June 8, 2022
The purpose of a blog or email is to maintain brand awareness and regular contact with your warm audience (the people who have already had some contact with your company). So, be nice and don't bludgeon them with intense sales copy that will cause them to hit unsubscribe. That begs the question, what will you write about? The answer depends on whether your e-newsletter is self-contained, features teasers to more in-depth blog posts, or both. We have a few ideas based on more than a decade of planning, writing, and producing copy for e-newsletters and blogs!
Lead with the news. Like the mantra of local T.V. news, "if it burns or crashes," it leads. Write about your lineup of speakers for the next conference, new products launches and features, or the scut on just hired customer-facing employees. If the topic is time sensitive, it belongs in your news roundup.
Behind the scenes. Think of your readers as members of a club which receives special information. Cover the advantages of your product through the eyes of the scientists and researchers who invented them. What inspired them, and what was the challenging problem they solved. Use analogies and trivia that make sleepy facts come to life, like how many miles of upholstery does your factory use per year? Or five fun facts about nanobots.
Profiles. People buy from people. So profile people in your company. What motivates them? Why do they work with you? Why do they love their job? And make sure you pepper your copy with tidbits that humanize your subject and company, like "Amanda is a triathlete, owns five cats, and volunteers at the local food pantry.
Consider employees who usually don't take center stage, like interns, the people who build your medical devices, or the quirky hobby of a KOL. For example, one of our favorite features for a technology company was a monthly wine column written by a KOL. These bite-size stories bring your brand alive and make it memorable.
News from the Internet. Let the Internet deliver a load of content, too. Use your favorite feed reader or Google Alerts to scan for information about that pertains to might your audience. For example, new rules about Medicare, the end of the year tax credit, or cutting-edge research (monitor press releases from top institutions).
Marketing Tips. Doctors are business people, too, and they're always interested in ways to improve their bottom line, whether it's through their website, social media, or patient recall programs. Help them with marketing, especially since you could write these in your sleep!
Products. It's tempting to feature all products in every issue. But a good rule of thumb is to concentrate on products 75 percent of the time and leave the rest for other company-related news. Focus on educating your prospects: how-to articles, tips on using your product, and in-depth details of features you may not address in other marketing. Give readers an inside track on how you manufacture your medical device or equipment. We wrote a story for a piece of diagnostic equipment that focused on one part of the device that contained 500 hand-assembled pieces. These memorable tidbits invite a deeper understanding of your product's superiority.
Healthcare Observances are perfect tie-ins when they relate to your products. For example, a story about National Glaucoma Day could highlight your device's use in the treatment or diagnosis of the disease. Find a list of national healthcare observances here. https://health.gov/news/category/national-health-observances
Frequently Asked Questions. Address FAQs in a story format that expands on the nuts-and-bolts answers on your website. Again, this shows you're listening to your customers and prospects. However, you choose to organize the content of your e-newsletter or blog, remember to empathize, humanize, and provide information of value.
Calls to Action (CTAs). Don't miss the opportunity to ask readers to pursue the next step in their buying journey, for example, call for a demo, visit a landing page, or request more information. Be gentle and avoid heavy-handed CTAs and sales copy in general.
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