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Podiatry patient newsletters, written and sent for you.
Your patients already trust you. A short monthly email keeps your practice in mind and reminds them what else you treat. I’m Jim McDannald, DPM. I practiced podiatry for seven years, and I plan, write and send the newsletter so it goes out every month.
The free scan shows how new patients find you. The newsletter is for the patients you already have.
01Why it matters
Should a podiatry practice send a patient newsletter?
Yes, if it is short, useful and regular. A lot of marketing money goes to finding new patients. A newsletter is how you stay in touch with the ones you already have.
It is one part of building your reputation, alongside online reviews for podiatrists.
Three things I hear from practice owners:
Patients know you for one thing
Someone who came in for an ingrown toenail may not know you also treat heel pain, bunions or sports injuries.
Past patients drift away
A patient who had a good result two years ago may not think of you when a new problem starts.
The newsletter never gets written
You know you should send one. A full schedule wins every time, so it does not go out.
02What I do
What does a done-for-you patient newsletter include?
Six pieces of work. I plan it, write it and send it. You read it and approve it.
A topic plan for the year
We agree on topics ahead of time, matched to the seasons and to the care you want to be known for.
- Seasonal foot and ankle topics
- The services you want more of
- Room for practice news
Written by a podiatrist
I write each issue in plain language a patient can follow. You approve it before it goes out.
- Accurate about conditions and treatment
- In your practice’s voice
- Nothing sent without your approval
A design that looks like your practice
Your logo, your colors and your doctors, in a layout that reads well on a phone.
- Easy to read on a phone
- A clear button to request an appointment
- Your address, phone and hours in every issue
Your patient list, set up properly
I help you move patient email addresses into the email service and keep the list clean.
- Addresses brought over from your practice software
- Unsubscribes handled automatically
- A sign-up form for your website
Emails for patients you have not seen lately
A short, friendly note that reminds past patients you are there when they need you.
- For patients who have not been in for a while
- One clear way to request a visit
- No personal health details in the message
Reporting you can read
After each issue I tell you what happened, in plain numbers.
- How many patients opened it
- Which topics got clicks
- Clicks on the appointment button
03What goes in
What should a podiatry newsletter include?
Six parts. Short enough to read in a minute or two.
A subject line worth opening
A plain question or problem a patient recognizes, such as heel pain in the morning.
One main topic
A short article on one condition or one piece of advice, tied to the season.
A service you offer
A reminder of care patients may not know you provide.
Practice news
New doctors, new hours, a second office or holiday closures.
A patient review
A recent review, shared with the patient’s written permission.
One clear next step
A button to request an appointment, plus your phone number.
04A year of topics
What can a podiatrist write about each season?
Foot problems follow the calendar. A plan built around the seasons means you are not starting from a blank page each month.
December to February
Winter
March to May
Spring
June to August
Summer
September to November
Fall
These are starting points. Your plan also covers the care you most want to be known for, such as surgery, sports medicine or wound care.
05How it works
How does a done-for-you newsletter work each month?
Five steps. Your part is step three.
A topic is chosen
Taken from the yearly plan, or swapped for something timely at your office.
I write and design it
A finished draft in your practice’s name.
You approve it
You or your office manager read it and reply with any changes.
It goes out
Sent to your patient list from your practice, not from me.
I report back
Opens, clicks and anything worth changing next time.
How often should a podiatrist email patients?
I recommend once a month for most practices. That is often enough to be remembered, and not so often that patients unsubscribe. An extra email makes sense for real news, such as a new doctor or a new office.
06Privacy
Can a podiatry practice email patients and stay within HIPAA?
Yes, with the right setup. These are the three questions that come up most, and how I handle each one.
What the newsletter says
HHS says a practice describing its own health-related services is not marketing under the Privacy Rule, so a newsletter about your own care does not need written authorization. That changes if another company pays you to promote its product.
HHS guidance on marketingWhere the patient list is kept
A list of your patients is protected health information. It belongs with an email service that will sign a business associate agreement (BAA) with your practice, not in a personal email account.
HHS guidance on cloud servicesWhat every email must have
The FTC’s CAN-SPAM rules cover commercial email. Each issue names your practice, shows your mailing address and has an unsubscribe link. Opt-outs have to be honored within 10 business days.
FTC guide to CAN-SPAMA newsletter never mentions a patient’s condition, visit or treatment. Every patient on the list gets the same general content.
This is general information, not legal advice. Your compliance officer or healthcare attorney has the final say for your practice.
07How it starts
How do I get started?
Free Practice Visibility Scan
A report on where your practice shows up in local search, scored out of 100, with a 20-minute walkthrough call.
Request the scanOnline Practice X-Ray
An in-depth review of your online presence with a custom growth plan. Every practice I take on starts here.
About the X-RayYour first issue
We agree on a year of topics, set up your patient list, and the first newsletter goes out.
See all services
08Results from podiatry practices
What podiatrists say about working with Jim
Two practice owners on what it is like to work with a marketing advisor who has treated patients.
“Different medical fields have different strategies that work to make money or to attract patients. Jim knows the different aspects of the practice and understands what works for podiatrists.”
Seiter Foot & Ankle, Conway, AR
“With the agency I used before, I could never understand what they were doing and why. Jim is different. Rather than throwing money to see what worked, he understands how patients are searching for us online.”
Wisconsin Foot Center, Hales Corners, WI
09Questions
Newsletter questions from podiatrists
- Service
- Done-for-you patient newsletters for podiatry practices
- Done by
- Jim McDannald, DPM
- Covers
- Topic plan, writing, design, list setup, emails to past patients, reporting
- How often
- Once a month for most practices
- First step
- Free Practice Visibility Scan
What is a podiatry patient newsletter?
It is a regular email from a podiatry practice to its own patients. A typical issue has one short foot health topic, a reminder of a service the practice offers, practice news and a way to request an appointment.
Should podiatrists send newsletters?
Yes, if the practice wants past patients to remember what it treats. A newsletter reaches people who already know and trust the practice. It works best when it is short, useful and regular.
How often should a podiatrist email patients?
Jim McDannald, DPM, recommends once a month for most practices, with an extra email when there is real news such as a new doctor or a new office.
What should a podiatry newsletter include?
One main foot health topic, a reminder of a service the practice offers, practice news such as new hours or new doctors, and a clear button to request an appointment. A patient review can be included with the patient’s written permission.
Is email marketing HIPAA compliant for a podiatry practice?
It can be. HHS guidance says a practice describing its own health-related services is not marketing that needs written authorization, unless a third party pays for the message. The patient list should be kept with an email service that signs a business associate agreement, and a newsletter should never include personal health details. This is general information, not legal advice.
Can patients unsubscribe?
Yes. Every email has an unsubscribe link. The FTC’s CAN-SPAM rules require opt-out requests to be honored within 10 business days.
Who writes the newsletter?
Jim McDannald, DPM, writes each issue. He practiced podiatry for seven years, so the content is accurate and written in language patients understand. The practice approves every issue before it is sent.
Do you use a podiatry newsletter template?
Each practice gets its own layout with its logo, colors and doctors. The structure stays the same from month to month, so patients know what to expect.
Will a newsletter bring in new patients?
Its main job is keeping the patients a practice already has. It reminds them what the practice treats and makes it easy to come back, or to forward the email to family. For new patients, local SEO and Google Ads do more.
Who does the work?
Jim McDannald, DPM. Podiatry Growth is a one-person consultancy, so you work with Jim directly, not an account manager.
10Related services
Services that work well with a patient newsletter
Bringing in new patients? Stay in touch with the ones you have.
Start with a free Practice Visibility Scan to see how new patients find you. Then we can talk about the patients already on your list.
Request a Free Practice Visibility Scan Or send me a message