Issue 2 - February 2005

More tips to light up your marketing

Issue 1 of Chiropractic Economics regaled its readers with “27 Hot Ideas to Market Your Practice.” Here are more tips to spark your marketing program throughout 2005.

Periodically throughout the year, we’ll publish tips on marketing, practice management and patient management. If you have ideas you’d like to share with our readers, e-mail them to the editor, lsegall@chiroeco.com. Not online? You can fax to 904-280-1834 or mail them to: Linda Segall, Editor, Chiropractic Economics, 5150 Palm Valley Rd., Suite 103, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082.

Get Your Patients in the Know
Let your patients know that you are available for spinal education class/talks for their organizations or groups, such as book clubs and support groups that meet in their home.

— Sherry J. Davis, MCC
Wake-Up Coach, 510-653-0111

Put your ‘real estate’ to work
Put the backside of your business card to work. Those seven square inches of “real estate” can explain any number of things: What chiropractic is, how it works, why it has survived, why it enjoys high levels of patient satisfaction or what patients can expect on their first visit to your office.

The backside of your card can help reduce apprehension, clear up wrong-headed ideas and explain why you’re different.

— William D. Esteb
Patient Media, Inc.
www.patientmedia.com

Better than testimonials
Most of us understand the power of patient testimonials. Testimonials add credibility to your work because they are written by “real” patients.

A better alternative is case studies.

Instead of just having your patients write about how great they feel since coming to you for treatment, ask them to write down what normal activities they were unable to do because of their health problems and what they did to try to correct these problems before coming to you. And then ask them to write down what they can do now because of your care.

Make sure you get written permission to use these case-study testimonials to be HIPAA compliant. Then use them in your marketing program.

— Len Schwartz, DC
Chiropractice Marketing Solutions
www.chiopracticemarketingsolutions.com

More talk topics, more patients
Make your health talks attract a larger diversity of patients. Develop talks about a series of topics, such as: runner’s health, family health, healthy aging and women’s health empowerment.

— Shawn Powers, DC
Powersource Coaching
www.powersourcecoaching.com

Different is better

When an advertising agency markets a product, it focuses on how the product is different from all others in the market. The product must be different if it is going to be viewed as better.

For example: A startup airline may offer features that the big airlines don’t, such as providing televisions in coach class or not penalizing passengers for rescheduling their flight times. These benefits help convince prospective customers to purchase tickets from a new airline.

You can promote your differences to grow your practice:

1. Determine the type of patients you want to treat.
2. Identify the benefits that you offer that differentiate your practice from others in your area.

3. Choose your single most distinguishing characteristic and focus on it in your literature and ads. Some examples would include treating children; providing prenatal care; scheduling early, and late or weekend appointment times.

— John Heggie, DC
Lakeside Chiropractic Seminars, Inc., www.LakesideSeminars.com