Children’s Health content strategy centers on email newsletter

Content marketing only works if your audience is aware that your content exists. At Children’s Health in Dallas—the eighth-largest pediatric health care system in the U.S.—communicators opted to drive awareness primarily through a twice-monthly email newsletter driven by practical and useful information parents need, including guidance and support. The results produced by this strategy have earned Children’s Health first place in the “Patient-Focused Content” category of Ragan’s Health Care PR and Marketing Awards.

An existing newsletter was overhauled, with the editors taking a data-driven approach to determining the content that would best provide timely news and information to parents. The team crafted a long list of objectives, then set about creating a process that included ongoing keyword research.

Reader data is analyzed in the analytic software tool Tableau, giving direction to the planning of future content. Each edition features 4-6 articles crafted just for the newsletter, each fitting a specific category. Behavioral health articles, for example, cover topics like depression, anxiety, bullying, autism and video game addiction. Other categories include common childhood illnesses, nutritional information and ideas, social issues (e.g., vaping, prom and co-sleeping) and safety concerns (including sunscreen, water safety, toy safety, etc.).

Readers have embraced the newsletter with 113,566 unique opens in 2018, a particularly impressive number given that the team had winnowed the email distribution list before relaunching the newsletter. In addition to other positive numbers, the team now hears from hospital doctors and service lines requesting their content be included in upcoming editions—always an indicator that you’re doing something right.

Congratulations to the team of Kay Kerman, Kristen Kimmel and Sam Seelbach.