SMS Marketing for Medical & Dental Offices

It’s a given that external factors like traffic or work commitments are beyond your control. Yet, you can address the issue of 81% of appointments being missed due to forgetfulness or miscommunication.

Traditional methods of appointment reminders have been the norm for many providers, but often fall short:

  • Postcards mailed out are slow to arrive and frequently discarded as junk mail.
  • Phone calls might be considered disruptive, and if you leave a voicemail, there’s no guarantee of when it will be heard.
  • Email alerts, while growing in popularity, struggle to stand out in an already crowded inbox. Many emails go unnoticed, and spam filters may prevent your reminders from being seen at all.
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How to promote Medical and Healthcare Offices sing SMS marketing

In 2017, a survey by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) revealed that patients identified several methods by which medical practices could assist them in remembering their appointments. 38.1% of respondents indicated that receiving a text message reminder would have been beneficial. This preference for text reminders was 14.3% higher than the number who favored phone call reminders and 19.1% more than those who preferred email reminders.

Source: Maximizing Patient Access and Scheduling Report by MGMA

Above survey clearly shows that SMS messages are the preferred way to inform patients about upcoming appointments.

Benefits of Using SMS Marketing For Medical & Dental Offices

What makes SMS so effective at decreasing appointment no-shows? The key difference lies in the fact that, unlike emails, phone calls, and postcards, text messages are almost always read. They require no additional app and are compatible with every type of cellphone.
Here’s why SMS is so impactful:
  • Immediate Engagement: While emails can linger unopened for extended periods, about 90% of text messages are read within just 3 minutes of being received.
  • Non-Intrusive Communication: Texts allow patients the flexibility to check messages even when they’re unable to take a call, providing a convenient reference to appointment details whenever needed.
  • High Read Rate: With less than 1% of text messages going unread and no possibility of being filtered into a spam folder, texts maintain a direct line of communication, as notifications are persistent.
Remember to Keep your messages succinct and easy to read and include the date, time and location of the appointment in your SMS messages.

Sample SMS texts and tips for Medical & Healthcare Offices 🏥

✓ Appointment reminders
✓ Checkup reminders
✓ Health tips
✓ Reminders to schedule next appointment
✓ Advertising new services
✓ Patient satisfaction surveys