DC to DC: Top 3 localization marketing strategy techniques to make your practice stand out – part I

Localization marketing strategy techniques and information about how to make your clinic stand out locally

When running a chiropractic business, as an experienced or new practitioner, you need to be savvy with how you market it. The better you do with your marketing, the more patients you should have. So what do you need to do? One action step is to become known in your community, with localization marketing strategy techniques, in the local area that you serve.

We interviewed Leah Meadows, DC, the CEO and owner of Energize Chiropractic and Wellness, to find out the three top marketing techniques that chiropractors can use to make their practices stand out locally.

Our interview follows, edited for length and clarity.

What would you consider to be the top three localization marketing strategy techniques that chiropractors can use to stand out?

Chiropractors have a caregivers’ heart. They care deeply about helping and healing their patients, and most of the time – 9 times out of 10 — they are not great at marketing because they went to school to be healers, not entrepreneurs. So, they should play to their strengths.

Top 3 localization marketing strategy techniques to focus on:

Internal Referrals

Giving away a free exam gift certificate for current patients to “gift” to “friends, family and coworkers.” This alleviates any of the monetary concerns and allows the potential patient to come to the clinic, meet the doctors, undergo an exam (and potentially X-rays…that’s what we do), all for free. That’s their first appointment, and then the second appointment they come back for a report of what was found and a plan of action for care. All free and no strings attached. From time-to-time, we include as a bonus a free massage or a free adjustment. The bonuses are usually around Valentine’s Day (free 30 minute massage) and Christmas (free adjustment).

I have taught this technique to hundreds of doctors and their marketing assistants. At first many of them do not want to give away their first visit because they think their time and the cost is too valuable. However, when you compare it to online advertising, this is a real value, because these patients come from other happy patients. They already feel like they know the doctor and the results they can give. If the doctor is confident in their services, then this one initial free gift is a step to a long-term relationship.

Often doctors feel like “Why give the first visit away for free when a patients refer anyway?” Well, using the gift card system gives the patient something tangible and also the potential patient a low barrier of entry to the clinic for “free.” This is a small investment that goes a long way on returns.

Digital Media

Local social media marketing is also key; post daily on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Create stories and reels. Do a weekly Facebook live with a common theme for the month.

We have a community manager who posts daily and does our stories with the help of the rest of our team. Everyone gets involved. If you don’t have a community manager/digital media manager, then appoint one key player on your team who not only likes social media, but is also involved in it and get them started in this process.

We also have a Facebook ad agency that is specific to chiropractic clinics for our paid advertising. It’s important to create free valuable content so that patients can be educated and entertained with social media. This keeps the local clinic upfront, and if there is a need for care in the future, the most recognized and top-of-mind clinic with the “celebrity doc and team” wins. As soon as the margins allow, hire a professional agency. Money spent in advertising needs to be watched to make sure the ROI (return on investment) is viable.

Posting times depends on when your clinic is open. Typically, the best days are Tuesdays and Thursdays on Facebook at noon and on Instagram on Monday and Friday at noon. The difference between other days is only slightly higher.

Testimonials online as posts, and also on your website, add third-party credibility. They should be patients of different ages, genders, and race and have a wide variety of the symptoms the clinic treats.

Your website should be full of your actual clinic space, team members, and testimonials with great lighting and sound. Videos typically do better than photos, and professional photos of your actual team are so much better than stock photos.

Community Outreach — Corporate Massage Days

Free chair massages for local businesses as part of our community outreach is an amazing system for active generation of new patients. This is a hidden gem in the community. Offer a free community outreach service to local businesses of 20 or more employees. This is a fun way of getting to know your neighbors in communities of all sizes — both rural and urban. A free chair massage of 10 minutes to the employees with an offer (at the end of the massage) to enjoy a free 30-minute in-clinic massage as well as a free exam and X-rays.

Again, this is a no-strings-attached offer, and after receiving the chair massage and meeting the massage therapist or doctor, the employees are generally excited to schedule an appointment.

As they say on television — but wait, there’s more! Check out Part II, which will have lots more localization marketing strategy techniques and information about how to stand out locally.