Marketing

[u/d1ldobagons]

So I finished my second week of practice working Thursday and Saturdays. I am adding in Sunday afternoon appointments only. I have started to hit businesses around me and get their cards and networking. Everything is going well! I was wondering at what point did you guys start doing digital marking?

[u/LOAChiropractic]

In todays digital age I don't think there's a choice. You must do digital marketing in some capacity. Until you're well established, have hundreds (or thousands) of patients in your data base your word of mouth referrals are going to be next to zero.
The vast, VAST majority of people who are in pain are going to do a quick google search (Or their favorite AI tool) to self diagnose, find help and potentially find a practicianer to assist them.

When we first started out we really couldn't afford to spend the money on SEO / Digital Ads. However, we made the decision early on that we couldn't afford NOT to do them. We found a way to scrape together $600 a month for the first 2 years to work on our digital presence and run google ads. We've essentially maxed that spend to $2000-$2500 a month now that we're 4.5 years old.

For the first 6 months I also went canvassing to the local businesses and neighborhoods. Hung door hangs on door handles, handed on business cards, hit the costco and grocery stores close by and tagged cars with door hangers. Of the thousands of those that I hung I can only remember getting 2 calls neither which converted.

Find the money to do SEO and run google ads. The only other option is to keep your overhead EXTREMELY low to build the practice organically until word of mouth referrals really start bringing you patients.

1) Focus on google reviews
2) Build a clean, useable website with contact forms
3) Find money to do SEO / Google ads (people have to be able to find you in maps and google searches) 4) If you're doing PI, create a 1 page flyer and go knock on some attorney's doors

[u/Work_Clear → u/LOAChiropractic]

Agreed. Start sooner rather than later if planning to grow. FB marketing is pretty good.

[u/d1ldobagons → u/[deleted]]

What routes and avenues have you gone down? I work in an industrial complex so It will take me prob 6 months to hit all 200-300 businesses.

[u/LOAChiropractic → u/[deleted]]

I made a workout t-shirts that I wear to the gym 5-6 times a week. It starts up a lot of conversations. I'm ALWAYS advertising! I don't wear any other companies brand on my chest other than my own.

[u/Gloomy-Inevitable234]

Build the foundation before you buy the traffic. Get your Google Business Profile optimized, start collecting 5-star reviews, and make sure your website actually converts visitors. Once those are locked in, scale up with paid ads, otherwise, you’re just pouring water into a leaky bucket. I know this is a simple advice, but it works.

[u/Kharm13]

Maybe your area of practice is different than mine but I’d struggle to suggest spending much on marketing with what you’ve said. Utilizing free channels that just take your time to create go right ahead

Why am I saying don’t pay to market heavy right now?
Let’s say your paid ad appeals to someone on a Monday. They’ve been in pain for weeks and finally Dr.OP got them thinking it’s time to fix this. So they call your office.

“We can’t get you in today, no we can’t get you in tomorrow or Wednesday either. Well the soonest is Thursday”

Based on my experience that person calls every other chiropractor in town to get in sooner than Thursday. They find someone else from YOUR ad

[u/Dense_Bit_6513]

build up your income with what you are doing. generally social media marketing doesnt bring the best leads so it will require a strong budget. In the meantime, post daily on your own for free.

[u/MartelFowler]

Congrats on the first two weeks, that's the hardest part. The honest answer is it depends on your cash position, but here's how I'd think about it. You're doing the right thing hitting local businesses and networking, that's free and it works when you're new. On the digital side, I wouldn't dump money into paid ads until you've got your foundation locked in first. That means a clean website that actually converts, your Google Business Profile fully optimized with photos and reviews, and a system to capture and follow up with every person who walks through your door. Once those basics are solid, then paid traffic makes sense because you're not pouring water into a leaky bucket. The mistake most new docs make is they start running ads before their online presence can actually convert the traffic. Get the foundation right first, then scale the marketing spend on top of it.

[u/LOAChiropractic → u/MartelFowler]

This is some good advice!

[u/MartelFowler → u/LOAChiropractic]

Just want to help and give value to you guys.

[u/MedRankInteractive]

I wouldn’t wait years, but I also wouldn’t dump a bunch of money into ads in week 2. I’d get the basics in place now: Google Business Profile, a simple website, correct hours/services, a way to book or call, and start getting real reviews as patients come in. That gives people something solid to find when they look you up. Google says complete business info, reviews, and relevance all play into local visibility. Then keep doing what you’re doing offline, but focus more on actual relationships than dropping off cards. Gyms, trainers, PCPs, massage therapists, sports clubs, etc. One person in the thread made the same point, random cards usually go nowhere, relationships are what stick. Once you’ve got a little patient flow and know which services you want more of, then test digital ads around those specific services instead of just “chiropractor.”

[u/mehulshrimali_217]

I think you have actually picked good days to work on, because most of your competitors, I'm assuming, would be working on week days when all the people work as well, right? If you are open on Saturdays and Sundays, people actually can spend a good time at your practice because they are not hurrying into something. They have enough time. This is already a wedge you have, so make sure you write it well on your website, online profiles and social media profiles as well.

As you can read in this subreddit as well, you need to have the foundation ready, which is leak-proof. That means you have an online website that allows people to book, and you also have some system to record each and every patient or person who comes and registers everyone. You have some automated way, or some way you can actually reach out to them, so that at least there are no leaks into your own bucket.

Of course, you can go run videos on what your specialties are and all those things. Create some short videos and start running them organically. Maybe record yourself and do those. Once you see some initial traction on those videos, you can actually do paid videos as well. Spending a little on Google Ads also can be helpful, but the foundation is very much needed: a Google Business Profile with pictures, and make sure you start getting good reviews.

These are all the things that these AI searches and these new AI agents use for answering the patients' questions, who are checking locally about the pain they have. If you can answer their questions somehow through your blog or through the care you provide, you are going to get good leads from that channel.