Let’s take a little trip this week.
Over the next five days, I’ll share tips and ideas for increasing your website stickiness (its ability to get your medical practice website’s visitors to hang around longer and even give you their contact email information).
Today, we’ll start with the e-book freebie.
What is behind this strategy?
Business thrives when relationships and trust are built.
One way to begin building these relationships is to offer a valuable freebie (valuable as defined in the eyes of the beholder, not just your mind) in exchange for a name and an email address. At the time of offering your freebie, you can inform the visitor that they will also be receiving your monthly newsletter filled with tips and advice (relating to your specialty).
You are on your way to building your treasured List.
It’s important, at this time, to remind your visitors who are opting-in that they are free to unsubscribe any time they no longer want to receive your newsletter (or tip sheet, or whatever you are choosing to keep in touch and build the relationship of trust!) No spamming allowed here!
Once the visitor downloads the freebie, you now have their permission to embark on ongoing helpful communication, adding value to your list members’ lives. This is what Seth Godin has called “permission marketing“.
Back to the e-book — what is it?
An e-book is a digitally-delivered book or document (usually a PDF) that is written with the reader in mind to educate, teach, enlighten or entertain.
As a physician, you are probably educating patients all day long.
What are some of the topics that are most misunderstood by your patients?
Which questions do they ask most frequently?
Which take the longest to answer?
To create your first e-book, all you have to do is write down the questions and responses (or, if you don’t have the time to write, then record and transcribe then instead) to some of the above.
A few tips:
- make the e-book at least 12-15 pages long so that it doesn’t appear to be too skimpy
- don’t preach
- engage through interaction (make it more of a workbook to record their responses or even their questions)
- write simply – no medicalese, short sentences, plain English
- write as if you are talking directly to your audience member
- get your document edited and formatted before creating the PDF e-book
- pay the few dollars it costs to get a “book cover” created
- add a brief bio that speaks more to your passions and interests than all your wonderful degrees and papers you have presented
- make sure your contact info is on every page
- encourage them to return to your website — they are likely to print out the book and you want to have your website URL handy to get them to go back (I often forget where I downloaded stuff – don’t you?)
Your web master will help you set up the web form that is needed to capture the names and email addresses and deliver the e-book. These steps can all be automated so that once it is set up, the e-book delivery happens without you having to do anything more!
Don’t forget to let people know your ebook is available — email patients, add the link to the sign-up page to your email signature, let patients know at the front desk as they check out, use Twitter, LinkedIn, your Facebook Page etc.
And voila – you are on your way to building your List and those incredibly valuable relationships through your medical practice website that will ultimately enrich your medical practice and your own life.
BTW – there is a very cool little product designed to help you create a “Sticky E-Book”. It’s called “The Sticky E-book Formula”, from Kelly Kingman.
Click here to view more details (A)
And to learn more about how to put your own medical practice website to work (and earn its keep!), check out Physician Website Secrets.
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