In healthcare, every lead represents a life in transition, often at a vulnerable crossroads. Whether it’s a parent considering ABA therapy for a child, an adult child weighing home care options for an aging parent, or an individual seeking help for addiction or mental health, the decision-making process is deeply personal and layered with emotions, uncertainty, and financial concerns. We often emphasize the urgency of “speed to lead” on this blog, and for good reason. A study from InsideSales.com (now XANT.ai) found that responding to a new lead within five minutes makes you 100 times more likely to connect with them than waiting even 30 minutes.
But what happens after that first contact?
That’s where many healthcare providers lose potential patients, they are learning to respond quickly, but they fail to stay present during the critical consideration phase. Healthcare leads rarely convert immediately. According to a Google Health Marketing Insights report, 77% of patients research extensively before booking an appointment.
This phase can stretch over days, weeks, or even months, especially when insurance coverage, out-of-pocket costs, or emotional readiness are factors. During this period, patients (or their decision-makers) are asking:
Can I afford this?
Is this covered by insurance?
Will this really help me or my loved one?
Is this the right provider to trust with something so important?
If you’re not visible and valuable during this window, a competitor will be.
Build a Value-Driven, Customized Email and SMS Drip Campaign That Anticipates Decision-Maker Needs
Drip campaigns are existential for healthcare organizations, especially when decision timelines stretch out. But here’s the tricky part: generic drip sequences don’t work for emotionally charged decisions like healthcare. The mistake many healthcare providers make is sending out one-size-fits-all drip sequences that feel templated, irrelevant, or even intrusive. In reality, the most successful campaigns share certain critical traits:
A. Segment Your Audience Thoughtfully
Every healthcare lead is not the same. You must customize based on who is making the decision and why:
Is it a parent choosing ABA therapy for a child?
An adult child deciding on home care for an aging parent?
An individual seeking addiction or mental health treatment for themselves?
Segmentation tips:
Use intake forms, landing pages, or initial conversations to tag leads properly.
Create different tracks for self-directed patients vs. family decision-makers.
Consider insurance vs. private-pay audiences (their questions are very different).
According to Salesforce’s State of Marketing report, marketers who use segmented campaigns report 760% higher revenue than those who don’t.
B. Design Content Around the Stages of Trust
Instead of sending “Day 1,” “Day 3,” and “Day 5” emails just because a calendar says so, map your campaign to psychological stages:
Awareness: Introduce your services with empathy, normalize their fears and questions.
Education: Provide answers to common concerns about insurance, process, outcomes.
Validation: Share case studies, testimonials, or outcomes-based data.
Invitation: Offer a low-friction next step like a free consult or insurance review.
A great resource, HubSpot’s Ultimate Guide to Drip Campaigns, emphasizes:
“The goal isn’t to push them through a timeline — it’s to match their emotional journey.”
C. Balance Email and SMS Carefully
Email is best for richer content: checklists, guides, patient stories, educational videos.
SMS is best for light-touch nudges: appointment reminders, deadline alerts, simple CTAs.
Key guidelines:
SMS should be short, respectful, and highly actionable.
Email should be value-packed but scannable (use bullets, bold questions, and strong CTAs).
Always allow easy opt-outs, especially for SMS (compliance with TCPA and HIPAA matters).
Research from SimpleTexting shows that 98% of SMS messages are opened (a huge opportunitity) but poor targeting can quickly lead to opt-outs.
D. Use Personalized CTAs
CTAs should feel like next steps they want to take, not pressure tactics. Examples:
Instead of: “Book Now!”
Use: “Get a Personalized Cost Estimate in 5 Minutes”
Instead of: “Schedule Your Appointment”
Use: “Talk with Our Care Coordinator — No Pressure, Just Answers”
According to Wordstream, personalized CTAs can increase conversion rates by over 202%.
E. Deliver Real Value with Every Message
If you can answer a question that’s bothering them before they even ask it, you position yourself as the obvious choice. Examples of high-value email topics for healthcare leads:
How to understand your insurance benefits for X therapy / Y recovery
5 red flags to watch for when selecting a healthcare provider
What to expect emotionally during the first 30 days of care
What questions to ask your care team (and why)
F. Nurture Is Long-Term
Not every lead will convert in the first week. In healthcare especially, you should plan for nurture windows of 30, 60, 90 days, sometimes longer.
Monitor open rates, click rates, and unsubscribes religiously.
Adjust based on engagement: if people stop opening at a certain point, reframe your messaging.
A/B test subject lines, CTA wording, and even cadence (example: 1x a week vs. 2x a month).
According to Litmus, brands that actively A/B test email sequences report 28% higher campaign ROI.
Quick Checklist: Before You Hit Send
Did I match the email/SMS to the right decision-maker?
Am I offering true value, not just reminders?
Is the tone respectful, supportive, and empowering?
Are my CTAs framed as invitations rather than demands?
Do I have a clean, compliant opt-out option for SMS and email?
Execute Privacy-First, Value-Driven Remarketing to Stay Top of Mind (Without Eroding Trust)
In healthcare, trust is fragile.
Remarketing can either reinforce your credibility or erode it quickly if it’s handled poorly.
When done right, remarketing doesn’t just remind it reassures.
It gently re-inserts your brand into the decision-maker’s field of vision, providing helpful information exactly when and where they are reconsidering their options.
But healthcare is not retail.
You’re not chasing abandoned shopping carts; you’re supporting complex, emotional decisions about someone’s well-being, autonomy, or survival.
Best Practices for High-Quality Healthcare Remarketing:
A. Be Unfailingly Respectful of Privacy and Compliance
This isn’t optional.
HIPAA concerns, GDPR requirements, and public perception all demand an approach that:
Never discloses personal health interests in ads (ex: “Are you battling addiction?” is a violation).
Avoids using “retargeting” language that suggests surveillance.
Focuses on services, education, and outcomes rather than conditions.
HIPAA Journal notes that “re-targeting based on specific health searches or conditions without proper authorization can constitute a HIPAA violation.”
B. Prioritize Value-Added Content in Ad Creative
Your remarketing ads should give before they ask.
High-performing ad types across industries, and especially in healthcare include:
Educational assets (Download: What to Ask Your Home Care Provider Before Signing Any Contract)
Outcome-based proof (Learn How Our ABA Program Helps 3 out of 4 Children Improve Communication in 6 Months)
Trust signals (Patient Testimonials | Free Family Consultation)
Data from Wordstream shows that remarketing ads offering helpful resources can see 2x higher click-through rates than those pushing direct sales.
C. Match Messaging to Their Emotional Phase, Not Just Page Visits
Someone who visited your pricing page is in a different mindset than someone who only read a blog post about insurance coverage.
Customize creative based on behavior clues:
Visited FAQ page → Serve ads about simplifying the insurance process.
Visited “Schedule a Consult” page → Serve ads offering “Get a Free Personalized Care Plan.”
Visited blog posts → Serve softer “Learn More About Our Approach” messaging.
D. Cap Your Frequency to Preserve Trust
In healthcare remarketing, more is not better.
Overexposure creates discomfort or suspicion.
Follow best practices:
Google and Meta recommend capping healthcare remarketing impressions at 5-8 per user per month (source: Meta for Business Healthcare Guidance).
Use time decay audiences: prioritize recent visitors and gradually reduce exposure over time.
A real-world example:
An ABA therapy provider saw lead form completions increase by 18% after capping frequency at 6 views per month and switching messaging from “Sign Up” to “See If Your Child Is Eligible.”
E. Blend Display, Social, and Native Channels Intelligently
Diversify where your remarketing appears to create a more natural experience:
Display networks for broad, brand visibility
Facebook/Instagram for emotional storytelling and testimonials
LinkedIn (if targeting professional decision-makers like case managers)
Native advertising on trusted medical sites (when available)
According to eMarketer, native ads can improve healthcare engagement rates by 25-40% compared to standard display alone.
Quick Checklist: Before You Launch a Healthcare Remarketing Campaign
Is every ad creative value-driven, not condition-driven?
Am I matching messages to visitor behavior, not treating all leads equally?
Is my frequency low enough to feel supportive, not stalker-like?
Are my campaigns segmented by emotional stage or research behavior?
Am I compliant with all applicable healthcare advertising laws?
The healthcare provider who stays helpful and human throughout the decision-making journey ultimately wins the relationship and the opportunity to transform a life.
If you’re ready to rethink your remarketing strategy to align with healthcare decision-making psychology, contact SunHouse to learn how we can help.
