Telemedicine platforms can be a game-changer for healthcare providers. Remote technology allows patients virtual access to healthcare that is unrestricted by geography.
With demand outpacing supply there’s a significant untapped patient population eager for telehealth services.
The problem is how to get it in front of current and potential patients.
Direct mail marketing puts your services in front of the patients who need the care you offer.
Gunderson Direct is experienced in helping health service providers to conceive, create, scale, and execute telemedicine direct mail campaigns designed to get results.
And it’s not just printing and mailing. We specialize in supporting providers through the full life-cycle of a direct mail campaign.
Our one-of-a-kind services include:
- Market positioning
- Identifying ideal clients
- Population targeting
- Creative strategy
- A/B testing
- Rapid scaling
- Program management
From the beginning to the end, Gunderson Direct can help grow your telehealth platform user base by getting your services in front of the clients who are looking for them.
Wondering what ROI could look like for your mail program? Check out our ROI Calculator.
Why Direct Mail?
Direct mail works. Multiple studies also show that it generates a higher response rate than digital marketing campaigns alone.
Digital marketing has its place, and combined with direct mail, it can be a key part of your overall marketing strategy.
But there’s a lot of competition in the digital marketing space, which means that consumers are less likely to pay attention to digital-only outreach efforts. For example, the email-open rate dropped from 24% to 21.3% in 2020, meaning that promotional emails from a healthcare provider are likely to remain unread.
And marketing isn’t only about what gets opened—it’s about what gets remembered.
Research suggests that clients are more likely to recall a brand they see in print than one that reaches them only digitally.
A recent study found that 75% can recall a brand name immediately after encountering it through direct mail. With digital, that number drops to 44%.
Marketing a Telehealth Service
Healthcare providers sit in a very specific marketing niche. Providers need to inspire trust. And while healthcare providers (for-profit or otherwise) must by necessity operate on a business model, patients often don’t see healthcare this way.
Patients hold healthcare providers in high esteem and getting emails or social media ads actively soliciting business can be a turn-off for people who associate these channels with profit-oriented companies and less credible information.
To connect with your target audience in a way that is memorable and inspires trust, direct mail is a more viable option.
Intelligent Targeting Direct mail allows you to target specific audiences for procedures and care plans for which they are uniquely qualified. For example, a practice specializing in geriatric care can contact people over 70, or a weight-loss clinic can reach out to those who have expressed an interest in bariatric surgery. | Ongoing Communication Stay in front of your current clients by sending reminders to schedule a procedure or appointment. You can also send thank-you cards or follow-ups through the mail—because superior patient care involves showing investment in a patient’s total well-being. | Patient Awareness Given the demand for telehealth services, a big challenge is just making sure people know that the service exists. Direct mail allows you to contact potential patients in a way that is personal, memorable, and authentic. Mailers can also be used to provide health information and ease anxiety by providing answers to frequently asked questions or information about health insurance coverage. |
Contact us to start getting more telehealth subscribers.
Our Approach
An effective direct mail marketing strategy is about a lot more than just sending mail. It involves strategy, creativity, and analysis.
With our unique approach we:
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We offer full life-cycle support for your direct mail campaign. See our in-depth breakdown below.
Testing and Optimization to Get You Results
We manage your campaign from start to finish to get the lowest possible conversion cost while bringing in patients.
| Step 1: Establishing campaign goals | We help you pinpoint your objectives and establish the metrics that will define success. |
| Step 2: Strategic planning and audience identification | We identify your audience segments and develop unique value propositions tailored to their needs. |
| Step 3: Audience targeting | We identify the datasets and segments that offer the most promise for your direct mailing campaign. |
| Step 4: Creative development | Our experienced designers and copywriters build compelling, engaging, and response-driven direct mail marketing materials. |
| Step 5: Speed to scale | Our tried-and-true method adapts A/B testing to be compatible with rapid scaling campaigns. |
| Step 6: Printing and mailing | We handle production, printing, and mailing with budget efficiency in mind. |
| Step 7: Program management | Direct mail campaigns involve complex logistics. We handle all of it, minimizing your stress and ensuring that your campaign operates smoothly. |
| Step 8: Campaign analysis | Our data shows you what’s successful and what isn’t. We deliver insightful analytics to improve the performance of future programs. |
All accompanied by our top-notch client service and 98% client satisfaction rating.
A/B testing: Leap and Repeat
So how do we make it all happen? Experience matters—and ours has allowed us to generate approaches to meet the needs of a rapid-scaling campaign that maximizes budget efficiency.
One of these is A/B testing. This type of testing is critical to effective direct mailing—it allows you to control for audience, offers, and messaging, and helps you triangulate the best approaches. The problem is that testing can be time-consuming and delay results.
Enter Leap and Repeat. This program speeds up the process with three-drop testing and planning to eliminate delays while still delivering breakthrough results, along with predictable performance.
Calculating Direct Mail ROI
There’s no way around it: a postcard costs more than an email. That’s why you get fewer of them—and also why they can be so much more effective at generating conversions.
But it can be well worth the investment when you look at the final numbers.
Our program is designed to deliver the strongest possible ROI for our clients.
Our years of experience have helped us fine-tune our processes to maximize ROI and promote budget efficiency. Consult our ROI calculator to see how much you could expect to bring in.
Beat the Control
What if you already have a direct mail program, but your response is slipping?
\ We’ve got a plan for that.
Our “Beat the Control” offering uses previous mailing performance as the baseline and refines the package to deliver a stronger ROI.
92% of our packages have outperformed our clients’ controls when tested directly against them.
The Omnichannel Approach for Healthcare Providers
Integrated marketing campaigns are a powerful tool to generate conversions, maximize budget efficiency, and raise awareness across your ideal audience segments. Here’s how it works:
Integrating digital and direct
| Step One: | Make sure your website is updated, including easily-accessible landing pages that allow prospective patients to sign up for the services included on your direct mailer and an FAQ page that resolves any potential concerns. Direct mail sends 60% of its recipients back to the company website, so it’s crucial for you and your webpage to be prepared. |
| Step Two: | Send a follow-up email to the patients who received direct mail reminding them to sign up for telehealth or health services, schedule a follow-up appointment, or meet with a new specialist. Once a consumer has already received this information through the mail, they’re more likely to respond to your digital reminder. Data shows that recipients of integrated marketing campaigns paid 39% more attention to the material than those who only received messaging through a single channel. |
| Step Three: | Use social media to promote your business and run advertisements highlighting the relevant healthcare information and telemedicine services. Since 95% of all purchasing decisions are made based on brand recall, the more ways you can engage with consumers and patients, the more likely they are to remember your practice the next time they seek health care. |
If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry. Our strategy consultants can help you develop a campaign that integrates direct mail marketing with digital marketing to maximize response rates and budget efficiency.
Getting Started
Direct mail marketing has never been easier or more effective.
Contact us today for a consultation.
You can also take a look at our ROI calculator to get a sense of the potential growth a direct mail campaign could offer your practice.
A healthier, more robust medical practice is just a mailbox away.
