Grow your practice with a blend of old- and new-school marketing

One important key to growing your practice is developing a blended marketing strategy encompassing proven old-school methods and new-school methods that adapt with the times.

But what does “new school” actually mean? New school means fresh ways of getting the word out, such as new platforms or a fresh approach to an existing platform. It could also mean using tools to shortcut the process or make life easier, for example, the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

From my experience working with many DCs’ offices and other holistic health practitioners’ practices, I’ve observed correlations. This article covers four lessons I learned as to what works and what doesn’t and how to recognize whether a strategy is adapting with the times vs. adhering to trends.

Four lessons learned

1.  Elevate social media

Even though social media is talked about a lot as a good strategy and a newer-school way to grow a practice, it is less common for DCs to use organic social media as a main driver to attract patients.

However, if you have a decent following or patient base, it can support your marketing efforts to attract patients.

Gone are the days of effectiveness where you hire someone to do social posts for you just so you have a post to share every day. When social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram were newer, being able to be visible was a great win. But now that it’s more saturated, simply having helpful information doesn’t cut it. It’s important to elevate what you post to stand out from the crowd. For example, sharing your stance or perspective on different things related to health. Sharing about your personal story or experiences will gain more traction than just helpful tips about chiropractic.

The bar has also been raised in that video has become more of an expected way to get to know a brand.  Again, not just any informative generic video but ideally something showcasing a side of your personality. 

The challenge with this is it’s harder to outsource. And most DCs prefer to not have to do this type of work day in and day out.

2. Consider other platforms

Which platform doesn’t matter as much as what you are doing strategically on the platform. If something is new-school, like Instagram Threads, but you don’t enjoy it and you haven’t figured out a strategic way to utilize the platform to attract patients, it may not be the best use of your time and energy.

3. Establish a connection

There’s a lot to be said for old-school marketing. As one of my friends, Paul Newton, DC, says, “Old school is the new school.” Because of the way society has become in the last few decades, where attention span is decreasing due to the influences of increased cell phone use and increased technology use, people are craving connection.

The way you build connection and community will outweigh the latest whiz-bang new-school marketing trends.

Strategies, such as doing talks or developing relationships with doctors for referrals, will work wonders. Old-school strategies, such as those personal connections, will go further than just focusing on new-school marketing approaches.

Old-school approaches are undertapped and often less saturated strategies, yet many times more effective than strategies that receive more hype.

4. Mix old- and new-school marketing

We can use automation or AI to make our lives easier; however, in a world where AI is becoming more commonplace, going against the grain with old-school personal connections can reap better results.

For example, even a simple act like calling your patients after their first visit and asking them how they’re feeling can go a long way toward building trust and connection. Most DCs aren’t doing this, which means when you do, you stand out. It leads to greater compliance, and you’re more likely to get better results and patient referrals.

In a talk situation, for example, instead of adopting all new-school strategies and giving talks virtually, consider doing a mix of both. In-person talks will always convert at a higher rate than talks done virtually because of the level of connection that can be established in person. But virtual talks are good to have as part of the mix because you don’t have to leave your house.

Final thoughts

Do things in a way other people haven’t done before. Be in constant contemplation of “What are people not doing that I can incorporate in my marketing to keep things fresh?” Integrating these new-school approaches with time-tested old-school strategies will help you attract new patients and grow your practice.

​CHEN YEN is a makeover mentor, speaker and the founder of Introverted Visionary. She helps introverted visionary holistic health practitioners grow fulfilling six- to seven-figure practices in one third of the time it typically takes, without having to do it the exhausting extroverted way. Clients include a past president of the American Chiropractic Association, Sports Council, recent president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, and a board member of the American Society of Acupuncturists. Yen’s mission is to wake up the planet and make holistic options mainstream and the first line of care. She can be reached at mentor@fillmyholisticpractice.com or introvertedvisionary.com.