5 ways to make your office more attractive to millennials

Now that Millennials are a significant part of the health care market, they are making decisions about the type of care they and their families need.

As a chiropractor, you have the opportunity to make a great impression on members of the Millennial generation who are looking for the right place to receive chiropractic care.

In this article, we’ll look at five ways you can make your practice more attractive to Millennials so you can boost your practice and expand your patient base.

While it’s true that every generation is composed of individuals and, ultimately, every person is different, many people do have preferences they share with other members of the same age group and you can take advantage of this to make your practice as attractive as possible.

Promoting excellence

To start, you’ll of course want your practice to do an excellent job at the basics. This will likely help you market to Millennials and will also bring in patients of all ages and backgrounds.

It goes without saying that your office should pay attention to offering high-quality health care, great customer service, flexibility and effective outcomes. Being an excellent doctor will help you find more patients and bring them into your doors every day.

No. 1: Pay attention to online marketing and reviews

Given how much time they spend online and how often they turn to the internet as a resource, Millennials need to see your practice being promoted effectively online. A negative Yelp review or a lack of an online presence altogether will probably look bad to potential Millennial patients and could scare them away.

To many Millennials, a lackluster online presence is the same thing as being invisible. Someone who looks for a chiropractor by searching Google, for instance, may conclude a practice isn’t worth visiting if it doesn’t have a polished website and has only a few online reviews.

Thankfully, fixing this is fairly simple. Having a website doesn’t have to be complicated. You can also ask your current patients to go online and write reviews of your practice on sites such as Yelp.com, Facebook.com, and on Google as well. Watch these sites for negative reviews now and then, because you often have the ability to post a response and address—if not correct—a problem or criticism.

No. 2: Emphasize how you make a difference

Many Millennials care deeply about good causes and charities. They want to find meaning in their lives by trying to make the world a better place. The more you can do to demonstrate an interest in your community and an authenticity in supporting the causes you care about, the more you’ll resonate with other people who care about making a difference.

Many Millennials are willing to switch brands in favor of businesses that share their values, so you might also win over some people who previously weren’t interested in your clinic.

No. 3: Be real and authentic

Just as you show your care for your local community and worthy causes, it’s also important to show care and authenticity with your patients. Millennials (and many other people, for that matter) can tell when someone else enjoys their job or simply doesn’t care.

They know when they are treated well and are more than just a number to you. If you bring enthusiasm to your job, they can honestly see it and value it for what it is. Even a fantastic doctor might struggle to build a strong practice if he or she is dismissive, disinterested, or disengaged.

Personalizing care for your patients can be an easy way to show your interest. Simple steps to recognize patients such as acknowledging birthdays with a postcard can make a difference.

No. 4: Create relevant events and programs

Many Millennials have a strong interest in wellness and take an interest in learning how they can improve their health, and make better choices for themselves and their families. Hosting events at your clinic where patients have the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about health can be a good move.

You can also create wellness programs such as fitness bootcamps and healthy eating challenges to help your patients meet their goals and improve their health. For a lot of Millennials, having challenges that connect to their lives and interests can help them feel more engaged and excited about their care.

No. 5: Be accessible

Your patients likely have questions they want to ask you. Providing your patients with opportunities to communicate with you and your staff can help them feel like their needs are recognized and their health is a genuine priority for your clinic.

Additionally, having EHR that allows for a patient portal that can be accessed at home online gives your patients the opportunity to engage more with their health care and find the information they need.

Sources

1. Hung D. “5 Effective Ways to Market Healthcare to Millennials.” HealthWorksCollective. https://www.healthworkscollective.com/5-effective-ways-to-market-healthcare-to-Millennials/. Published November 2017. Accessed July 2018.
2. Goodness P. “5 Ways to Attract Millennials to Your Dental Practice.” Dental Practice Management. http://practicemanagement.dentalproductsreport.com/article/5-ways-attract-Millennials-your-dental-practice. Published August 2017. Accessed July 2018.
3. PatientPop. “How Healthcare Providers Can Engage Millennial Patients.” PatientPop.com. https://www.patientpop.com/blog/marketing/Millennial-patient/. Published September 2017. Accessed July 201