3 Things a Prospective Patient Sees in Your Chiropractic Marketing
How would things be different in a chiropractic office if the chiropractor and the staff saw things through the eyes of a patient? When exactly does the first impression begin? I would suspect that for those patients who are responding to a newspaper ad, the first impression begins the moment the prospective patient reads the advertisement.
For those who have gone to retrieve their mail, the first impression begins with the letter that was mailed to them and for those who are looking for a chiropractor via an online search, the first impression begins with where your website is ranked on the page or what information is in the description. What makes a person click on the link that will take them to your practice website?
This will probably boggle your mind, but predicting how you will be perceived when a person receives your chiropractic marketing material, whether it be a newspaper ad, a mail campaign or page rank during an online search, that should be your first thought when mapping out your chiropractic marketing strategies. It’s not that you really need to know how to read someone’s mind; but you should know something about what it is like to be a chiropractic patient.
A chiropractor already knows how to tell if someone is a good candidate for chiropractic care; that’s a “no brainer” as most everyone could benefit from chiropractic care. It’s more a question of getting the idea of chiropractic in front of people so they will begin to consider seeing a chiropractor.
Removing yourself from the role of a chiropractor, slip into a person’s shoes for a moment and see what they see when they;
See Your Newspaper Ad
Hopefully they see a chiropractor who understands what kind of pain they are experiencing; a chiropractor who realizes that most people don’t associate symptoms like headaches with chiropractic care. But in all fairness, not many have watched television and seen a commercial about going to a chiropractor for a headache, but they have seen many commercials about a certain type of drug that can alleviate their headache and so what if it recurs; there will always be more drugs to mask the pain. Does your chiropractic ad offer the reader a reason to call your office and find out more information?
How about when they…
Open Your Letter
Hopefully the letter is addressed to a person and not “Resident” and it begins with “Dear Mr or Ms” instead of “To Whom it May Concern” or “Dear Home Owner.” Hand addressed with a real stamp is always a good way to establish a relationship with a person through the mail. Most people don’t get “real” letters in their mailbox anymore; mostly oversized postcards, bills and junk mail. So you can imagine how a hand written stamped letter would grab a person’s attention and make them feel very special. So please don’t ruin it with a letter that begins with “Dear Pain Sufferer” or “Dear Prospective Patient.” Make it personal; use their first name or surname and use the first paragraph to talk about them and their needs. Oh, did you remember to slip a coupon in with the letter?
What about when they…
Click on Your Website Link
First of all, they probably clicked on your link because it was relative to what the person was searching for and because your site was ranked high on the page. I mean after all, you’ve done your homework and know what it takes to keep your website at the top of any search engine result page.
When they do select your link, hopefully they will not see a page that is flashy, blinking or yelling at them. A personal favorite is a website that tells me something immediately and then asks me if I would like to get more information.
Now you do realize that people know that when they are asked for their email address, it’s because you are collecting their email so you can “occasionally” send them updates regarding your chiropractic office or how chiropractic can help them and of course you are going to give them something in return for their generous gesture of sharing their email address with you. My favorite free gift is the one where I get to download a free newsletter full of tips and secrets about wellness, healthy eating or healthy living secrets. You think people might want to share that good news with all of their friends?
Of course this is just how I see things…
Are you beginning to understand what others might see when on the receiving end of your chiropractic marketing techniques?
Hopefully this has opened your eyes. It is always helpful to step back and view things from another person’s perspective.
I’m a biologist and health writer. I’m able to draw on my technical, science, business and journalism backgrounds when researching and creating content. I’ve managed a chiropractic office where I handled; HR, inventory control, and counseling, in addition to doing the patient education. I’m an experienced public speaker and I’ve helped built large communities of people interested in health and plant-based diets. My laboratory work includes genetic analysis and I also do the grant writing and administration, online fundraising and social media. In the past I was the team manager for invasive species field operations. I’m also a regular volunteer for international coastal cleanup.
