Hearing Care Direct Mail Best Practices
Darwill has served the hearing healthcare industry for over 30 years. Our market knowledge allows us to define direct mail practices to give you an edge. Your hearing care practice can utilize direct mail to communicate with current patients and target in-market candidates. Mail pieces with expert messaging inspire action. Direct mail can be personalized to communicate educational information. It may also highlight treatment options and how to book an appointment.
What is Hearing Care Direct Mail?
Hearing care direct mail encourages the recipient to book an appointment for care. To drive action, Darwill personalizes the mail piece to the recipient. The content of the piece may vary based on the targeted audience and the campaign's goal. These mailings often discuss hearing aid models and the long-term effects of untreated hearing loss. They may also highlight the practice’s staff and provide information on hearing evaluations. A promotional offer in the mail piece will positively impact response rates. Direct mail is an effective approach for reaching out to individuals who may benefit from hearing care. Mail raises awareness about hearing health and helps practices fill their appointment schedule.
Who is the Audience for Hearing Care Direct Mail?
From our experience, the typical target audience is 65 years of age and older. This is an essential audience to reach. Hearing loss increases with age. That makes these people more prone to hearing issues that need help.
We recommend considering other audiences per campaign. If you only focus on the senior audience, you could miss out on potential leads in different groups. These groups include:
- Adults with hearing loss. Target adults at any age who may be starting to experience the first signs of hearing loss.
- Family members of those with hearing loss. Family members of individuals with hearing loss may also receive direct mail. Family often helps their loved ones seek hearing care services.
- Career and profession-specific targeting. This group focuses on specific careers and professions prone to being near loud machinery. Examples include construction workers, railroad workers, truck drivers, firefighters, and police.
Best Practices for Hearing Care Direct Mail
Creating an effective direct mail piece for hearing care involves several best practices. These are key to ensuring the mail resonates with the target audience enough for them to respond. Here are some tips:
- Clear Messaging. Ensure your message is clear and concise. Clarity ensures that the mail recipient grasps the subject matter presented. Break up long paragraphs using subheads, bullet points, and sidebar callouts.
- Clean Design. Use appealing images and clear fonts to reinforce the service or product. Tell a story through visuals and select a layout that is easy to follow.
- Highlight Benefits. Use color, layout, and other design elements to draw in the reader’s attention. Highlight the benefits of a hearing test or upgrading their hearing aid.
- Personalization. When possible, personalize the direct mail piece. Personalization includes the recipient's name, nearest hearing care office, and next appointment date. This best practice can grab the recipient's attention and make them feel valued.
- Call-to-Action (CTA). Include a clear and compelling CTA that prompts the recipient to take the next step. We recommend that your mail piece include at least three CTAs on each side. A CTA can encourage the recipient to book an appointment or redeem a special offer. It could also include contact information. Several contact methods should be available. This includes a phone number, email, landing page URL, or a QR code.
- Incentives and Offers. Consider including incentives or special offers with an expiration to encourage recipients to take action. Incentives may include a complimentary hearing evaluation, a discount on a hearing aid purchase, or an exclusive trade-in deal. The expiration date creates urgency for use and should be no more than two weeks out from when they receive the mail.
- Disclaimer. A disclaimer must be present for mail that contains a special offer or coupon. Include the applicable terms, conditions, and disclaimers. They ensure that your clients use the offer as intended.
Leverage Direct Mail to Fill Appointments
Direct mail for hearing care has a proven track record of engaging the right target audience. It helps to increase appointment conversions and boosts hearing aid sales. If you need help with your practice's direct mail strategy, Darwill is here. We have experience in the industry which makes us the right partner to boost your patient volumes. Contact us to get started!
