Your Guide to Producing Powerful Marketing Materials

By Christopher Malter

When it comes to marketing, it’s important to understand that healthcare is an intangible. Therefore, it can never truly be “measured.”

In seeking chiropractic care, patients do not seek chiropractic, per se. They seek a doctor: a results-driven, caring, understanding, personable, trustworthy, credible professional. Just ask a patient who you’ve been treating for more than six months why he or she chose your practice and has stayed. You may be surprised at the answer.

Because healthcare is an intangible, it’s all the more important to develop personalized communication tools that will address patient recruitment and retention. A brochure is a powerful communication tool that can be used to help promote your practice as part of nearly every marketing program you may undertake, including direct mail, speaking engagements, screenings, community relations, media relations, internal patient education materials, and more.

The creation of a personalized brochure will further support the image you are constantly working to communicate to potential (and existing) patients. Your brochure should support all of your branding efforts, as well as communicate key message points about you and your practice. The perception you will create is one of professionalism and sophistication.

Your brochure can be created in a number of formats:
• 9 x 16 - 4-panel
• 9 x 12 - 3-panel
• 9 x 12 - 4-page; 8-page
• 8 1/2 x 11 - 3-panel
There are numerous other formats, but these are the most common.

Step 1
In choosing the format for your practice, you must initially ask yourself a few questions: “Who is my audience? Is it existing patients, potential patients or both? Will the brochure be used for all audience groups, or will I tailor this brochure to a specific group?”

You should also consider: “What do I want to achieve with my brochure(s)? Do I want to communicate key message points about myself and my practice? Do I want to use this brochure as an educational tool about chiropractic? Do I want to create an educational piece about chiropractic that will also communicate key message points about myself and my practice?”

Once you’ve identified the objectives of the brochure, you will be able to determine just how elaborate you would like the format to be. Traditionally, an
8 1/2 x 11 three-panel is the most effective and economical piece for chiropractors to use; so let’s use the three-panel brochure as our example.

Step 2
In creating your brochure, remember that brevity is a key to success. Although you may have a lot to say, the objectives of the brochure are to inform, educate, recruit and retain.

The cover of your brochure should include your logo, the name of your practice, and your tagline (a short, compelling phrase that creates a “visual” and emphasizes what your practice is all about). The inside cover should include your mission statement or philosophy.

Here’s an example:
“Mission Statement/Philosophy: XYZ Chiropractic Center’s universal approach to healthcare provides our patients with the highest quality of chiropractic treatment in a family-friendly atmosphere. Specializing in work-related injuries, XYZ Chiropractic Center is committed to treating the residents of this city with the most advanced techniques in chiropractic. Formed in 1986, XYZ Chiropractic Center is a results-driven health-care facility that combines professional chiropractic treatment with personalized service. Based in (Name of City), XYZ Chiropractic Center has established a solid reputation in treating patients in the following areas: Sports-Related Injuries, Work-Related Injuries, Posture Pain Management/Treatment, and Natural Remedies.”

You may choose to use photos from your practice and/or graphics on each of the pages to help make the brochure more visually appealing.

The inside middle page should contain a brief biography about you with a professional “head shot.” Information on your staff should also be located on this page.

Your bio could read something like this:

“For more than 40 years, John Smith, DC, has offered a personal approach to chiropractic healthcare to the residents of this city. Dr. Smith has established a solid reputation among peers as having extensive experience in treating work-related injuries, especially lower back, shoulder and neck pain. Dr. Smith works either on a corporate level and/or with individual patients. Dr. Smith is a member of the Rotary Club, the (state) Chiropractic Association and is a board member for numerous non-profit organizations.”

The inside back cover page should contain information about your services, technology and equipment, plus your contact information.

The outside back cover page should contain a map identifying the exact location of your practice. It could also contain educational information that you would like to convey to the reader. For example, you might want to list half a dozen categories of jobs or positions that have a high percentage of back pain.

Some obvious choices could include:
• secretary
• accountant
• assembly line worker
• construction
• landscaper
• firefighter.
The middle back page should be designed as a self-mailer with the return address of your office at the top left.

Step 3
Once you have finalized the concept and copy, you need to work with a graphic designer and/or printer to typeset the brochure and design the piece with the accompanying photos and graphics. Some printers have graphic designers on board, and others will want you to bring the materials to them ready to print (designed/formatted, etc.). The best way to find a quality printer or designer is through word-of-mouth recommendations.

Alternately, there are software programs (both generic and chiropractic-specific) on the market that will allow you to work from an established template to create your own, personalized brochure. Depending on the program, the learning curve may be minimal, and you don’t necessarily need to be a computer “techie” to be able to use the software.

Also, make sure you price your printing jobs (as well as any design work) with two or three comparable businesses before signing on to work with one. Be sure you also find out upfront what the approximate turnaround time will be.

Once the design and photos are in place and the typesetting is finalized, you should receive a final mock-up from the printer to review and approve before the brochure goes to print. Upon your written approval, the brochure should be printed within seven to 10 business days, depending on the pre-determined printing schedule.

Now all you have to do is distribute the brochures - in your office, at community health talks, at health-food stores, at other doctors’/professionals’ offices, at local rec centers/gyms, and anywhere else where you can get the word out about your practice and what you have to offer.Mr. Malter has more than 15 years of experience in the health-care public relations and marketing industry. He is CEO of The Guide, a communications company dedicated to chiropractic public relations and marketing.

Mr. Malter is the producer of a CD-ROM series, “The Chiropractor’s Guide to Public Relations & Marketing,” which includes
templates for custom brochures, press releases and flyers. He can be reached at: 954-349-9102 or through his company’s website at www.imcomm.net.