The chiropractic content you need to feed your website and funnel to bring in patients both current and lapsed
One of the items chiropractors always become skeptical about, and scared of, is marketing. After all, chiropractors attend university with the simple method of treating patients; marketing is not often discussed nor essential when it comes to boards and learning about the human body. However, a lack of understanding of marketing will lead to lax chiropractic content very few patients to treat because no one will understand anything about the doctor or what the practice offers.
Marketing: a state of consciousness
We need to end the fear of and overcome the objections to marketing. We need to promote practices so potential buyers can understand the value and develop relationships.
Marketing is not about brochures and other collateral materials. Marketing is a state of consciousness. Chiropractors and staff must operate to create relationships with patients. As patients positively connect with personnel and culture, they consistently return. Repeated visits help build the brand while lowering the cost of acquisition. This is vital to the practice because patients invest in relationships with those they know and trust.
First step: the marketing funnel and touchpoints
Developing a marketing strategy for your practice includes the construction of a marketing funnel. The funnel is more conceptual than anything, but the idea will help you understand what is required to connect with patients.
One of the essential areas of a marketing funnel is touchpoints. Marketing touchpoints are any interaction or point of contact between a person and a brand. These touchpoints include, but are not limited to: vendors, suppliers, patients and staff. Touchpoints can be physical, such as attending a screening, or virtual — coming across your website or social media page. Creating a strategy that places your practice where a potential patient might find you is crucial.
Marketing funnels and, specifically, touchpoints help patients understand the brand. And the funnels will also instill brand awareness, consistency and credibility. In the beginning, the chiropractor must develop the funnel because they understand the industry, they know the demographic they desire and are the one that creates the brand with their value. You may be thinking, ‘I am a chiropractor, not a marketer. How do I begin to develop a marketing funnel or even a touchpoint?’
It’s all about your chiropractic content
You might have heard the saying, “Content is King.” This is originally from an essay by Bill Gates in 1996.
At the time, Gates describes the future of the internet as a marketplace for content — attractive given where we are today. However, for the chiropractor, it is essential. Chiropractors, similar to other professions, get stereotyped. A breakout method and, coincidentally an essential cog in the marketing funnel, is your chiropractic content. There are multiple touchpoints for chiropractors to convey value while also creating touchpoints for potential patients to discover them. These include:
A content-oriented website
When developing a website, chiropractors want to ensure they do not make the mistakes others make.
In other words, when patients set out seeking chiropractors, they look for someone to help them overcome their obstacles, overcome their issues, and provide them with a better life. Too many chiropractic websites focus on the prescriptive. In other words, the doctor is immediately prescribing cures.
The best modality for any website is providing value-based information for a potential patient. These include case studies and allowing other patients to tell stories about how the chiropractor cured them. The best content for any website includes, but is not limited to, videos from other clients talking about how treatment took away the issue, or even short blogs and audio messages that indicate cures from working with the practicing doctor.
A 4-5 page website that includes a logo and contact information should take no more than 2-3 hours to set up.
Articles and case study content
Another terrific area of chiropractic content value in the marketing funnel is articles. Similar to the way the website needs to focus on value to create a patient relationship, articles need to do similar.
You may be reading this right now and saying, ‘What do I write? I have never written an article in my life. How do I get started?’ Article writing is not difficult if you focus on three vital elements to provide the necessary focus:
- First, what is your “why” story? Why did you get involved in chiropractic, and whom are you wanting to treat? What is it that ails them and what are the two or three things they need to do in order to eradicate the issue? This is one area you can focus on.
- Secondly, as you treat patients there is often a theme. What are some of the themes you see? What are 3-4 ways to combat these issues?
- Third, who is your demographic? What are their issues? Why are they having those issues? How might you help them cure their issues?
To help get your ideas flowing in any of these areas, here are some thoughts to get you started with content and begin your funnel with little effort:
- How can chiropractic adjustments help people suffering from anxiety and depression?
- If your patients suffer from insomnia, migraines, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, TMJ, ADHD, lowered immune systems, acid reflux, menopause, depression and PTSD – might chiropractic aid their issues? How?
- How can patients benefit from ongoing chiropractic care?
As you read these topics, and they are only ideas, it is important to grasp on one idea — what is the potential patient undergoing? What can you do to help their issues/questions? What ideas can you discuss that can influence them to understand your value and call your office or visit your website?
Your funnel and social media
When putting out social media content, be different, be smart and be valuable.
Some of the best content on social media is video. Video is engaging, and 87% of most consumers engage with social media more when there is video, and the video is short. Video tutorials are a highly effective marketing touchpoint. Chiropractors can show good food recipes, perfect stretches before gardening, best things to do before going to bed, best positions for sleeping in bed, four ways to remain hydrated, etc.
Video tutorials are especially compelling when they are personalized for the individual customer. For them to be loyal to you, you must be valuable and loyal to the intended target.
Power-up your brand
When you maximize your marketing, there is a tendency to influence the power of your brand. Patients invest in those brands they trust.
Think of items you recently purchased because of brand. Household names become the manifestation of the brand. Imagine answering your phone service and having four new patients who were told to call you “just because.” Now, that is the type of minimal marketing, brand power and maximum potential you like. That is the power of marketing.
Convey the benefits in order to provide value to the patient. Realize that patients make emotional purchases, not logical purchases. Your chiropractic content and marketing must be consistent and relentless; create a culture the entire practice needs to be involved with.
DREW STEVENS, PHD, a coach and speaker to the chiropractic industry. He is the author of the best-selling book “Tips and Techniques for a Successful Practice – Methods to Accelerate the Practice To a Million Dollar Business.” He can be reached at drew-stevens.com. © 2023. All rights reserved.
