According to the SBA, to actively market your business you should allocate a small percentage of gross sales of your most recent year. While the SBA does not point to a specific percentage, they do suggest a range beginning as low as 2% for an existing business up to 10% of expect gross sales for a new business.
Once the budget amount is set next is the layout of your marketing plan. Your marketing budget is only effective if you first acknowledge the challenges and rules that are specific to chiropractic marketing.
The first challenge is to help people understand that it's not the chiropractor or the adjustments that heals the body, increases energy levels, strengthens the immune system and reduces stress. However, it is the chiropractic care that allows the body to function properly so that all of those things can and will happen.
As a chiropractor you are trained how to help people in that capacity, but you have to get them in the door of your practice so that you can begin to help them understand all of the philosophy and benefits of your art and begin building a framework of opportunities for them to act on. Even those that understand the philosophy can be hesitant or have financial limitations, regardless of how uncomfortable they are.
The second challenge of chiropractic marketing, regardless of your budget, is how to get that information in the hands of the perspective patients?
Look at the list of criteria below. Does your chiropractic marketing get a big red check mark next to each one?
Focused Message - Is the message clear and focused on one topic? Or are you trying to get every detail about everything your practice offers? If you're placing chiropractic ad in the newspaper, your ad should be about one topic and use good copy to build on that topic. Here's a tip for you...Your headline is 80% of your advertisement. Not in the amount of text but in content, but in grabbing the reader's attention and drawing them into the ad. Think of it as an ad for your ad.
Credible - Is it believable or full of hype? Make it real and establish a common ground between you and the reader. They have the problem you're talking about, you can help them. Be empathetic, compassion and confident.
Tested- Can you back up your chiropractic marketing claims? Provide that information and resources to the reader.
Available- Can the reader find you quickly after reading your material, whether it be a newspaper ad or your web site, have you made it easy for them to call and make an appointment. Your chiropractic marketing has just induced a call to action; you better have a phone number or email address clearly available.
Target audience- Who's your prospective patient? You better know who you are trying to reach, not just casting a lure and hoping for a bite. Is your chiropractic marketing trying to reach women, families, athletes? People who suffer with low back pain, headaches or numbness in their extremities?
Intrigue - Does your chiropractic marketing arouse interest? Did you know that statistics show that the second most read part of an article is the picture with a caption? Grab them with the headline; draw them in with the picture. This first sentence should create the connection with the empathetic statement or question. Now they want to read more.
So how does your chiropractic marketing measure up? Will it help people understand that chiropractic care can help them feel better, stand taller, improve mobility, reduce stress and increase energy?
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