Engagys Engagement Whisperers

In a former life, I freelance wrote greeting cards for American Greetings. It might seem like a leap from heartfelt birthday cards to healthcare communications, but the best practices from one apply surprisingly well to the other. Both aim to deliver the right message to the right person - and make it matter. Here’s what greeting card writing taught me that healthcare communicators can use to better engage, inform, and support their audiences.

1. Know Your Audience: Relevance is Everything

When I wrote cards, every assignment came with a clear topic and a defined audience – for instance, a birthday card for a mom, a child, or a friend. That direction ensured the message would resonate. You wouldn’t give your mom a card meant for a child (unless she’s really into dinosaurs).

The same principle applies to healthcare communications. Health plans often segment their messages by age or demographic - but sometimes, that’s not enough. Take a recent example from my own experience: I received a letter reminding me to get my son a certain immunization. The problem? He got it a year ago. The health plan probably segmented by members with children in a certain age range but missed the opportunity to cross-check claims data. That one extra step pulling in behavioral data would’ve made all the difference.

For health plans, every irrelevant message chips away at your credibility. When members feel like some of your communications don’t apply to them, they’ll ignore all of them.

Results - Action driven segmentation​

By using past consumer behavior Engagys drove a 28% increase in diabetic screenings from a previously unengaged population.

2. Frame It Around the Member: Make It Personal

Greeting cards are all about centering on the recipient. For Mother’s Day, you highlight your mom’s kindness, humor, or strength - qualities that make her feel seen and appreciated. The best cards feel personal and specific.

Healthcare messaging should do the same. Instead of saying “our plan offers these benefits,” flip the script to: “your plan includes benefits you can use to save on medications, get to your doctor visits, or avoid a trip to the pharmacy.” It’s a small change that makes a big impact.

This is where framing meets personalization - and where member engagement can start to grow.

Results - Hyper-personalized Barriers​

Drove a 30% increase in Statin refill and 35% YOY increase in OMV measure when barriers breaking messages were personalized to the individual’s specific barrier.

3. Create an Emotional Connection: Lead with Empathy

The most successful greeting cards are the ones that feel warm, genuine, and emotionally resonant. People hold onto those cards. They create a sense of closeness and care.

Healthcare communications can strive for that same emotional connection - starting with empathy. In written content, use language like:

• “We understand...”
• “We’re here to help you get the care you deserve.”

And don't underestimate the power of live interactions. Your customer service agents are a key touchpoint. Especially with older adults, where loneliness is a growing concern, human connection matters. Equip your teams with empathy training and active listening skills. Even something as simple as, “While I look up your information, what are you looking forward to this weekend?” can turn a transactional call into a meaningful moment increasing trust and satisfaction.

Results – Empathic Engagement

5% increase in sentiment with CAHPS call through training and scripting on empathetic engagement.

4. Be Brief: Less is More

One of my favorite cards that ever got picked up had just five words.

People are busy. Attention spans are short. Your messages need to be concise, clear, and scannable. 

Healthcare literacy is another factor. Keep it simple. Avoid jargon. One communication I saw recently had a single sentence that was over 40 words. That’s a guaranteed way to lose people.

Other attention-grabbing strategies:

• Use headlines and Johnson boxes in letters
• Put the call to action (CTA) at the top, above the fold
• Leverage white space to improve readability
• Personalize wherever possible

Results – Optimized Messaging

50% increase in patient enrollment rates for a behavioral health provider using optimized engagement messaging.

Final Thought:

Whether you're writing to say “Happy Birthday” or “It’s time for your annual wellness visit,” the goal is the same: to connect. Use empathy, relevance, clarity, and heart - and you’ll build communications that not only get read but make a difference.