Straight facts on why sports events improve your practice

One of the keys of effective marketing is to go where your potential clients are, giving them maximum exposure to you and your services.

So where are they? According to one Gallup poll, they’re likely at a sporting event.

In June of 2015, Gallup released the results of a sports-related poll, sharing that approximately 59 percent of those questioned indicated that they were sports fans. This is a number which has dropped just slightly since the early 2000s, but actually shows a slight increase, up from 54 percent in 2007. Not surprisingly, the poll also found that these numbers tend to rise during playoff times.

This means that almost two out of every three people are likely interested in sports to some extent. What better way to gain more exposure for your chiropractic practice then, than to sponsor some type of local sporting event? Doing so provides a number of benefits.

Advantages of sponsoring a local sporting event

Certainly, local games may not have the same type of following as huge, national teams, but if you’ve you ever sat in the stands at a high school football game or in the bleachers while a local junior varsity team played basketball against one of their biggest rivals, then you already know that there are a number of sports-passionate people in your community who will do almost anything to support their teams. Well, research has found that they’ll also do more for companies who share the same values.

For instance, in June of 2014, a Nielsen Global Survey of 30,000 consumers reported that 55 percent of online customers stated that they will spend more of their hard earned money when buying from a company committed to leaving a positive impact, both socially and environmentally. This suggests that, when the consumer feels as if the company they do business with has the same basic values, they’ll go out of their way to make them their product and service provider—even if it costs them more to do it.

By showing your support for your local supporting teams, you’re essentially doing the same thing. You’re saying, “This team, these players, are just as important to me as they are to you.” The fans will take notice and you’ll likely gain some new patients because of it.

Sponsoring local sporting events also puts you directly in the eye of the consumer in a place where your services are likely desperately in need. Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that, out of the 30 million kids who participate in sports, more than 3.5 million of them sustain some type of injury annually.

With research supporting that chiropractic is effective at sports injury treatment and prevention, you’re likely to provide the players (and, subsequently, their parents) some real value. This effectively gives you a “foot in the door,” ultimately increasing the likelihood that they’ll want to work with you further.

How to get into sporting event sponsorship

The first step to setting your chiropractic business up as a sporting event sponsor is to figure out which local events would provide you the most, and the best, exposure. Ideally, you want to sponsor events that tend to draw in a big local crowd versus events that are attended primarily by out-of-towners (i.e. pick a home event as opposed to one that’s played away).

Some sports to consider researching, depending on the teams in your geographical area, include:

• Football
• Basketball
• Baseball and softball
• Lacrosse
• Golf
• Track
• Hockey
• Gymnastics
• Soccer
• Wrestling
• Volleyball
• Tennis

Next, consider their sporting schedules to ensure that you’re available the day of the event. You may even want to consider a couple events held at different times of the year.

Once you’ve identified which event or events you want to sponsor, the next step is to contact the school or league and make it known that you’re interesting in becoming an event sponsor. They’ll be able to get you in touch with the person responsible for setting up the sponsorships, telling you exactly what you need to do to make it happen.

The day of the event

On the day of the event, you can boost your practice not only by all of the sponsorship media that contains your business name, but also by being visible, looking professional, and being willing to step in and help. The more the patrons feel like you truly care about the sport and its athletes, the more credibility you’ll gain.

If permitted, it may also be helpful to have one of your staff available at an information-style booth for any attendee with questions about who you are or what you do. Stock it with pamphlets and business cards they can take with them when they go. If possible, you may even set up a video that repeatedly loops, showing what a chiropractor does and containing interviews with local people who’ve found this treatment option helpful. Include athlete testimonials if you can.

If done right, sponsoring a sporting event can really boost your chiropractic practice. It also enables you to attend some great sports events, which is an added bonus if you’re one of the 59 percent who calls yourself a fan.