Developing your brand profile enables you to create a specific feeling when patients think of you, and the ability to garner new patients from your reputation
If your goal is to build or grow your chiropractic practice, many options exist. There’s direct mail, referral marketing, email campaigns, and more to boost a brand profile. Regardless of which one you choose, they all come back to one central concept: strengthening your brand.
What your brand should do for you
Brand is the way your business is perceived by others. It is the feeling that people experience when they hear your name, see your logo, or otherwise think of your services and products.
There are many benefits of creating a strong brand. The first is increased recognition. A prime example of this is when you are driving down the road and see the “Golden Arches.” You don’t have to see the name McDonald’s on the front of the business. You know from that big yellow “M” that hamburgers and fries are just a pitstop away.
The same can apply to your chiropractic brand. By becoming more visible and recognizable, the local community will instantly know that it is you any time they see your logo, hear your slogan, or come across your business name.
Another benefit of developing your brand profile is that it enables you to create a specific feeling when people think of you. Maybe you want them to feel healthy and strong. Or perhaps the feeling you want to elicit when people think of you is enhanced sports performance or decreased pain.
Selecting slogans, logos, or symbols that create these feelings helps patients understand the value that your chiropractic practice provides. It gives them a taste of what you can do for them, making them want your services even more.
Raising your brand profile via the media
You can spend unlimited amounts of money to build your brand via social media ads, Google ads, direct advertising, and more. A lower-cost and often totally free option is to use the power of the media.
Imagine that you are watching the morning news and see a story about a local business owner who donated their time at a charitable event that you also support. Not only will this likely make you stop and take notice, but you’ll probably file that little piece of information away in your mind, telling yourself that if you ever need their products or services, you want to go with them.
This is just a glimpse at the way the media can help raise your brand profile. But how do you become a ‘DC in the News’ and shine a brighter light on your chiropractic practice and services?
Ways to become a ‘DC in the News’
As mentioned, one way to utilize the power of positive press is to become involved in a local charity event that is likely to attract media coverage. If you’re not currently aware of any, a simple Google search will identify a few options. Select one that you’d like to take part in and contact the organization to see how you can help.
Another option is to organize your own event. Pick a cause that you are passionate about and put together a fundraiser or awareness drive. Being an event planner can bolster your brand even more. Be sure to send notice or a simple press release to your local media (TV, radio, newspapers, and local magazines) inviting them to take part, and alert key local media via their social media accounts also.
Some health care providers are getting media attention after going viral online. For example, last year Fox 26 out of Houston published a news report about Sugar Land, Texas, chiropractor Jordan Estrada, who created a Tik Tok video that garnered 17 million views. The focus of that video was how to relieve pain with stretching or some type of exercise.
Similarly, in 2017, Fox 59 out of Indianapolis posted a story about chiropractor Emily Puente after her Facebook video about how to hold a car seat went viral. That particular video had almost four million views in addition to more than 53,000 shares and 19,000 comments.
If these options feel a bit overwhelming, consider a challenge that your community faces and contact local media with your advice about how to help solve it. For example, during the pandemic, more people are working from home. Offer to provide their viewers and/or readers tips on how to make working remotely less of a pain by discussing stretches people can do throughout the day or by providing advice on how to set up an ergonomically correct office space. Or if a large local fundraising event has been cancelled, contact the organizers to see what the two of you can do to raise funds for their charity effort in the interim.
All of these can help you become a “DC in the News.” Be creative. It never hurts to establish relationships with your local news providers and media.