Sunday, December 28, 2008

Is Your Chiropractic Marketing Killing Your Practice?

By Matthew Loop DC

Remember when Grandma told you to not spend all your money in one place? So why are you spending all your money on worthless marketing for your chiropractic practice, when the most effective methods are completely free? It just doesn't make sense, but 90% of chiropractors continue to make this horrible mistake in their chiropractic marketing strategies. Don't look at marketing like you're playing the lotto. You can't drive new patients through your doors with a hope and a prayer. You need innovative techniques that work during these difficult times, and the one thing that really works is absolutely free.

The economy is seriously in recession, and the big mistake that chiropractors are making is to stop marketing because it costs too much. You can't bring more success to your business by not marketing, but you also can't bring more success by paying through the teeth for marketing. So what's the solution? It seems like there's no escape from the current financial challenges. The only answer is to evolve with the times and utilize the tremendous power of online social media.

You may think, "I don't have the money, so I cannot advertise and implement chiropractic marketing right now." This is a common, flawed perception many chiropractors have. But the truth is, the best form of marketing and advertising is free nowadays. It's not TV, newspaper ads, magazines, telemarketing, or postcard drops either. Chiropractors have been scammed and led to believe that you have to pay for new patients and the best type of marketing costs money.

So what's the answer? If you have all your money tied-up in expensive ads and old marketing techniques with no results, you can still see loads of new patients walk through your doors using the exposure of Web 2.0 and social media; and it's absolutely free! Chiropractic marketing is being completely revolutionized by sites like YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook. These sites aren't just for teenagers as some would like you to believe. At least 50% of the traffic on these sites is 30 years or older.

Specific, targeted community marketing has never been easier and more cost effective. Of course, you want to make sure that you know exactly what you're doing, as to not damage credibility or rapport with your local community. This is where many chiropractors fail. They try to market on social media without a coach who's been there, done that and created a proven blueprint. Don't re-invent the wheel! Follow someone who's already been massively successful marketing on social media websites.

Here's an idea for a strategy that works wonders when done correctly. Get on one of these social media sites and start an account. Then, invite people within a 5 mile radius to be friends, and start communicating with them. These people will begin to learn about you as a person, and then they can learn about you professionally. Taking steps like this will ensure that you'll get phenomenal traffic to your chiropractic website and new patients through your doors.

You can also begin to be of value to these people by providing them useful information online. When you make daily video blogs or weekly postings about relevant topics, people will begin to see that you can help them, and they'll take note. For instance, I posted a simple video about headache relief and 3,000 people viewed it within one week! Viral marketing was the cause of all this exposure. When one person saw it and found it helpful, they passed it on to a friend, and so forth. Do you see the power?

Social media marketing is the answer to your marketing problems during these difficult times. When you have the right coach by your side, you can instantly tap the power of Web 2.0 without wasting time trying to figure it all out alone. Watch your practice soar to unbelievable heights as hundreds of new patients walk through your doors each month. And not only that, but this success can be yours absolutely for free! - 16069

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