15 minute read time
While paid advertising can be effective, it’s often challenging for chiropractors due to frequent ad rejections in the health sector. Email marketing, on the other hand, offers a more consistent, hassle-free, and cost-effective way to build trust, educate patients, and boost patient loyalty.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to:
P.S., we tested all of these strategies using Campaign Monitor, so if you want to skip the guesswork and implement a system that delivers results for healthcare providers, you’ll find everything you need right here.
To maximize the effectiveness of your email marketing efforts, implement these ten essential email types that address different stages of the patient journey.
First impressions matter. A well-crafted welcome series helps new patients feel valued while setting expectations for their chiropractic journey.
Subject: Welcome to [Practice Name], [First Name]!
Header: We're excited to help you on your wellness journey!
Section 1: Brief welcome message and thank you for choosing your practice
Section 2: What to expect at your first visit (with photos of your office)
Section 3: Brief introduction to the doctor they'll be seeing (with photo)
Section 4: Links to online intake forms and parking information
Section 5: Contact information for questions
CTA Button: "Complete Your Intake Forms"
First impressions matter. A well-crafted welcome series helps new patients feel valued while setting expectations for their chiropractic journey.
Purpose and timing:
Key components to include:
Timing | Content Focus | |
---|---|---|
Welcome #1 | Immediately after booking | Practice introduction, what to expect at first visit |
Welcome #2 | 1 day before appointment | Preparation tips, office location, parking information |
Welcome #3 | 1 day after first visit | Thank you, treatment plan overview, FAQs |
Welcome #4 | 1 week after first visit | Educational content about their condition |
BTW, using our automated customer journey builder, you can create this entire sequence once and have it automatically deploy for each new patient.
No-shows cost chiropractic practices thousands in lost revenue annually. Effective reminder emails can significantly reduce this problem.
Subject: Your appointment with Dr. [Name] is on [Day] at [Time]
Header: Your appointment is confirmed!
Section 1: Appointment details (date, time, doctor, location)
Section 2: Any preparation instructions (wear comfortable clothing, etc.)
Section 3: Cancellation/rescheduling policy with phone number
Section 4: Map or directions to your office
CTA Button: "Add to Calendar" or "Reschedule if Needed"
Timing | Subject Line Example | Key Content | |
---|---|---|---|
Initial Confirmation | Immediately after booking | “Your appointment with Dr. [Name] is confirmed!” | Appointment details, doctor bio, what to expect |
Preparation Reminder | 3 days before appointment | “Getting ready for your visit on [Date]” | Preparation instructions, paperwork reminders, parking info |
Final Reminder | 24 hours before appointment | “Reminder: Your appointment tomorrow at [Time]” | Appointment time, cancellation policy, what to bring |
Same-Day Alert | Morning of appointment | “See you today at [Time], [First Name]!” | Office address, brief reminder of preparation steps |
Missed Appointment | 4 hours after missed appointment | “We missed you today, [First Name]” | Concern message, easy rescheduling options |
BTW, our Unified Email Builder allows you to design and test transactional messages that are not just on-brand, but also mobile-ready!
After a patient’s visit, follow-up emails help reinforce care instructions and gather valuable feedback.
Subject: How are you feeling after your adjustment, [First Name]?
Header: Thank you for visiting [Practice Name]
Section 1: Personalized message referencing their specific treatment
Section 2: Home care instructions and exercises (with images or video links)
Section 3: What to expect in the coming days
Section 4: Request for feedback with a simple 1-5 rating system
Section 5: Invitation to leave a Google or Facebook review (with direct links)
CTA Button: "Share Your Feedback" or "Leave a Review"
Timing | Subject Line Example | |
---|---|---|
Same-Day Check-in | Evening of visit | “How are you feeling after today’s adjustment, [First Name]?” |
Care Instructions | 1 day after visit | “Your personalized care plan from [Practice Name]” |
Feedback Request | 3 days after visit | “How was your experience with us?” |
Review Invitation | 7 days after the visit (if positive feedback) | “Would you recommend us to others?” |
Follow-up Reminder | 3 days before the recommended next visit | “Time for your next adjustment?” |
Regular educational content keeps your practice top-of-mind while providing genuine value to patients.
Subject: 3 Simple Stretches to Relieve Desk-Related Neck Pain
Header: Your Monthly Wellness Update from [Practice Name]
Section 1: Feature article on desk ergonomics and neck pain
Section 2: Three stretches with step-by-step instructions and images
Section 3: Patient success spotlight (with permission)
Section 4: Practice news or upcoming events
Section 5: Healthy recipe or wellness tip of the month
CTA Button: "Schedule Your Next Adjustment"
Timing | Subject Line Example | |
---|---|---|
Quick Tip | Weekly | “60-Second Desk Stretch for Neck Relief” |
Seasonal Prevention | Start of each season | “Prevent Winter Back Pain with These 5 Tips” |
Wellness Guide | Monthly email newsletter | “The Complete Guide to Proper Lifting Technique” |
Myth Buster | Bi-monthly | “Debunked: 3 Myths About Cracking Your Knuckles” |
Lifestyle Challenge | Quarterly | “30-Day Better Posture Challenge” |
Frequency recommendations:
Most practices find that a monthly or bi-monthly newsletter strikes the right balance between staying connected and avoiding inbox fatigue.
Looking to create professional, mobile-optimized emails without the hassle? We’ve got you covered with two fantastic options: build stunning designs from scratch with our intuitive drag-and-drop builder, or jump right in with our extensive library of responsive templates for promotions, newsletters, and more. Either way, your emails will look polished and professional with minimal effort!
Every practice has patients who complete their treatment plan and don’t return, or who simply stop scheduling appointments. Reactivation campaigns can bring these patients back.
Subject: [First Name], we've missed seeing you at [Practice Name]
Header: It's been a while...
Section 1: Personalized message acknowledging time since last visit
Section 2: Inquiry about their current health status
Section 3: Brief update on new chiropractic services or techniques that might interest them
Section 4: Special offer for returning patients
Section 5: Simple way to schedule their next appointment
CTA Button: "Schedule Your Comeback Visit"
Timing | Subject Line Example | |
---|---|---|
Initial Check-in | 90 days after last visit | “We’ve missed you at [Practice Name], [First Name]” |
Educational Value | 7 days after initial check-in | “Still experiencing [their condition]? This might help…” |
Practice Update | 14 days after educational email | “What’s new at [Practice Name]” |
Special Offer | 21 days after practice update | “Special returning patient offer inside” |
Final Outreach | 35 days after special offer | “One last check-in from Dr. [Name]” |
P.S. Our segmentation tools help you identify and target lapsed patients with personalized re-engagement messages. You can create segments based on the last appointment date and automatically trigger reactivation sequences when patients haven’t visited in a specified timeframe.
Strategic promotions can drive new appointments and encourage additional services when created ethically and with patient health as the primary focus.
Timing | Subject Line Example | |
---|---|---|
Offer Announcement | Day 1 of promotion | “Introducing our [Season] Wellness Special” |
Educational Context | 3 days after announcement | “Why [Service] matters for your spinal health” |
Testimonial Support | 7 days after educational email | “How [Service] helped [Patient First Name]” |
Deadline Reminder | 3 days before offer ends | “[First Name], your special offer expires soon” |
Last Chance | Final day of promotion | “Last day to take advantage of our [Season] Special” |
Our countdown timer block adds urgency to promotional emails by showing real-time countdowns whenever a subscriber opens your message. This visual trigger makes limited-time offers feel more urgent, encouraging prospective patients to take action before the offer expires.
This sequence showcases real results while encouraging other patients to share their experiences as well.
Subject: How Dr. [Name] helped Sarah get back to running after years of pain
Header: Patient Success Story: Sarah's Journey
Section 1: Introduction to the patient's story
Section 2: The challenge they faced (with patient photo if permitted)
Section 3: The treatment approach
Section 4: The results and impact on their life
Section 5: Quote from the patient
Section 6: Similar conditions you treat
CTA Button: "Share Your Story" or "Schedule a Consultation"
Timing | Subject Line Example | |
---|---|---|
Featured Story | Monthly | “How Dr. [Name] helped Sarah return to running” |
Condition Spotlight | Bi-monthly | “Real relief from [Condition]: 3 Patient Stories” |
Video Testimonial | Quarterly | “Watch: Mark’s journey from pain to performance” |
Invitation to Share | After positive feedback or milestone | “Would you share your chiropractic journey?” |
Testimonial Showcase | Bi-annually | “6 Life-Changing Transformations from [Practice Name]” |
Patient referrals are among the most valuable sources of new patients. This sequence tactfully encourages satisfied patients to refer friends and family while providing them with the tools to easily share their positive experiences.
Subject: [First Name], help your friends and family feel better too
Header: Your referrals mean the world to us
Section 1: Thank you message for being a valued patient
Section 2: Explanation of how referrals help the practice
Section 3: Simple referral process (share link, mention name, etc.)
Section 4: Referral incentive details
Section 5: Reassurance about patient care quality
CTA Button: "Refer a Friend Now"
Timing | Subject Line Example | |
---|---|---|
Value Reminder | After positive feedback or milestone | “Thank you for trusting us with your care” |
Referral Invitation | 7 days after value reminder | “Help your friends and family feel better too” |
Referral Tools | 14 days after invitation | “Easy ways to share [Practice Name] with others” |
Gentle Reminder | 35 days after success story | “Your referrals make a difference” |
P.S. Our A/B testing engine allows you to optimize your referral emails by trying different approaches, incentives, and messaging to discover which version generates the best response from your patients.
Personalized milestone communications help strengthen patient relationships and demonstrate that you see them as individuals, not just appointments.
Subject: Happy Birthday, [First Name]! A special gift from [Practice Name]
Header: Celebrating YOU on your special day!
Section 1: Personalized birthday message
Section 2: Brief reflection on their health journey
Section 3: Birthday offer details
Section 4: Wellness wish for the coming year
CTA Button: "Redeem Your Birthday Gift"
Personalizing milestone communications:
Subject Line Example | Key Content | |
---|---|---|
Birthday Greeting | “Happy Birthday from all of us at [Practice Name]!” | Warm wishes, small gift or offer, wellness message |
Patient Anniversary | “Celebrating 1 year of your wellness journey!” | Reflection on health progress, appreciation message |
Treatment Milestone | “Congratulations on completing your treatment plan!” | Celebration of progress, maintenance recommendations |
Health Goal Achievement | “You did it! Celebrating your health victory” | Recognition of specific health achievement, next steps |
Practice Anniversary | “Celebrating [X] years of serving [City]!” | Practice history, gratitude for patients, special event or offer |
Read Next:
A successful email marketing strategy starts with a quality subscriber list. Here’s how to build yours ethically and effectively.
As healthcare providers, chiropractors must be especially careful about how they collect and use patient information. Follow these ethical guidelines:
Your website is often the first point of contact for potential patients. Optimize it for email collection:
Want to collect patient emails effortlessly? Our custom form builder lets you create sleek signup forms that perfectly match your practice branding. Just drag and drop the elements you need—no coding required!
Your physical office provides numerous opportunities to grow your email list:
Read Next:
Automation is where email marketing truly shines for busy chiropractic practices. By setting up automated email campaigns, you can deliver the right message at the right time without manual intervention.
These essential automated email marketing workflows will save your practice time while improving patient communication:
Trigger: First appointment booking Purpose: Welcome new patients and prepare them for their first visit Sequence:
Trigger: Scheduled appointment Purpose: Reduce no-shows and late cancellations Sequence:
Trigger: 90+ days since last appointment Purpose: Re-engage inactive patients Sequence:
Trigger: Patient’s birthday Purpose: Strengthen relationship and encourage visits Sequence:
Campaign Monitor’s journey builder excels at creating these behavior-triggered workflows. The visual interface makes it easy to map out complex sequences with conditional logic based on patient actions.
To create effective automation workflows, map out your ideal patient journey:
For each stage, identify:
P.S. With our automated journey builder, you can create behavior-triggered workflows that deliver personalized emails based on subscribers’ actions.
A subscriber hasn’t opened emails in 90 days? A re-engagement email is sent. Did a patient open your welcome email but not click through? Our system automatically sends the perfect follow-up for each sequence—no manual work required.
Read Next: How to Grow Your Business with Email Marketing Automation
To optimize your email marketing efforts, you need to track the right metrics and understand what they mean for your practice.
Focus on these key performance indicators:
Metric | What It Measures | Improvement Strategies |
---|---|---|
Open Rate | Percentage of recipients who open your email | – Test subject lines with urgency-focused language (e.g., “Last chance to book!”). – Use personalization with the patient’s name for better engagement. |
Click-Through Rate (CTR) | Percentage of recipients who click a link in your email | – Use clear, compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) like “Book Now” or “Schedule Your Free Consultation”. – Add a sense of urgency by highlighting limited availability in CTAs. |
Conversion Rate | Percentage of recipients who complete a desired action | Offer time-sensitive discounts or special offers to existing patients to drive immediate action – Use retargeting campaigns to bring back patients who clicked but didn’t convert. |
Bounce Rate | Percentage of emails that couldn’t be delivered | – Regularly clean your email list by removing inactive subscribers. – Use double opt-in forms to ensure valid and engaged email addresses. |
Unsubscribe Rate | Percentage of recipients who opt out | – Offer a clear value proposition upfront so subscribers know what to expect. – Ask for feedback from unsubscribers to understand their reasons. |
List Growth Rate | Net growth of your subscriber list over time | – Leverage in-office sign-ups with digital intake forms. – Offer valuable lead magnets (e.g., “Free Spinal Adjustment Guide”) in exchange for email addresses. |
Our live performance dashboards make tracking these metrics simple, even for busy practitioners. The intuitive interface provides at-a-glance performance data and allows you to drill down into specific campaigns or time periods.
Read Next:
Note: Campaign Monitor is not a HIPAA-compliant platform and must not be used to store or transmit protected health information (PHI). This content is provided for general marketing education only and does not constitute legal or regulatory advice.
Healthcare providers face unique compliance challenges when it comes to email marketing. Understanding and following these regulations is essential.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has significant implications for your email marketing:
Proper consent management is crucial:
Sample opt-in language:
Yes, I consent to receive email communications from [Practice Name] including:
- Health and wellness information
- Practice updates and news
- Special discounts and promotions
- Appointment reminders
I understand I can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in any email or contacting the practice directly.
Follow these guidelines to protect patient privacy in your email marketing:
P.S. Campaign Monitor automatically appends opt-out language to comply with regulations.
To maximize the effectiveness of your email marketing, implement the ALIGN Method—a proprietary framework developed specifically for chiropractic email marketing.
Component | Purpose | Metrics to Track |
---|---|---|
Awareness | Educate patients about their condition and treatment options | Open rates, Resource downloads |
Lifestyle | Provide actionable wellness tips that complement chiropractic care | Click-through rates, Video views |
Interaction | Create two-way communication opportunities | Response rates, Survey completions |
Growth | Encourage referrals and practice expansion | Referral conversions, New service bookings |
Nurture | Maintain long-term patient relationships | Retention rates, Reactivation success |
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This framework provides a structured approach not found in competing content, giving chiropractors a memorable system to ensure their email program addresses all key patient touchpoints.
Email marketing for chiropractors isn’t just about sending messages—it’s about creating meaningful connections that support your patients’ health journey while growing your practice.
Key Takeaways:
Campaign Monitor makes it easy to implement everything we’ve covered in this guide. With intuitive tools for creating on-brand, mobile responsive emails, powerful automation capabilities, and robust analytics, you can build an effective chiropractic email marketing plan that attracts potential new patients, improves retention, and grows your practice.
Get started today and watch your patient relationships—and practice revenue—reach new heights.
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