In this article, I’ll outline the three most valuable aspects of online marketing and then I’ll give you advice on how to utilize them. Consumers are looking for these three things:
- Community
- Education
- Value
Without any of these components, you won’t be successful online. Let’s break them down:
Community:
Amazon.com’s success was due to one feature: community involvement. This simple function launched Amazon into a multi-billion dollar company. Why? Because it fulfilled a primal human need. Amazon didn’t create a webstore, it created a community of active participants who find value not only in products, but also in each other. Effectively, Amazon encouraged their customers to evangelize each other about their great products.
Education:
You can have the best product in the world but if nobody knows about it- it won’t sell. You have two options: waste thousands of dollars on broad advertising OR invest in engaging and educating a small community. I recommend the second option. Why? Education is a valuable resource – people will become rabidly loyal if you provide it for them.
Value:
Today, no matter what industry you’re in, there are typically dozens of people providing the same service. You need to distinguish yourself; special offers, one-time deals, and flashy advertising won’t cut it. It’s imperative that you provide something that your competition doesn’t.
Solutions:
Blog - And blog often! Every time you run across an interesting article or piece of information, share it! Don’t get caught up on perfect grammar or eloquence, just write. If you take five minutes a day to write a quick article - you’ll have a vast library of information for your patients within a few months. Pretty soon your blog will draw its own traffic and your patients will recommend it to their friends. Your credibility will explode, your patients will appreciate your service, and your writing will even improve! (P.S. allow commentary, people will ask questions and create a mini-community)
Facebook – It gives your business a face, lets you publish new content within seconds, is remarkably easy to set-up, and gives you access to over 100 million people. It takes no time at all for you to develop a loyal base of several hundred followers, each of whom has the potential to refer dozens of people to your practice. Best of all, it’s free! Here’s some advice: don’t just add friends and post advertisements. Take the time to say hello to people and thank them for adding you as a friend. It’s amazing how much goodwill this generates and how rapidly it attracts patients.
Twitter – I recommend investing in a smartphone. They’re easy to use and they make social media marketing remarkably easy. If you combine a smartphone with Twitter, you can update your social media content from anywhere- except the movie theatre or your anniversary dinner. This application is easy to use and can dramatically amplify your marketing success. Twitter is also free! (P.S. don’t spam. “Stop by for a free adjustment today” is okay…just don’t post it every day, that’s annoying)
Interactive Websites – Consider adding an “ask the doctor” function to your website. This allows potential patients to send you quick questions and gives you the opportunity to give recommendations, schedule an evaluation, and begin a conversation. We’ve just added this feature to our new websites and it works incredibly well!
Hopefully this article was helpful. If you have any questions about social media, send me an email at Rod@Chirohosting.com or give us a call at 1(800)295-3346. I’m always happy to answer questions or help you strategize.
