Count On Coffey

We all know that AI has multiple applications across various aspects of digital healthcare marketing, but what about direct mail marketing? Is there an application there? The answer is yes.

Understanding the basics

AI can help digital marketing campaigns be more targeted, efficient and measurable. And, as you're already aware, direct mail offers a unique advantage over digital marketing by providing a physical piece that consumers can retain.

AI can help you analyze vast amounts of data, including demographics, purchase history and online behavior, to identify patterns and predict patient preferences.

How to get started with AI in direct mail

Establish a clear goal. It's important to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) goals that align with overall organizational strategy. For direct mail, those objectives are often in support of digital marketing campaigns and can include:

• An increase in appointments with providers or for specific screenings, such as mammogram bookings after a breast cancer awareness campaign.
• Participation in community health events promoted via direct mail.
• Growth in referrals from specific practices or specialties.

Analyze data and segment your audience. Use AI algorithms to analyze patient data, including demographics, medical history and engagement with your services. This will then allow you to create patient personas that allow you to tailor direct mail campaigns.

For example, AI analysis of your data might identify a group of middle-aged patients with a history of heart disease who haven't scheduled a checkup in the past year. This could turn into a targeted campaign to encourage these patients to book appointments, potentially improving outcomes. It's important to note that while this approach can significantly enhance marketing effectiveness and patient care, it must be implemented with strict adherence to patient privacy regulations and ethical considerations.

Optimize your mailing list. Use a tool with AI capabilities to optimize your direct mailing list by identifying high-quality leads who are interested in your services. This can help you avoid randomly sending out direct mail by ensuring you are targeting those most likely to engage.

You'll also want to make sure your mailing list is clean and up-to-date, using NCOA (national change of address) processing and employing duplicate removal tools.

Incorporate direct response methods. Measurement is everything with any marketing campaign, but especially with the offline aspect of direct mail. Put as many of these measurement approaches in place as possible with each campaign:

• Mechanisms such as a personalized URL (PURL), QR codes or a business reply card/postcard within the publication.
• Unique offer or activation codes to track how many offers are used, where and for what specific service.
• Phone numbers exclusively for the campaign to measure the call volume.

Analyze and adjust. Real-time campaign monitoring and analysis is possible with a variety of tools. Adding AI to that mix can help track crucial metrics and drive an iterative process of testing and improving your design and content for compelling combinations that resonate with your target audience, ultimately leading to improved performance and higher ROI.

Integrate with other channels

By integrating AI-driven direct mail with your other marketing channels, you will create a more cohesive and effective overall strategy that meets patients where they are, whether online or offline. Your brand and messaging will be reinforced, further resonating with your audience and driving better outcomes.

Categories: Print