The Most Ridiculously Efficient Way to Attract New Patients in 2018
Are you having trouble getting your message out into the world – letting everyone know that chiropractic physicians do more than just crack backs?
That is the common perception, right? That the only thing chiropractic physicians do is provide relief for neck and back pain? We know that’s not true, and so far off the mark as to be in a totally different ballpark in a completely different state.
Chiropractic care is about providing natural, long-term, whole-body healing. The rub, as they say, is in finding a way to let people know.
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Well, what if I told you that not only is there a way to get your message out, but that it will either cost you nothing or, at least, very little. Have I got your attention? Fantastic!
When it comes to content marketing, there are two main things to keep in mind:
- Content is king! Great content drives likes, leads, sales, and referrals. Or, in your case, think of it this way: great content turns strangers into friends, friends into patients, and patients into loyal patients.
- Always provide value! This one is important. Once you have someone’s email address, you may be tempted to promote and sell and promote and … you get the point. But unless you want to come off like a used car salesman (and not even used car salesmen want that), concentrate on providing value.
The basics of content marketing are very simple. Anyone can learn them with a little bit of work. However, not everyone can write in a way that engages, which means you have to use what you’ve got.
If you’re not a writer, how about creating videos? Video marketing is only going to become more popular. Or you can provide a graphic artist with a few bullet points for the creation of infographics. There are a number of ways to create content, so don’t think of writing as the only one. (And this is coming from a writer.)
The three tools I’m about to share with you each have strengths and weaknesses on their own. However, when you combine them, their weaknesses disappear, while their strengths are accentuated. Sounds pretty encouraging, doesn’t it?
Email Marketing – The Nurture Tool
People rarely, upon visiting a website for the first time, make an important buying decision. Studies have shown that more times than not, they never return to that website again. This is why you NEED to get their email address, also known as list building. I could easily write a thousand words on WHY this is important, but just trust me, it is!
There are a number of ways to get those email addresses, and some of the easiest include: in person when your patients come to your office, on your website (which we’ll get into a bit more), through social posting, and in your email signatures.
When you have someone’s email address, you have their permission to market to them. However, you want to make sure you’re providing value when you do. Email is the most intimate way to market your services, so the word to keep in mind here is “nurture.”
Selling is a process that rarely hits the mark on the first attempt. We consumers generally prefer to be courted. We prefer some level of comfort that can only be established over time. In short, frequency produces trust, and trust produces sales. Or, as I said earlier – turning strangers into patients. And email is the perfect tool to nurture those relationships.
But because email isn’t good at growing an email list, you still need a way to do that, so … Meet your new chiropractic blog!
Blogging – The Engagement Tool
Blogging is how you engage with your audience, who will include current patients and prospective patients, whom we’ll refer to as readers. Less pressure!
Blogging is also how you provide value. And while you may think that email newsletters are the best way to do this, they’re not, for a bunch of reasons. (I’ll provide a resource at the end that will explain all of this in great detail.)
So how can blogging build an email list, you ask?
With well-placed opt-in boxes. If you’re truly delivering content that’s relevant, useful, and engaging, people will naturally want to sign up for more so position these opt-in boxes either at the end of each post or somewhere in the middle for longer posts.
Also, in regard to these opt-in boxes, please don’t use language like: “Sign up for our email list.” Be sure to offer an incentive. Give people a reason, beyond the great content they’ll receive, and your list will grow very quickly. Something perhaps like: “Sign up now to get all of our great content delivered to your email inbox, along with a coupon for 10% off your next visit.”
Informational products also work well here, such as a free e-book containing 50 awesome paleo recipes or a ketogenic diet guide. There are a lot of options, but give them something, and make the sign-up language enticing.
How do you know what to write about?
Easy! What do all of your patients have in common? A love for prescription medications? Probably not. Your patients are likely to be more naturally inclined when it comes to health. So a natural health blog seems like the perfect fit. Just don’t make it too chiro-centric. Remember, the goal isn’t marketing your services here. It’s to engage and build your email list.
Blogs are effective for growing trust, credibility, and likeability. They also have a positive effect on search engine optimization (SEO), which long-term is a game-changer, particularly for local businesses. A blog also allows for two-way communication, which makes your readers feel that their voices matter.
ALWAYS have a clear CTA (Call to Action) at the end of each post, such as getting new subscribers to your email list. If you put that opt-in box in the middle of your post, feel free to experiment with other ideas here.
So you’ve got a great blog. How do people find it? (Drum roll, please!)
Social Media – The Introduction Tool
I like to think of social media as similar to a dating service that matches people who create great content with those who crave great content.
If you’re wondering if social media really works, consider this staggering fact: Facebook accounts for one in every six minutes spent online and one in every five minutes spent on mobile devices. This means you know where your audience is; you just need a reason to reach out to them. Try an awesome new blog post like, “Your Back Problem Explained,” in which you can explain the connection between bony structures and nerve impingement.
While social media’s role is mostly to introduce new readers to your blog (and it does this really well), it’s also effective for improving your site’s SEO. Every time someone Shares, Likes, or Pins one of your posts, those social signals catch the attention of Google, who sees them as proof that you’re creating content that people want. Google loves to reward great content.
Find (social media), engage (blogging), and nurture (email). It’s a simple formula, but one that’s often underutilized. It’s also a formula that pays off like compound interest. You may not feel the effects immediately, but one day, you’re going to be very thankful you had the wherewithal to put it into motion.
For a much more in-depth read on using email, blogging, and social media, follow the link in my bio below. I believe it will provide value to you, and, in turn, to your audience.
Bio:
Nick Mistretta has been a natural health fanatic for 15 years, after discovering he had Crohn’s disease in 2003. His doctor’s recommendations made no sense, which sent him searching for a better way. This also has led him to specialize in copywriting for natural health professionals, and in particular, chiropractors. If you’d like to get his free report – “The #1 Marketing Tool for Every Single Business on the Planet, Period” – that goes into much more detail on content marketing, you can do so on his website: Nick Mistretta Copywriting.
