Use promotional activities to attract patients

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.”

This saying is not entirely accurate. If you build the world’s greatest mousetrap and no one knows about it, no one will come to your door to buy it. To get it known is the job of promotion.

Promotion is the encouragement of the progress, growth, and acceptance of something — such as your chiropractic practice. Promotion is important in establishing your image in the community and in creating an awareness of your special features and benefits (your unique selling proposition or USP).

Promotional activities can be categorized into four areas — publicity, advertising, promotional items, and personal selling.

1. Publicity. Also known as PR or public relations, publicity is free media promotion (radio, television, and newspapers) that encourages people to come see what you have to offer.

A grand opening event is one example of PR: Write a press release about your grand opening; send it to local newspapers, and television and radio stations; and let the community know you are open for business.

The good thing about publicity is it’s free (except for the cost of writing the release and sending it off). The bad thing is you have little control over whether the release gets published.

It’s always a good idea to follow up your press releases with a phone call to all of your outlets asking if they would like or need additional information about your event. Posters and flyers in local businesses and public places also help publicize your event.

2. Advertising. Advertising is paid promotional activities delivered to a specific audience over a specific time.

The possibilities for advertising are unlimited: Radio, television, billboards, direct mail, telemarketing, newspapers (free and specialized newspapers, as well as regular community newspapers), newsletters, e-mail newsletters, coupon packets, Yellow Pages — and the list goes on and on.

When you advertise, you determine the content and placement, and choose how often you want it to run. But advertising can be expensive, and the key is repetition.

You need to run an ad many times to assure people see it, but not so often it becomes annoying. Use the information you have gathered about your target market to figure out where advertising would work best to get their attention.

3. Promotional items. These are giveaways you use to get your practice name into the public arena. Specialty items can also help your patients give referrals to your office.

The types of specialty-item possibilities are unlimited as well — from refrigerator magnets to pens, T-shirts, water bottles, and notepads. Find good-quality items (you don’t want a pen to give out after only a few writings), put your practice name and logo on them, and pass them out.

You can give your promo items to all your patients, hand them out at health fairs and races, and give them to everyone at networking opportunities.

Specialty items are also a great way to support the rest of your promotional activities.

4. Personal selling. Yes, you can sell! The most effective way to promote your practice is to get out and meet people. Walk around the mall and hand your business cards to all the merchants.

Find opportunities to talk with community groups. Go door-to-door and ask people if they know about chiropractic. The more people you talk to, the more people you will bring into your practice, and the faster your patient base will grow.

You should have figured out by now that the possibilities for promotional activities are limited only by your imagination. Do research by searching through articles published in Chiropractic Economics (www.ChiroEco.com). Then create a promotion plan that is meaningful for you, that you are comfortable with, and feel excited about.