1. Personalized Follow-Up Calls
A simple yet powerful strategy is directly reaching out to inactive patients through phone calls. A personalized phone call lets your patients know you care about their well-being. Keep the call short and to the point, but personal enough to make them feel valued.
Example script: “Hi [Patient’s Name], we’ve missed you at [Your Practice Name] and wanted to check in on how you’re doing. If you’re ready, we’d love to schedule your next session to help you continue your health journey.”
2. Targeted Email Campaigns
Email marketing is an effective way to re-engage inactive patients. Use your patient database to send segmented emails to those who haven’t visited recently. These emails can include wellness tips, seasonal health reminders, and special offers. The key is to make the email content relevant and engaging, encouraging the patient to take action.
Consider using tools like Mailchimp to manage your email campaigns. These platforms offer tracking features to help you see which emails lead to appointments, giving you valuable insights into your marketing efforts.
3. Special Promotions and Discounts
Offering a special promotion, such as a discount on their next treatment, can be a strong motivator for inactive patients to return. Make sure the offer feels exclusive, and highlight its limited-time nature to create urgency.
For example: “We’re offering 20% off your next visit if you book within the next two weeks! Don’t miss this chance to get back on track with your health.”
4. Patient Education and Health Reminders
One of the most effective ways to reactivate patients is by providing them with valuable information that directly benefits their health. Sharing educational content such as blog posts, newsletters, or even social media updates helps keep your patients informed and engaged.
Example content: “As we head into the winter months, regular acupuncture can help boost your immune system and reduce seasonal stress. Here’s why scheduling your next session now could benefit you.”
5. Personalized “We Miss You” Postcards
Physical mail still has a strong emotional impact, especially when it’s personalized. A “We Miss You” postcard can be a thoughtful, simple reminder to encourage patients to return. Make sure the message is friendly and highlights that you care about their wellness journey.
Example: “Dear [Patient’s Name], we’ve noticed you haven’t been in for a while and wanted to remind you how important acupuncture is for your overall health. We’d love to see you soon!”
6. Implement a Loyalty or Rewards Program
Loyalty programs provide an excellent incentive for patients to return. For example, offer a free or discounted treatment after a certain number of visits. Promote this program to your inactive patients, reminding them that they’re already part of the way to earning a reward.
This type of program not only encourages reactivation but also fosters long-term patient loyalty.
7. Leverage Social Media to Reconnect
Social media is a powerful tool for engaging with your community and reaching out to inactive patients. Share success stories, testimonials, and tips on health and wellness that resonate with your audience.
Consider running targeted ads on platforms like Facebook or Instagram specifically for inactive patients, offering a promotion or reminder of your services.
8. Host Exclusive Events for Inactive Patients
Hosting a “patient appreciation day” or a wellness event can entice inactive patients to return to your practice in a low-pressure, engaging environment. Offer free mini-consultations or discounted treatments as part of the event, and use it as an opportunity to remind patients of the benefits of regular acupuncture.
These events can build a sense of community and provide patients with a reason to reconnect with you.
9. Referral Program with Incentives for Returning Patients
Encourage inactive patients to refer friends or family members with the added bonus of a discount or free treatment for both the referrer and the new patient. This strategy creates a win-win situation and helps bring new faces into your practice while reactivating the inactive patient.
For example: “Bring a friend and you both get 50% off your next treatment!”
10. Survey to Understand Inactivity
Sometimes patients stop coming because they feel something wasn’t addressed, or they didn’t see the value in continuing treatments. Sending a brief survey can help you understand why patients became inactive and how you can improve their experience.
Example questions: “What prevented you from scheduling another session?” or “How can we make your experience with us better?”
11. Send Birthday or Treatment Anniversary Greetings
A personal touch can make all the difference. Sending birthday greetings or marking the anniversary of their first treatment with a special offer is a warm and thoughtful way to re-engage inactive patients.
A simple message like, “Happy Birthday! We’d love to help you celebrate with 10% off your next treatment” can be enough to encourage them to schedule an appointment.
12. Offer Virtual Consultations
In today’s fast-paced world, offering virtual consultations can be an attractive option for patients who may not have time to visit in person. This low-commitment option can be a stepping stone to getting them back in your office.
During a virtual consultation, you can discuss their health concerns, suggest treatment options, and encourage them to schedule an in-person session when they’re ready.
13. Highlight Success Stories Relevant to Inactive Patients
Showcasing anonymized success stories in your marketing materials—specifically for the types of conditions your inactive patients may be experiencing—can motivate them to return. Whether it’s for chronic pain, stress relief, or a seasonal ailment, success stories provide social proof that acupuncture works.
14. Use Text Message Reminders
Text messaging is a direct and effective way to re-engage inactive patients. Send appointment reminders, special promotions, or health tips via SMS. Given the high open rates of text messages, this approach is much more likely to reach patients than email.
AcuPerfect Websites offers Acusimple.com online scheduling with our Premium and Premium+ plans; Acusimple includes patient Text Message Reminders.
Contact your online scheduling provider to verify if Text Message Reminders are included with your plan or sign up for an AcuPerfect website here.
15. Offer Flexible Scheduling
Sometimes patients stop coming because of inconvenient appointment times. Offering flexible scheduling options, such as evening or weekend appointments, can help eliminate barriers to their return.
Make it clear in your communications that you’ve expanded or adapted your hours to accommodate their needs.
16. Seasonal Offers and Promotions
Aligning your promotions with seasonal health concerns can be a powerful motivator for patients to return. For example, offering a “winter stress relief” package during the holiday season can remind patients of the value of acupuncture for managing stress during a hectic time of year.
Promote these seasonal packages through your website, email campaigns, and social media channels.
17. Create a “Health Challenge” Program
Creating a structured program, such as a 30-day wellness challenge, can inspire inactive patients to take part. These types of programs give them a clear goal and the motivation to participate in multiple sessions.
Promote this as a limited-time program to boost interest and ensure that it feels like an exclusive opportunity.
Next Step and Taking Action
The Importance of a User-Friendly Website and Good SEO
Throughout all these strategies, it’s crucial that your website is well-designed, easy to navigate, and optimized for SEO. Many patients will look to your website for information before deciding to re-engage.
Ensure your site has:
- Clear navigation menus
- Easy online booking options
- A mobile-friendly design
- Pages that load quickly
Incorporating these elements will provide a smooth and enjoyable user experience, which can significantly improve your re-engagement efforts.
Taking Action
Implementing these 17 strategies will help you reconnect with inactive patients and strengthen your practice’s retention rate. To further improve your patient reactivation efforts, consider partnering with AcuPerfect. Our team specializes in building acupuncture-specific websites that are easy to navigate, optimized for patient engagement, and designed to help you grow your practice. Let us help you take your practice to the next level—contact us today to learn more!
Need a high quality website for your practice?
AcuPerfect Websites offers website plans for all budgets. Our websites rank well in search results and our features can help save you time and money, accelerate your patient attraction and enable you to manage your practice easier.
We’d be grateful to join you on your practice journey by helping you attract new patients to your practice, so you can do what you love, treat more patients.
