What marketing plans do you have for your pharmacy for the upcoming holiday season?
While promoting your business on social media and participating in community events are great ways to market your pharmacy during the holidays, there’s one strategy you don’t want to forget about: direct mail.
Because direct mail campaigns often include a coupon or discount during the holidays, people are more likely to stop and take a look. Plus, it can be a more effective way to reach patients who don’t regularly check their emails or use social media.
Follow these six tips to create a successful direct mail campaign for your pharmacy this holiday season.
1. Use a quality mailing list
For a direct mail campaign to work, it needs to go to the right people.
Your current patients should be at the top of your list, since they’re already interested in what your pharmacy offers. Then, you can consider sending the mail to people who live near your pharmacy.
The U.S. Postal Service offers a targeted advertising service that can help you market to potential patients based on zip code and other demographics.
2. Choose the right format
You can choose from a few different formats of direct mail. It’s important to choose the one that makes the most sense for your business.
For example, if your pharmacy typically sends special occasion or ‘thank you’ cards to patients, you could send holiday greeting cards with a coupon or discount inside.
Other format ideas include letters, flyers or postcards. When choosing a format, consider how your patients will perceive it, and whether or not it aligns with your brand. If the mail looks like spam or doesn’t grab people’s attention, it’s not going to be successful.
3. Remember the basics
Although it seems obvious, be sure to include all of the basic information about your business on the piece of mail.
Your pharmacy’s name, address (and maybe a map), hours, phone number and website are all important pieces of information to include.
Additionally, don’t forget to provide information about the offer. Let people know when the coupon or discount is valid and if there are any restrictions.
4. Include a time-sensitive offer
A successful direct mail campaign needs to provide value to potential patients.
Make sure the coupon or discount you send is significant enough to entice people to visit your pharmacy. And, consider making the offer time-sensitive.
For example, offer a discount on over-the-counter (OTC) items midweek or during certain times of day to get patients into your pharmacy during slow times. Or, encourage patients to act fast by changing the discount amount each week.
5. Have a call-to-action
When patients open your mail, it needs to be immediately clear what you want them to do.
Without a call-to-action, patients may get confused and use the offer incorrectly or disregard it altogether.
For example, if you’re offering a discount to patients who bring in the coupon, write “Bring in this coupon for 20 percent off.”
6. Track the responses
In order to ensure the campaign is successful, you need to track whether or not patients visited your pharmacy and utilized the offer.
One great way to do this is to make patients bring in the piece of mail or enclosed coupon to claim the offer or receive the discount. Or, include a special code or keyword that patients can give the cashier when they check out at your pharmacy to receive the discount.
Keep track of how many patients bring in the piece of mail or use the special keyword.
Want help creating a direct mail campaign for your pharmacy? Check out the marketing services offered by PBA Health, a pharmacy services organization based in Kansas City, Mo.
