E-mail marketing is among the most effective ways to reach out to current and future patients to generate more business. E-mail newsletters can feature the latest news about your practice, spotlight a special offer, or even introduce a new treatment or procedure.

When you have a list of subscribers for an e-mail newsletter, and are busy collecting e-mails of prospective patients to send out special offers and newsletter blasts, it’s important to pay attention to the frequency of your communications so that you can get the response rate you want.

While there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for determining how many times per week or month you should send out an e-mail newsletter, there are some guidelines to follow to ensure that your e-mails are read, and effective for generating more business.

Maintaining a schedule will help build trust and confidence with your subscribers, and will keep your practice at the ‘top of mind’. Stick with a monthly or bimonthly e-mail distribution schedule, and try to send it out at the same time of day each time. Consistency with your e-mail marketing will pay off in the long-term.

Review your response rates regularly to make sure you’re providing valuable information. If you notice a sudden drop in response rates, maybe it’s time to write about different types of procedures, or send out a special offer that patients simply can’t resist. The goal is to send out creative and informative content that provides value for the reader. Providing valuable information on a regular basis may just help you attract more patients and book more appointments.

Sending e-mail newsletters more than two times per week may be too much for most practices. Focus instead on delivering very high-quality, informative e-mails on a monthly or bimonthly basis so that your subscribers actually look forward to the e-mail — instead of deleting it or unsubscribing upon receipt.