotions

Promotional subject lines should be used when (you guessed it) you’re running a promotion. This could be anything from discounted holiday offers to new patient freebies.

In recent years some marketers have gone overboard with promotional subject lines and would do almost anything to get a click (those RE: emails aren’t fooling anyone).

These should be used sparingly and intentionally to keep your patients from losing interest.

There are numerous ways you can use psychology to play into human interests. While crafting your subject lines you’ll want to select one (or more) of the following:

• Curiosity
• Fear of missing out (aka FOMO)
• Urgency
• Self Interest
• Humor
• Reciprocity
• Personalization
• Social proof

Here are some examples of how you can incorporate the above psychological triggers into your promotional subject lines:

1. Quick solution for (insert patient needs) -self-interest

2. 6 ideas for (insert patient pain points) -self-interest

3. We only have 2 slots left this week, (insert name) -urgency

4. When was the last time you… -curiosity

Follow this subject line up with a vibrant vision of how your patient would feel after accepting the promotional offer.

5. Your (insert downloadable) pdf or webinar link is inside -urgency

This option is great for lead magnets.

6. This kind of (insert remedy for the type of healthcare) is on the rise -curiosity

7. Deals that get me excited (unlike my mom's meatloaf last night -humor

This idea would pair well with a list of your ongoing promotions, or if you have any affiliates with other specialists you can insert their deals here too

8. "ahhhhhh"— your body -humor/curiosity

10. (Insert name) Check out these hand-picked promotions! -curiosity

11. 2 free consultations (or insert specialization) for your family - curiosity

12. (Insert name) my gift to you (insert promotion here)- self-interest

13. Claim your best life here! -self-interest

14. Learn how to (insert benefit of promotion)- self-interest

Keeping it simple with a “learn how-to” or “how-to” subject line always does the trick.

The key to a brilliant subject line is to snatch some content from the email copy itself so always keep it personalized.

Best email subject lines for reminders

Everyone needs to be reminded sometimes, life happens right? Here are some reminder subject line formulas that’ll snatch your patient's attention so they never miss another appointment.

15. Will I see you at (insert the time) today/tomorrow? -curiosity

16. Imagine yourself 1 year from today, (insert name) -curiosity/self-interest

This would be paired nicely with a vision for your patient's future given they attend the appointment and take care of themselves properly.

17. We see some healing in your future -self-interest

18. So, I’ll pick you up at (insert time of appointment) -humor

Who said doctors couldn’t be funny? Liven up your patient's inbox, but give them a chuckle.

19. You’re invited -self-interest/curiosity

20. yeah... what they said -curiosity/social proof

Insert customer testimonials before the reminder so your new (or loyal) customers get an added boost to make it to their appointment.

Once you’ve sent off your promotional and reminder emails, don’t forget to follow up and nourish those relationships.

Best email subject lines for following up

Patients want to know what you’re up to, what’s new at your practice, and what else they have to look forward to with your practice.

Here are some follow up subject line examples to copy and paste to keep your subscribers excited about your business:

21. (hyper-personalized) 13 wellness boot camps we love (insert a roundup of courses or retreats for your specialty) - reciprocity/self-interest

Everyone loves a good round-up post! And, given yours is value-packed with healthcare leaders, your patients will feel the need to return the favor to you in some way or another.

22. Your self-care routine is missing something…-curiosity

23. Name, your place in the queue -personalization/urgency

24. Let’s make a plan -curiosity

25. Just lookin’ out for you - self-interest26. Get ahead start on your health -self-interest

27. Did you miss out on some of these updates? -curiosity

Use this to keep your patients in the loop about what’s going on in your world.

28 Thanks for helping us! - self-interest/curiosity29. One simple way to make your life healthier! - self-interest

Provide new ways patients can incorporate preventative care into their routine.

30. Studies show that (insert percentage & interesting statistic about your field)

This can create some urgency to continue seeing you for regular checkups so that they don’t become a statistic.

Ultimately, think about following up as a way to continue the conversation and stay top of mind for your patients. One last thing— as marketers a/b testing your email subject lines is an efficient way to track your metrics and see what resonates with your subscribers.

The recap

At the end of the day when you create value-packed emails for your patients and establish consistency, your email subject lines will be the icing on the cake.

If 2022 is the year you level up your email marketing strategy or your marketing strategy in general, the DearDoc team would love to be a part of your vision. From website design to AI Smart Chats, we help healthcare professionals grow their practice so they can help more people. Schedule your free consultation today:

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