Tips for Starting (or Reassessing!) your Grateful Patient Program
This Doctors’ Day, we’re focusing on those who are most likely to celebrate their physicians – Grateful Patients – and some tips on how to incorporate this audience into your direct marketing program in an authentic way.
Many healthcare institutions use direct marketing to cast a wide net among their patients to find those who may be more prime to give at higher-dollar levels, while also working to feed the pipeline of an individual fundraising program.
Whether you’re just thinking about how to incorporate Grateful Patients into your fundraising programs, or you’re looking for some new ideas to take your established program to the next level, we’ve got some tips to keep top of mind.
Know your audience. There is likely no audience more tied to your organization’s mission than that of a patient who has received direct care at your institution. You have changed (if not saved) their lives, and you have been there at some of the scariest of times. The relationship you already have with this audience is sacred, and any misstep could be detrimental. When thinking about who to include in your Grateful Patient communications, consider the following:
Discharge date: As is the case with all direct marketing, recency is king. Getting communications out to patients within about a month of their discharge date ensures that you’re reaching them while you’re still top of mind.
Diagnosis: If possible, within your dataset, understand when it might be appropriate to reach out to someone as part of your direct marketing program, and when it might not be. If someone is discharged, but with a terminal diagnosis, including them in your direct marketing program is most likely not the way to go.
Age: Just like typical direct marketing, age plays a big factor in likelihood of responding. Determine a floor that you’re comfortable with, and consider segmenting your data in such a way that you can see response by age to help drive future strategy.
Account status: If a patient has not yet paid off their medical bill, consider keeping them out of any fundraising communications to avoid confusion and to be respectful of how an unexpected medical bill may impact their finances.
Message appropriately. This audience already feels like they are part of your community. This is likely not the right time to ask them to “join” – but rather reinforce the relationship that has already been established.
Focus first on engagement: Give them a reason to follow you on social media; give them an opportunity to sign a card to their doctors/nurses to say ”thank you” for the care they received; ask them to fill out a survey about issues that are important to them; or serve them wellness tips that are appropriate to the time of year (flu shot information in August, how to steer clear of germs going into the winter, etc.). This type of engagement and information could be well served in an automated welcome series for patients as they qualify.
Ask gently. When asking this audience for money, be gentle. They already know who you are and understand the importance of your role. This is not the time for guilt or urgent messaging. Explain why financial support is important, and how it will impact the future of the organization (or research, etc.).
Be ready for what comes next. Out of direct response Grateful Patient programs, there will likely be some mid and major donors that raise their hand with a gift that qualifies them for higher-level status. Gift officers should be ready for these donors as they respond and begin stewardship right away. And for those patients who received an ask but did not give, will you give them another follow-up? Or include them at key times of the year with additional stewardship and fundraising asks? Building the right journey for this audience upfront is critical to success in the future, so taking the time to do that early on (or to reassess if your program is already in motion) is well worth it.
And this is all just really scratching the surface. There are so many things to consider when starting, or evaluating, a Grateful Patient program, and spending the time to really dig in and build these relationships is key when it comes to the success of the program.
When it comes to Grateful Patients, striking the right balance is key. This audience is already tied to your organization for extremely personal reasons, and it’s critical that any communications they receive keep that relationship front and center – while also respecting their privacy and maintaining their trust.
We’d love to hear more about what you’ve found to be successful in your programs, or talk about what might need some enhancements in an already-established program! Reach out and start the conversation!
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