Now that it’s 2010 it seems the ideal time to think about the future of chiropractic marketing and patient communication.  That future is the internet and social media.

That’s not revolutionary or ground breaking.  Honestly it’s nothing that hasn’t been said hundreds of times before; but it’s so important it needs repeating!

  Since you’re reading this and have found this post, it’s safe to say you’re comfortable with the internet.  That doesn’t mean you’ve tapped the web to it’s full potential for growing your chiropractic practice.  I’d wager you haven’t even scratched the surface!  On the dawn of a new decade I’d like you to think about investing more of your time, energy, and money in the power of internet marketing.

Print and Phone Books aren’t Enough Anymore!

In my own personal practice I’ve noticed fewer and fewer patients come from yellow page ads.  People just don’t use the phone book like they once did.  Why should they?  It’s usually more work to find the phone book in hard copy than it is to jump on the nearest device connected to the internet. 

Even the local yellow page ad sales reps know this.  Mine generally spends more time pushing the online directory and services than he does the print directory.  They’ve been issuing phonebooks in cd-rom format in many major cities for years now!  Isn’t that a sign of where things are heading?

Other print advertising, while still effective in my practice, is on borrowed time as well.  I still run some ads in the small local newspapers because of affordability.  Although cheap, they aren’t my most effective chiropractic advertising.

So what is one of the most effective and affordable methods of chiropractic marketing?  For me it is internet marketing, hands down! 
 

The future is the internet and social media.

Times are changing rapidly.  The general public looks to the internet and social more than ever before.  After all, where do you head when you need more information about a company, product, person, or service?  Where do you turn if you need to research a certain health condition, drug, or specific medical procedure? 

Your potential patients are no exception. You know this, and your competition does as well.  With this realization in mind, ask yourself:

Is the internet working FOR you or AGAINST you?

Are you using the free and low cost resources available via the internet to promote your practice?  Are you using them to their full potential? Is your competition? 

If you don’t have them already, you MUST create the following three things for yourself and/or your practice:

1. A Website

2. A Blog

3. A Twitter account

 

These are the bare minimum.  Chances are your competition has already done this and much more!  Accomplishing the three goals above will set the foundation for using the internet to promote your practice in the future.

If you’ve already done all of the above then congratulations, but it’s still not enough.  NOW is the time to do more.  Learn how to take your chiropractic marketing on the internet to the next level.  Join other social media sites. Learn about press releases, pay per click, rss feeds, article writing, and more!

Having a strong internet presence isn’t a chiropractic marketing afterthought anymore.  It is a must!  You must learn to tap the power of the web to its full potential. . . only then will the internet work for YOU and not for the practice down the street.

Tags: blogs for chiropractors, chiropractic, chiropractic ads, chiropractic advertising, chiropractic blog, chiropractic marketing, chiropractic patient education, chiropractic social media, chiropractor, new chiropractic patients, practice growth | Category Chiropractic Marketing and Advertising, Chiropractic Practice Growth, Internet Chiropractic Marketing, Social Media and Chiropractic Marketing