Reset Your Chiropractic Marketing & Advertising Machine

Does it seem like the amount of new patients coming into your office has slowed way down? Or maybe they've just stopped coming in? When a machine stops working for no reason and it seems like you've tried everything under the sun to fix it, you realize it has a reset button. All you have to do is push it and your back in business. The same it true for any business. Maybe it's time to hit that button and get it up and running again.

Chiropractors who are actively marketing their practice will see the fruits of there labor, but even the most aggressive advertising can experiences a shift in momentum. When this happens go back and revisit some chiropractic advertising options that have worked best in the past.

Chiropractic marketing should be continuous and diverse. In this era of recycling, reusing and going green, there are many other ways to stretch your advertising dollar. Of the five examples shown below, one of them will not cost you anymore than what you have already invested with your current program.

• Newspaper: Understand that much of the success of running an ad in the newspaper depends on which newspaper you place your ad in. Obviously your hands are tied if you only have one newspaper to choose from and it can be costly at times if competition is not available. You can still negotiate a reasonable rate if you ask. These days there are still at least two papers available, although one may be distributed with the mail which is probably a benefit in the long run since everyone gets mail.

• Website: If you currently have a chiropractic website you should post articles on your site. You could take portions of the ads and publish online. Or if you have a blog, you can use a portion of the ads on your blog posts. It is not recommended that you use the whole ad, just the highlights, like the condition, offer and expiration. Additionally, your website can be used to tell readers about upcoming events your office might be sponsoring. Another item of interest would be a “condition of the week”.

• Email: You can send out email messages to both perspective patients and active patients. This can be done quickly by using headlines and snippets from your chiropractic ads. If you are not already requesting email addresses from your patients, you need to begin doing that today. If they don’t have an email or wish not to share that’s okay, however you will want to use the email system at some point in the future, so go ahead and get the information on file before you need it.

• Specialized Print Media: Larger cities and suburbs offer magazines that target specific groups, like parents, sports, women, home and family. Testing your ads in these venues can increase your visibility exponentially because these are mailed out to all residents not just subscribers. This type of media also will include features on local businesses and coupons. You might call and ask what criteria they use to be featured in their magazine. Creating a coupon would also be a great tool. It gives the reader something to cut out and save and often reminds them to call for an appointment. Remember most readers will take time to leaf through a locally syndicated magazine that comes in the mail, especially if it already has the reputation of offering great articles about community events and businesses.

• Direct Mailings: By restructuring your chiropractic ads into a letter format use the list that you have obtained from a broker and create a mailer to go out to specific homes. You will want to make sure you are using a reputable list broker so that you are assured of getting quality addresses. Here are some interesting tips that help direct mailing become a successful advertising campaign. The first is to use plain white envelopes and hand write the address. Yes this will be time consuming for your staff and they may grumble, but they work for you and the success of your practice is your concern, not making their job easier. Second is to personalize your envelope with a rubber stamp imprint for an upcoming holiday or season. Third is to use over sized post cards. Just transfer your ad onto a large postcard and mail it.