Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Worthless Chiropractic Marketing

By Matthew Loop DC

We've all heard the saying, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." Yet, it amazes me just how much I see this done within the chiropractic marketing and the profession as a whole. Far too many times I see chiropractors buying expensive media slots in the newspaper or on TV that are yielding mediocre results. It's almost like these media sharks are feasting on "hope," as the DC's that I come into contact regularly with think they've just purchased a winning lottery ticket or something. Little do they know the startling reality on the other side. They're actually killing their practice.

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So how do you move forward when all your money is tied-up in outdated forms of marketing and your chiropractic practices sinks farther into the mud? It's actually easier than you think, and it will cost you nothing at all. Exposing your business to Web 2.0 and social media sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Friendster is absolutely free and it's a veritable goldmine of potential success. Over 50% of the users on these sites is 30 years and older, and that means that your targeted demographic is waiting to hear from you.

Targeted marketing that specifically hits the demographic you need is the wave of the marketing future. It's simple and cost effective, and you'll be amazed at the amount of new patients and business you'll receive. I can't express how important it is to start your online marketing on the right foot! If you don't know what you're doing, you can seriously damage your credibility in your community from the get-go. This is how many chiropractors have failed. To create success, you need to find someone who has experienced success.

Here's a great way to start on the road to Web 2.0 success. Get an account started on a popular social media site, and begin to invite friends who live within a 5 mile radius of your practice. Let these people learn about you and start to communicate with them. Once you strike-up friendships, you are then able to share information about your chiropractic practice and draw people who are in need of your services.

Also, begin to provide massive value to these people. Send them videos and articles that they can begin to use and apply to their daily lives. For example, one video that I posted was about how to get rid of a headache naturally. This video garnered about 3,000 views within its first week! This was because it spread using viral marketing. Someone got an enormous amount of value out of it, then they forwarded this video to their friends, and so on.

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! - 16463

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