Are you a chiropractor struggling with the same outdated marketing tactics that your practice management guru has shoved down your throat? Is the “economic crunch” causing your practice many financial problems? If you answered yes to these questions, you are in the same boat as a vast majority of the profession.
Are you wasting thousands of dollars every year on postcards, newspaper drops, and telemarketing? Do you spend time at the chamber of commerce, trade shows, and networking events trying to generate referrals with minimal results? You may be surprised to find out that the best form of marketing and advertising is absolutely free.
I’ve been teaching chiropractors and many other professionals to leverage social media (like the above mentioned) for the last 3 years now. I’m the author and creator a system that has literally transformed the chiropractic profession and the way successful chiropractors market overnight.
When I first starting using social networks, I knew that they held unlimited potential for generating tons of new patients and creating more interest in my business. I spent countless hours working on and perfecting a system that would consistently give me positive results.
Social networks are free to join, and anyone can become a member. You are able to set up a public profile and join a vast, global community of people from all walks of life. The key to working in these communities, however, is not as simple as signing up and sending spam advertisements to other members. In fact, doing just that will get you kicked off the site and/or irritate other members to the point that your reputation will be virtually worthless. Those who have failed at social networking are guilty of just this type of behavior. The key to getting the most out of your efforts on these sites is working with someone who has experience doing the same thing.
The key to marketing in social networks comes down to credibility. If people perceive you as trustworthy, normal, and friendly you will be welcomed as a ‘friend’. If however, you attack your contacts with a traditional marketing campaign, you will fail miserably. You must be able to give your contacts and friends something of value. Serious thought needs to be put in to the design of your profile page, and the kind of information you place on it. To compete in Web 2.0 your pages must be interesting, informative, and most importantly-fun
Let me leave you with a couple simple tips about chiropractic marketing on Myspace. Never send a friend request without a polite message! This is Myspace 101 stuff that is very important since you want the person to know how you ran across their profile. Always include videos on your profile, as it makes people stay on your page for a longer period of time and holds interest. Now, I’m not talking of all chiropractic videos either. People want to know the real you, not just what your profession is!
This is going to be a new language for most doctors since we live in more technologically advanced times. You have a choice though. You can either take a year out of your schedule to learn everything you need to know about social media marketing or you can find a mentor who’s been there and done that. The latter will reduce your learning curve by about a year while the first one will cost you an arm and leg in money and mistakes.