There is no denying we now live in the age of the internet, and your online footprint should be an essential part of your overall chiropractor marketing strategy.
As I’m sure you are aware, the chiropractic market in your area is becoming increasingly competitive, with a number of clinics trying to attract patients locally.
So how do you not only remain competitive in 2019 and beyond but get ahead of your competition? Well, a strong online presence can help. If you do this right, you’ll be able to multiply your patients and keep your schedule full — what more could you ask for?
The first step to getting ahead of your competition is to understand which online marketing strategies are working in 2019 that you should pay attention to. So here are five chiropractor marketing practices you’ll want to incorporate into your strategy right now:
1. Start With a Website – Make It Mobile Friendly
As you probably guessed, a website is incredibly important to your online marketing campaign — it’s more like your chiropractor clinic but in the digital sphere.
Now, it’s important to note that not every kind of website works — you need to use your time and resources to build one that will resonate with visitors. In a nutshell, your website must be good and compelling enough to attract potential visitors and of course, convert them to patients.
Besides using great graphics and creating good content, you need to ensure that your site is as user-friendly as can be. And most importantly, be sure to optimize it for mobile.
“You might not know this, but over 60 percent of internet traffic now comes from a mobile device.”
That said, potential patients won’t hesitate to hit the back button if they find that your site isn’t mobile-friendly — we’re pretty sure you know what that means!
Google has made a point of Google of stating that over half of the pages shown in search results are from them indexing content using a mobile-first indexing procedure. Simply this means Google is crawling and indexing your web page based on how it renders on a mobile phone versus a desktop computer, so optimizing your website to be highly mobile-friendly is recommended.
2. Take Advantage of Email Marketing
Contrary to what many people think, Email marketing isn’t dead. In fact, it’s one of the most powerful tools you can use to grow your clinic in 2019.
When done right, email marketing is an effective way to get the attention of both your past and present clients and inform them about your latest services, deliver helpful content and let them know about your latest promotions.
“99% of consumers check their email on a daily basis.”
Essentially, you should work on building a mailing list and of course, use it as the focus for all your marketing activity.
The thing is, an email address is the most prized asset you can get from a potential patient. It gives you the opportunity to connect with them on a human level, and that’s huge.
With this in mind, it’s crucial for your campaigns to offer real value while being creative and unique. And most importantly, try your best to communicate on a one-on-one level. When you work with this approach, you’ll witness a significant increase in the number of subscribers you convert into patients, and that, of course, is a big part of the plan.
“A study by the DMA found that for every $1 spent, email has an average $38 return on investment (ROI).”
To grow your list, you need to ask people directly to sign up. So it stands to reason the best place to ask is where they’re already engaged, on relevant pages across your website. You need to give visitors a compelling reason to sign up to your email list. You can offer them exclusive deals, run a contest or give them access to exclusive educational content for instance.
3. Reputation Management – Grow Positive Online Reviews
From mobile phones to chiropractor services, it’s rare to make a purchase decision these days without reading through several online reviews to see if it is the right choice.
More importantly, 94% of online shoppers reported that a negative review had convinced them to avoid visiting a business.
Building a positive online presence for your chiropractor business gives you several key advantages and has a clear impact on sales, which is why it’s becoming a key part of branding.
“90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business.”
We’re more inclined to visit a business if others around us – even total strangers – agree that it is a good business to deal with. However, negative reviews can greatly effect sales and visitors.
“A single negative review from a user could immediately drop your sales anywhere from 5-8%.”
Online reviews create social proof, increase consumer trust, and they give you a direct line to consumers. If you’re not already working to improve your online reviews, you can start now by educating your customers on the importance of leaving reviews, optimizing your listings on each platform, and providing excellent customer service.
4. Use Social Media
Did you know that more than 80 percent of the North American population is now on social media?
I recently came across there two posts in a local Facebook Group that I follow:
There were a lot more people looking for recommendations, but the point is that your patients are already waiting for you on social media.
Social media gives chiropractors a great opportunity to showcase their experience and to help patients feel more comfortable before they even visit your office. Still, It should be noted that social media is unlikely to generate many new patient inquiries directly.
“Chiropractic social media marketing should be focused on providing value to your patients.”
An effective way for chiropractors to use social media is to let your patients know a little more about you, your staff and your office instead rather than put a lot of focus on your services and techniques.
Patient profiles are also an excellent way to engage people on social media, along with short video tutorials. This type of content can build a following for your clinic because you’re providing value and information that’s helpful to them without asking for anything in return.
5. Video Marketing — Super Effective Right Now
Are you looking for a sure way to brand your office and engage your audience? Try video.
“According to a study from Cisco, by 2020, up to 75% of mobile traffic will be video, and the internet will support over 3 million videos per month.”
These numbers indicate exactly how video can transform your practice and make you stand out from the crowd. It’s also good to point out that up to 65% of potential patients visit a clinic or healthcare practitioner’s site after watching a video, and nearly 63% of practices use video content as a marketing tool.
With these stats in mind, you can tell just how important engaging video content can be to your overall chiropractor marketing strategy.
For the most part, when you create chiropractic videos that market your clinic, you’ll witness significant growth in brand awareness and make it easier for people to remember your name when they are seeking out a local chiropractor.
What’s more, the right strategy is sure to set you apart from the competition and even save you money in the long-run.
At this point, it’s up to you to figure out the kind of videos that are sure to resonate with potential patients. Videos that showcase the culture of your team, for instance, are a good idea. Or videos of you with patients discussing their overall issues and treatment options are another.
Conclusion
These are five great chiropractor marketing practices that are sure to help you stay ahead of the curve in 2019 and beyond.
All in all, take your time to test your efforts and of course, figure out what appeals to your potential and existing patients. And most importantly, be consistent with your efforts!