Another way you can reach your patients, or even peers in the medical community, is through newsletters. I recently started incorporating newsletters for further reach and to share valuable information. Whether it is information about my office, upcoming lectures, or educational information, I can utilize newsletters to get out the most important information every month through email. To help you incorporate monthly newsletters into your marketing efforts, let’s take a look at what can be included and how to structure it.
Get Organized
As you start to think about creating a newsletter, stop for a moment and get your thoughts in order. Before you begin to create your masterpiece, try to get as many of these thought out as possible:
- Topic – What topic are you focusing on? The topic should be a core part of your business to establish your authority and credibility.
- Content types – What types of content will you include in your newsletter? Choose varied types of content to interest and engage subscribers.
- Newsletter name – What will you call your newsletter? Every book, newspaper, and magazine has a name, so should your newsletter!
- Goals – what do you hope to achieve by sending an email newsletter to your subscribers?
- Design – what will it look like?
- Timing – when will you send your newsletter and how often? Most experts agree that the best time of day is in the morning.
By gathering this information before you sit down and begin, you can make the newsletter a lot quicker than if you think of all of the information you need beforehand—start brainstorming!
Create an Editorial Calendar
Much like an editor for a newspaper, creating an editorial calendar is proven to be extremely helpful. This step is a breeze because you have already determined when and how often to send your business newsletter. Now all you have to do is plan things out a few months in advance. Or, if you want to live on the edge of your seat, you can decide as you go! Either option actually works, but you have to make sure you stay on top of everything. However, by planning things out a few months in advance, you can have time to research, delegate, design and create the content needed for your email newsletter.
To create your editorial calendar, you will need to know what needs to be done when and by whom—this is so you won’t have to worry about keeping up. You will have it all readily available! You should also keep in mind how you will be integrating your newsletter with other areas of your marketing, such as blog posts, social media, articles, etc. Your editorial calendar can help you:
- See where you can leverage other content
- Avoid overextending your team
- Create a more cohesive and consistent customer experience and brand image
After you have everything prepared, you can get started on your newsletter! And, with your editorial calendar, you will be set for months or for even the next year! And, don’t worry, if you go off track and change your editorial calendar as you go, that is ok, too.
Remember, your newsletter is for your practice and your personal marketing needs. Share important information and have fun while doing it!
