Marketing

Mobile Marketing: Text Messaging is Hot

By Steve Vargo, OD, MBA

More and more consumers say they want to get information via phone or tablet. Use texting to promote your practice to potential patients and to make frequent touch points with existing patients.

The primary use of cell phones is still interpersonal communication, but the past few years have shown a dramatic shift in the primary use of cell phones from voice calls to simple message service texts (SMS). SMS text messaging is used by 4.1 billion cell phone users (59 percent of the planet’s population of 7 billion), and nearly every mobile phone is capable of receiving text messages, according to Tomi T. Ahonen, author of “The Insider’s Guide to Mobile.” There are almost three times as many active users of SMS as there are total number of personal computers on the planet, and nearly twice as many people text than e-mail, according to Kim Dushinski, author of “The Mobile Marketing Handbook.” As more of our patients rely on text messaging as their primary means of mobile communication, it may be time to consider this a viable communication channel with our patients.

Ways to Market via Texting

Appointment reminders

Follow-up care reminders

Notify patients their order is ready to be picked up

Mobile coupons (special offer or discount sent right to their phone).

Announce promotions (i.e. back-to-school promotion–kids frames 50 percent off).

Text a link to a promotional video about your practice- post-purchase thank you.

Mobile e-cards (i.e. happy birthday message).

Leverage Mobile Technology and Patient Recall
Advancements in mobile technology are helping people address their most basic needs, even scheduling doctor appointments. In our office we implemented a system to offer our patients a text appointment reminder in addition to e-mail and postcards. Our software allows us to easily pre-appoint patients at the end of their exam and receive an automatic text reminder days or even hours before their scheduled exam. This has been especially useful for medical visits that require frequent follow-ups. In a recent survey conducted by the Management & Business Academy, doctors reported that pre-appointing patients reduced the average interval between exams for both eyeglasses and contact lens patients by one month. A one month reduction in the average interval between exams produces a 4 percent increase in the number of exams performed annually in typical practices. In a practice currently performing 2,500 complete exams annually, a 4 percent increase results in 100 additional exams performed, generating $30,000 additional revenue (est. $300 for professional fees and materials).

Due to the personal nature of cell phones, not everyone is willing to receive commercial or promotional text messages on their phone. Text messaging for commercial purposes is permission-based and requires the recipient to opt-in to receive the messages. For the ones who do opt-in, there are several aspects to mobile text messaging that make this an attractive communication channel. Because most people keep their cell phones with them at all times, messages (i.e. appointment reminders) can be acted on immediately. Patients who move will still receive the message (around 11 percent of people move every year according to the US Census Bureau).

Multiple texts can be sent at no additional cost, as opposed to just one postcard. The message stays on the recipient’s phone, not discarded in the trash like postcards. Your office could also send a text for other uses such as notifying a patient their order is ready to be picked up or a post-purchase thank you. While e-mail remains an effective communication channel for many businesses, its effectiveness is limited by low open rates. Texts have a 97 percent final open rate, compared to e-mails which have a final open rate around 20 percent Many of us simply delete e-mails that we deem unimportant or spam, never reaching the intended recipient.

Motivate Patients to Sign Up for Texts

One of the most exciting business aspects of building a database of opt-in mobile contacts is the ability to integrate a concept known as mobile marketing. Offer patients something of value in exchange for permission to send them a text. This could be a simple coupon, discount or promotion attached to the text message. Mobile coupons have been shown to have a 10 times higher redemption rate than print coupons. This is sent right to their phones which is typically near them at all times. When combined with recall it’s being sent at exactly the time they are due for an exam and possibly needing new eyeglasses or contact lenses. Coupons should always provide a clear offer and expiration date. This creates a powerful call to action for patients to schedule an appointment with your office in a timely manner. Many newer smartphones even enable the recipient to simply tap on the phone number included in the text and the phone will automatically call your office.

You could also implement an SMS text marketing campaign where people sign-up to receive texts in exchange for coupons or promotions. This could be advertised in print ads, on your web site, Facebook page or most other places you would typically market. People can opt-in by texting a keyword to a short-code (i.e. Text SIGHT to 95462 to receive 25 percent off all kids frames. Exp. 5/31/12), scanning a QR code to receive the offer, or filling out an online sign-up page on your web site or Facebook page. As you grow your database of contacts, you can send occasional coupons or promotional texts to the entire list. This is a targeted and cost-effective way to market your practice.

Obtain Opt-In from Patients
The most common method of obtaining opt-in for commercial messages is probably inviting people to text a keyword to a short-code to receive a special offer or promotion. The offer should be clear on what the person is opting-in for. Is it a one-time coupon or frequent promotional offers? This should be clear in the offer. Opting in gives implied consent/permission. Other ways to opt-in are scanning QR codes, signing up online or via a paper-based consent form. Some patient recall software companies send an e-mail that asks the patient how they would like to be contacted with text message an option. A text would then go to their phone asking them to confirm. This is called double opt-in–not required but often used by texting companies to verify the request.

Mobile marketing is not a barrage of unsolicited text messages sent to someone who may not want or need the message. That’s just spam. Text messages should never be used in an invasive manner. People like to know what they’re signing up for and will opt-out if the messages are too frequent or lack relevance. Always get the patient’s permission to send the text and limit the messages to the intended purpose.

Mobile Marketing Action Plan

If you choose to add SMS text as a patient communication channel, you will need to use a third-party text messaging service to enable your office to send bulk texts. My company, iMobile Communications, offers this service, as do companies like eztexting.com and izigg.com. Most of these services are very affordable (subscriptions typically start in the $50/month range) and are easy to use with minimal training. Many current patient communication and recall systems have this capability built into the software. Due to the low costs of sending SMS texts, an effective mobile marketing strategy can potentially provide an impressive return on investment.

To recap, successful implementation of a mobile marketing strategy with SMS text requires patient permission (opt-in), contextually relevant messages (sent when the patient requires your services or products) and customer value (offer a financial incentive). This combination can be a powerful call to action improving patient acquisition, recall and retention.

Related ROB Articles

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Make Your Web Site Mobile-Friendly

Make It Simple to Make an Appointment Online

Steve Vargo, OD, MBA, is president of iMobile Communications in St. John, Ind., a company that specializes in mobile communication and marketing for doctors. To contact him:svargo@iMobileCommunications.com.

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