How A Comprehensive Email Marketing Strategy Increased Engagement

When PaySpan approached HIVE Strategy in 2022, they had a clear challenge: their email marketing efforts weren’t delivering the results they needed. Despite being a leader in healthcare financial transactions, PaySpan’s Patient Financial Engagement (PFE) solution wasn’t attracting the right leads, let alone converting them into customers. With outdated campaigns and underperforming CTAs, the team needed a fresh approach. That’s where HIVE Strategy came in.

Outdated Campaigns Not Pushing The Needle

PaySpan’s PFE solution made it easy for patients to pay provider bills online, a vital service in today’s healthcare space. But the marketing strategy behind this innovative tool was falling short. PaySpan’s email campaigns hadn’t evolved in years, with outdated content and a single CTA directing users to download an ebook. While these campaigns garnered attention, they weren’t generating quality leads or ROI.

Their challenge was clear: create an updated marketing strategy that attracted and nurtured the right leads—turning interest into action.

More Than Just Emails: Crafting a Lead Nurturing Strategy

HIVE’s team set out to transform PaySpan’s marketing approach with a comprehensive email campaign designed to engage, educate, and convert. The new campaign consisted of five strategically crafted emails woven into an intricate workflow that guided recipients seamlessly through the buyer’s journey.

Key components of the strategy included:

• Fresh Educational Assets: PaySpan developed an informative infographic to provide real value to recipients. This resource served as a cornerstone of the campaign, delivering clear insights about the PFE solution.
• Engaging CTAs: Instead of relying on a single ebook, HIVE introduced multiple CTAs guiding recipients to blog posts, the infographic, and other valuable resources.
• Targeted Buyer Personas: HIVE refocused the campaign on recipients most likely to benefit from the PFE solution, increasing the potential for lead conversion.

The result? A campaign that felt more like a helpful guide than a dreaded sales pitch.

Small Changes, Big Wins: PaySpan's Email Marketing Transformation

The numbers speak for themselves: HIVE’s email marketing strategy produced remarkable improvements in engagement and lead quality.

• Open Rates: A 10-percentage-point increase, climbing from an average of 14.58% in 2021 to 23.61% in 2022. The highest open rate reached an impressive 25.51%.
• Click Rates: Nearly doubled, increasing from an average of 0.21% in 2021 to 0.4% in 2022, with the best-performing emails reaching 0.55%.
• Click-Through Rates: Improved from 1.45% to 1.67% on average, peaking at 2.15%.
• Unsubscribe Rates: Dropped significantly, with the number of unsubscribes decreasing from 2,263 in 2021 to just 633 in 2022.

These metrics highlighted not just better engagement but also a more targeted audience. While fewer emails were sent overall, they reached the right people—prospects more likely to convert.

A Word from PaySpan

Yuki Braxton, PaySpan’s Marketing Operations Manager, shared her thoughts on the partnership:

“HIVE listens to your issues and finds a solution to fixing it and simplifying the process. They are a pleasure to work with and quickly became a true partner of our corporate team. They were an integral part of a large re-haul to our sales and marketing platforms and led migration, redesign, rebuild, and overall improvement of our key marketing efforts and sales enablement tools. They were always willing to assist and listen to our needs and emergencies. A true boutique partnership feel.”

Why It Worked

PaySpan’s previous strategy cast too wide a net, focusing on quantity over quality. By narrowing the audience and tailoring messaging to fit specific buyer personas, HIVE created campaigns that resonated with recipients. Pairing engaging content with clear, actionable CTAs made it easier for leads to engage and move through the funnel.

What’s Next?

For companies like PaySpan, marketing isn’t just about clicks and opens—it’s about building relationships that lead to conversions. With the right strategy, even underperforming campaigns can become powerful tools for growth.

Broader Takeaway's: What You Can Learn From PaySpan's Success

PaySpan’s transformation offers actionable lessons for anyone looking to improve their email marketing strategy. Here’s what you can apply to your own campaigns:

1. Refresh Your Email Campaigns Regularly
   Marketing strategies aren’t “set it and forget it.” Over time, audience preferences evolve, industry trends shift, and content can become stale. Revisiting and updating your campaigns ensures your messaging stays relevant, engaging, and aligned with your goals. Whether it’s refreshing your design, updating CTAs, or incorporating new assets, small tweaks can have a big impact.
2. Target the Right Audience with Buyer Personas
   PaySpan’s shift from broad email blasts to campaigns focused on specific buyer personas made all the difference. By understanding your audience’s pain points, goals, and behaviors, you can craft messaging that speaks directly to them. This ensures your emails land in the right inboxes—and resonate once they’re opened.
3. Create Engaging CTAs and Workflows
   A strong call to action is the linchpin of any effective email. Make it clear, compelling, and tailored to your audience’s stage in the buyer’s journey. Pair this with a well-thought-out workflow that guides leads step-by-step toward conversion. From educational resources to decision-stage content, a strategic journey keeps your audience engaged and moving forward.

By focusing on these three pillars—refreshing your campaigns, targeting the right audience, and building smart workflows—you can transform your email marketing from a basic communication tool into a powerhouse for lead generation and conversion. Ready to transform your email marketing like PaySpan? Let HIVE help you turn clicks into customers and create campaigns that deliver real results.