On February 19, 2002, the first issue of Acupuncture Today's (AT's) To Your Health consumer e-mail newsletter was sent electronically to 37,531 subscribers.
The newsletter is produced in three different formats to accommodate various levels of Internet access and e-mail program sophistication:
- Text Only - these newsletters do not contain graphics or photographs so that can be read by earlier versions of various e-mail programs.
- HTML version - these newsletters enjoy full color graphs and photographs.
- Online version - subscribers can enjoy the HTML version online if it can't be displayed by their e-mail program.
Perhaps the best aspect of the consumer e-mail newsletter program is that it refers consumer subscribers to the participating acupuncturist in their area. This sophisticated program matches each consumer subscriber against a database of participating acupuncturists. When a participating acupuncturist is found in the same community, that doctor's contact information and photograph (as requested by the doctor) is featured at the top of that subscriber's e-mail newsletter. In this way, the consumer subscriber is reminded of the participating acupuncturist each time they receive an issue of To Your Health. (Additional information and a sample of the newsletter can be found at www.acupuncturetoday.com/memberinfo.)
The first issue of TYH contained the following features written specifically for consumers and patients:
- Symptoms of Lumbago Relieved by Acupuncture
- Herb of the Month: Ginger
- Acupuncture Q & A
In addition, the program gives participating acupuncturists the ability to send their own e-mail newsletters to patients. Unfortunately, the current number of participating acupuncturists cannot begin to fill the need to refer every subscriber to a doctor in their area.
The goal of this program is to make current and prospective patients more aware of the benefits of acupuncture and Asian healing, and to encourage them to seek care from a participating provider. While the program is beginning with over 37,000 subscribers, that number is expected to grow via website visitors and through an online marketing campaign that AT will be launching shortly. Acupuncturists interested in participating in this effort should contact Acupuncture Today's Reader Services department at 1-800-359-2289.
Acupuncture Today editorial staff members research, investigate and write articles for the publication on an ongoing basis. To contact the Editorial Department or submit an article of your own for consideration, email mailto:
.