Postcard Tips for Dentists
Dental practices need direct mail postcards for many reasons, the biggest being to get your name out into the community. Name recognition is the best way to find new clients and keep your appointment book full. Direct mail campaigns can do that job for you and bring you a return on investment that is not only impressive but can also be tracked and measured.
The best way to get started with a direct mail postcard campaign is to design a postcard that attracts attention, stands out from the rest of the mail in the mailbox and gets your message across simply and clearly. Use bright colors and photos or images that makes someone feel happy. A photo of attractive people in a sunny office can take the edge off of that “scary dental visit” reputation. Keep the copy simple and able to read in just a glance. Make a succinct statement with easy to read fonts on the cover of the postcard. This headline is the purpose of your postcard. Make the reader an offer as your call to action. Add value to the mailing by offering a discounted rate or coupon.. Consumers need to see the value of the card in order to hold on to it. Appeal to the demographic that you are mailing. And finally, put in the contact information. The phone number should be large and obvious. Include the office address and the website. If you have social media sites, include those addresses too.
After you have designed the postcard, start designing the mailing list. You will need to target your list to a specific group of people who are most likely to become patients and who live within reasonable distance to the practice. You want to reach the right prospects by matching the demographics with postal routes in neighborhoods that meet your criteria. When you send to the right list, plan on mailing at least three times. Each time you send out a postcard, it reinforces the name of the dental practice in the mind of the receiver.
Tracking the performance of a mailer is not only important, but it is one of the best things about direct mail. Take advantage of using a call tracking phone number on your postcards. A unique number that is specific to a campaign, can help you see how many calls are generated from your campaign, how many calls you miss, when your calls come in, and questions that are asked related to that specific card. These can all give you insight into any improvements you want to make for your next campaign.
The expectations of a new direct mail campaign are always high. You want to see how effective it will be for your dental practice. Most of the phone calls will come in the first four to six weeks. A few more will come in related to a particular card for a few months after. You should expect on average a two to four times return on your investment. Half of the phone calls that come in pertaining to a particular postcard should convert to an appointment. Often times, the success of a campaign can depend on the office staff and their training for conversion of calls to appointments. A system of continuous testing of your direct mail postcards, their message and optimization of a mailing list should be implemented for ongoing success.
Postcards are a fantastic way to quickly intrigue your potential customers without them having to even open an envelope! We at Everest Direct Mail and Marketing, create professional-looking postcards, complete with your own logo. We feature high-value content to get the best reach possible for prospective clients. Our postcards are fully customizable and allow you to connect with your community. This customization makes our mailers even more informative and effective. The possibilities are endless! Postcards can advertise new products and services, provide coupons or announce community events! Postcard marketing is a powerful way to build and maintain your client base!
