5 reasons to collect patient email addresses

As a tool for marketing, email is an easy and cost effective way to keep in touch with dental patients. Many practices collect this information when a patient comes in for his or her first visit. However, dental practices may not utilize email effectively for marketing and patient retention.

At Sikka Software, we help practices optimize their businesses and find new ways to increase revenue. You can find out more about our apps, including email marketing tools, by visiting sikkasoft.com/dental/sikka-apps.

Here are five quick and useful ways to use email to provide valuable information to patients:

• Monthly newsletter: Monthly newsletters are an easy way to stay in touch with your patients by notifying them of any special events, important additions to the team, and special offers that may be available. Keeping them informed creates a feeling of community and inclusion which can help increase patient loyalty. Take this opportunity to develop a dialogue with your patients about your practice by sharing information that is relevant and impactful to them.

• Appointment reminders: Life can be busy, patients can be distracted and when reminding them about their appointment you may need to try and reach them in more than one way. With an email address, you can successfully reach your patients by simply clicking send. Patients will also appreciate the extra effort you put into appointment process.

• Collect feedback and solicit reviews: Potential new patients are using web channels like Google+ and Yelp to learn about other consumers’ experiences before choosing a dentist. Through email, you can contact your current patients and ask or incentivize them to provide feedback or leave an online review. Reviews may be especially helpful if you have a new product or service. Ask those who receive these new services to review them online so others looking for similar procedures know how your practice can assist them.

• Activate patients: Patients may become inactive if they have not visited your practice recently. Not following up with these patients is an easy trap to fall into. Without an email address, it may be difficult to find out why a patient is leaving your practice and to recall those who have inadvertently become inactive. Lack of communication is a common reason why some practices struggle with patient retention. With an email address, you can simply reach out to them to set up an appointment and potentially offer an incentive to return to your practice.

• Birthday, anniversaries and special event emails: Sending birthday wishes, celebrating service anniversaries or communicating special events are great opportunities to build your relationship with the patient. Birthdays and anniversaries can also provide a catalyst for communicating special offers including discounts or promotions. Communications like these can set you apart from your competitor, and patients will appreciate your thoughtfulness. 

Practices experience significant benefit from sending key emails to their patients. This method of communication can help foster the connection between a practice and its patients and provide patients with additional value. The potential revenue generated can be generous if done correctly, so remember to always train your staff to request your patient’s emails if it’s missing from their profile or if you’re signing up a new patient.

About Sikka Software

Sikka Software provides a platform for small and medium-sized business healthcare apps. The company’s products help healthcare providers and other small businesses optimize their business via a series of easy to use cloud-based applications. With over 32 apps built on Sikka Platform Utility® with over 14,300 installations, Sikka Software is the leader in the US dental, animal health and hearing care markets. The company is now supporting a real time optimization and information network with providers, patients, consultants, manufacturers and financial service providers.

A privately-held company, Sikka Software is headquartered in Milpitas, Calif. with offices in the United States and India.