Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Bad Chiropractic Marketing can be the Death of your Practice

By Matthew Loop DC

We all know that we shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket, but it's amazing how many chiropractors are conducting their chiropractic marketing tactics in this same "dead end" way. When chiropractors spend tons of money on media slots and newspaper ads, they're wasting all their money on forms of media that won't get them what they're looking for. Advertising in this way is so expensive and yields so little results, that you're literally driving money away from your practice instead of towards it. It's almost like these DC's are betting their practices at the local horse race. The odds are truly against you.

In the current economic recession, the old forms of marketing and advertising are not working nearly as well as they used to. Similarly, if you do not have a steady marketing plan in place, you will not be in business that long. One of the major problems I see at the moment is that chiropractors are marketing less now because times are tough when it should be the other way around. Sales and chiropractic marketing are what feed your practice and get you those highly sought after new patients you desire.

You may think, "I don't have the money, so I cannot advertise and implement chiropractic marketing right now." This is a common, flawed perception many chiropractors have. But the truth is, the best form of marketing and advertising is free nowadays. It's not TV, newspaper ads, magazines, telemarketing, or postcard drops either. Chiropractors have been scammed and led to believe that you have to pay for new patients and the best type of marketing costs money.

So what's the answer? If you have all your money tied-up in expensive ads and old marketing techniques with no results, you can still see loads of new patients walk through your doors using the exposure of Web 2.0 and social media; and it's absolutely free! Chiropractic marketing is being completely revolutionized by sites like YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook. These sites aren't just for teenagers as some would like you to believe. At least 50% of the traffic on these sites is 30 years or older.

Targeted marketing that specifically hits the demographic you need is the wave of the marketing future. It's simple and cost effective, and you'll be amazed at the amount of new patients and business you'll receive. I can't express how important it is to start your online marketing on the right foot! If you don't know what you're doing, you can seriously damage your credibility in your community from the get-go. This is how many chiropractors have failed. To create success, you need to find someone who has experienced success.

Here's an idea for a strategy that works wonders when done correctly. Get on one of these social media sites and start an account. Then, invite people within a 5 mile radius to be friends, and start communicating with them. These people will begin to learn about you as a person, and then they can learn about you professionally. Taking steps like this will ensure that you'll get phenomenal traffic to your chiropractic website and new patients through your doors.

When you also provide these people useful information online by making videos, you will greatly increase people's awareness of what you do. I can't believe the viral marketing success I achieved by making a video about reliving headaches a while back. My video was viewed by 3,000 people in one week, and that's largely thanks to viral marketing where people view the video and pass it on to friends. Do you see the potential for success and driving people to your website this way?

Social media marketing is the answer to your marketing problems during these difficult times. When you have the right coach by your side, you can instantly tap the power of Web 2.0 without wasting time trying to figure it all out alone. Watch your practice soar to unbelievable heights as hundreds of new patients walk through your doors each month. And not only that, but this success can be yours absolutely for free! - 16747

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