One of the key tactics for successful healthcare staffing is following up with physicians who have expressed interest in available positions. Since email is physicians’ preferred mode of such communication, it’s important to think about where the email addresses in your database came from so you know you’re reaching the right physician every time.
Fortunately, DMD provides email data that guarantees just that. Specifically, there are three core assurances that speak to our level of physician list quality.
Sourcing
Not knowing the source of email data is a significant risk to the success of your deployments. Some vendors include data collected via offshore scraping methods, which is not only unethical but also illegal. Others assemble physician lists using a predetermined formula based on a health system or private practice’s domain (e.g. m.anderson@alexandriamedical.com).
Not knowing the source of email data is a significant risk.
Neither sourcing method promises accuracy and both are simply not acceptable in terms of list quality. We only include data that has been provided by physicians directly, what is known as first-party sourcing.
Volunteered Data
The second assurance--one that’s related to sourcing--is the presence of a double opt-in protocol.
Again, the sourcing process ensures the information comes from physicians themselves—they volunteer it. Then, we give them a second opportunity to say, “Yes, I would like to hear from you” via an email confirmation. That’s the double opt-in, which is a measure true of 100 percent of our physician records.
Opt-out is just as important as the opt-in.
Of course, there may be a time when a physician decides she would no longer like to hear from you. Perhaps she just secured a position or has moved to another area of the country. That’s when the opt-out is just as important as the opt-in. All emails sent by a “marketing” entity must provide the ability to unsubscribe—something that has been a standard in email marketing for some time. But, going the extra step and making it easy for email recipients to do so shows you respect their preferences and preserves future physician relationships.
Current Data
The third assurance addresses problematic outdated data. Even a list that’s a week old could steer you wrong if it contains the email address of an unsubscribed individual. Given that, you can understand why daily updates are essential.
Daily database updates are essential.
A database that is constantly updated also prevents you from deploying to physicians who have transitioned to a different hospital or retired, whether or not they have self-unsubscribed. This aids in progressing the overall effectiveness of your campaigns—now and in the future.
A Quality List Is About More Than Just Data
When combined, these three quality standards set you up for the most successful healthcare staffing efforts for a few key reasons. Not only are you working with a list that lands your message in the right inbox every time, but respecting physicians’ preferences goes a long way in creating the types of relationships that improve hiring realization.