Diversification marketing and base hits over home runs

When it comes to diversification marketing, doing all the ‘little things’ adds up to success

When chiropractors are talking in the hallways at a seminar, or over a beer or glass of wine, they often talk about the big home-run idea, the big marketing idea that will change everything.

Maybe it’s Facebook leads, some trick in marketing, SEO, Google Ads — whatever it is, they are always looking for the next home run. It would be nice if we could have the big home-run marketing thing, but in reality, it just isn’t there.

As Dan Kennedy recently said, “Run from anybody telling you that just one thing, one easy button, one magic formula will work magic in your business or your life. Run!”

Avoid swinging for the fences

It’s wishful thinking to think one big marketing event or medium such as Facebook will get you 80 new patients a month. The truth is, successful practices don’t have one home-run marketing idea or plan; they have lots of base hits through diversification marketing.

The saying has been around for a long time, and it’s true: “There isn’t one way to get you 100 new patients a month, but there are 100 ways to get you one new patient a month.” This is hard work — setting up a marketing calendar, implementing diversification marketing every month, running promotions on Facebook, Google, direct mail, newsletters, etc. Having all these poles in the water is how you get to the new patient numbers that chiropractors really need.

See, they are swinging for the fences all the time, when all we really need to do is keep getting base hits. Hit them every month, in multiple categories, and that is how you build a multimillion-dollar practice. It would be very easy to tell someone, “Hey, run Facebook lead ads that will bring you 40 new patients a month.” That is an easy sell, but the truth is, it’s not the truth. Maybe for a month, or a few months, but consistently? No way. Even if it was true, do you want Facebook’s ever-changing whims to have control of your practice? Google just banned stem cell advertising — what if Facebook decides to ban chiropractic ads?

Practice diversification marketing and don’t depend on one source

So, not only is it untrue that chiropractors can get one big source of new clients, it’s dangerous. It happens in chiropractic and every other industry — especially now with the internet and increased regulations and anti-trust concerns. One day Facebook lead ads are here, the next day they are gone!

The real secret to consistent growth, and new patient generation, is having base hits, having a diversification marketing plan. Multiple hits and just keep going. Run internal and external promotions monthly, follow your marketing plan, and have many poles in the water, so to speak. It’s another analogy often told at seminars: If someone is going fishing, do you want them to have one pole catching a bunch of fish, or lots of poles catching fish with different bait? They would always want more poles, because they don’t know which bait works when, and what if the pole breaks and they only have one pole left? The same applies to diversification marketing.

Oftentimes the medium or even the message can run its course. Many chiropractors rely on one source of new patients for too long and then it runs its course. It’s never good to rely on one source to keep your practice growing.

Diversify your marketing plan

So let’s think differently about your practice. Think of installing evergreen marketing poles. What does that mean? It means they keep working month after month, and year after year. It’s a diversification marketing plan that keeps working, and you keep adding to it, thus growing new patients and the practice monthly. Stop looking for the home-run marketing idea; it’s not out there, but there are hundreds of base-hit ideas. If you add up all these base hits, the practice will continue to grow for years.

Fill in your marketing calendar, add events that work, have a lot of poles in the water, and increase new patients. There are a lot of practice problems, but the first one to solve is new patients. It’s also the key to adding associates, which can grow the practice and allow for freedom.

Stop swinging for the fences, or buying into those ideas, and keep hitting singles.

JAMES R. FEDICH, DC, runs a multimillion-dollar-a-year chiropractic, physical therapy and acupuncture practice in New Jersey. He is the author of two chiropractic practice books, Secrets of a Million Dollar Practice and Secrets of the World’s Top Chiropractors. He also hosts the Dr J’s Path to Success podcast. For more information, visit drjamesfedich.com.