There is a fast way to “keep the conversation going” with your patients, vendors, allies, and other people connected to your practice and business.

Use an email service.

It has simple templates in which you can paste the content you want. Later, with some easy editing, you can also print out the newsletter and have a hard copy for in office fliers or mailers. You can paste the content of your newsletter to your website and to your Facebook page.  You can even use short video clips.

The email service makes it easy. Smooth organization and delegation of the work makes it even easier.

Almost ANY communication is better than none. On a regular basis, get your newsletters out regardless of how neat or interesting they are. Quantity first, then improve the quality.

Here is a short outline of some of the steps you can use to get your newsletter out fast.

1. Someone in Charge. Assign one person to be in charge of collecting the info. I call this person the “Sunshine Coordinator,” though you may want to call this person the “newsletter assistant,” or some other creative name. (Sunshine Assistant: the one who helps bring the sunshine of our office to your home.)
2. Newsletter Content Assigned. Get different categories of the newsletter assigned. See the Content Checklist for ideas. Encourage photos of patients, staff, doctor, etc. Each person can take a section and be responsible for submitting quality content. However, they do not personally have to create the article. For example, whoever is in charge of testimonials can encourage any team member to solicit the testimonial from the patients. Not all sections need to be in each newsletter.
   • Content Letter from the doctor. (Could be a video.)
   • Recipe section. “Christina’s Cool Recipe’s”
   • Try to get a photo. Take a quote and make it into the title.
   • “Health Tips.” This is a practical section about health that the reader can use now. Sort of a home remedy section. Include citation to a study, a few tips on what to do for a condition. Always encourage them to call in for a no charge consultation. (This can also be a video.)
   • Upcoming promotional events
   • Office news, jokes, miscellaneous.

3. Digital Content. Don’t hand in slips of paper or a photocopy. Make sure the content is sent to our Sunshine Assistant in Word or text format. Include photos and video as attachments.
4. Set when the letter goes out and when all the content should be to the Sunshine Assistant –usually 1 week earlier.
5. E-newsletter. Use a newsletter service. They are simple, not that expensive, and for many other reasons, just the best way to go. Constant Contact is easy to use. There is also Mail Chimp, and many others that are available.
6. Publishing Steps.
   • Someone should be in charge of this on line service.
   • Pick a template.
   • Acquire and upload existing emails to get started.
   • Cut and paste text content in each block of the newsletter.
   • Have someone qualified to review readability and edit.
   • Regular uploading of new emails.
   • Posting important newsletter content on website blog.
   • Cross post info from website blog to Facebook.
   • Convert email newsletter to PDF handout for hardcopy newsletter for handouts, statement stuffers, and mailers as desired.
7. Monthly. Some offices send out a short letter from the doctor two weeks after the main newsletter, along with upcoming notices on occasion. Generally, the more the better.
8. Video. You will need to make your own YouTube Channel, or use another service to upload your video. There is special formatting for ideal optimization to keep in mind. Once posted, the video can be included in your newsletter, on your website, on Facebook, and on other Internet properties. It does take some extra work, but in the long run, it is worth it. Video is very powerful. Think of T.V. and how much it is used. With Video, you are creating your own TV station.