As a chiropractor, you bring value to your patients’ lives through pain reduction, injury recovery, and so much more.
Of course, first, they need to find you. That’s where a robust digital marketing strategy comes into play.
Marketing takes many forms, but these days, it’s primarily an online activity. Search engines, social media, and email: these are the spheres in which a patient is most likely to discover your practice.
Let’s explore the essential digital marketing strategies for chiropractors.
Digital Marketing Strategies for Your Chiropractic Practice
Social Media Content
Each of the major social media platforms offers unique marketing advantages. The “big three” to consider are:
- Instagram: great for sharing promotional imagery, behind-the-scenes visual storytelling, and testimonials
- Facebook: offers the opportunity to distribute content and build community through pages, groups, and online events
- TikTok: an ideal platform for harnessing the power of short, engaging video content that captures day-in-the-life moments or offers quick health tips
These platforms are favored by different age groups (Facebook trends older, TikTok trends younger). Thus, you can focus on the platform that most serves your target demographic, or create a different content style for each one.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a systematic approach to improving a website’s rankings in organic (non-paid) search engine results. SEO involves creating informational, keyword-driven content that helps Google and other search engine algorithms recognize your practice’s website as an authority in your field in addition to technical optimizations, link building, and ensuring your business appears in local listings.
For chiropractors, especially ones with multiple practice locations, local SEO is essential. It takes optimization one step further by improving your search results performance, specifically in your geographic region.
Improving your local SEO is a powerful strategy for getting your practice on the radar of potential patients. For example, wouldn’t it be nice to know that searches for “chiropractor + [your city’s name]” put your website at the top of the results page?
Along with a local SEO strategy, it’s important to monitor online reviews for your practice. This helps you reply promptly to negative comments and to uncover glowing reviews that can be used as testimonials.
Additionally, keep updated info on your Google Business Profile and any other online directories that your practice appears in. Along with your NAP (name, address, phone number), provide high-quality images and descriptions of your services so that your business maintains an attractive presentation.
When producing content for your website, focus on helpful, informative, and keyword-rich web copy and blogs. This content is designed to be a resource for potential patients, establishing yourself as a credible authority in your industry.
Beyond the content, it also needs to be housed on a website that loads quickly, includes unique and optimized metadata for each page, and is free from any common technical errors like excessive redirects, 404 errors, and other similar technical issues that can impact user experience.
YouTube Content
YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine, after its parent company, Google. Most importantly, YouTube provides the opportunity to let future patients hear your voice and see what experience they can expect in your office. For medical professionals who want to show their skills in action, there’s no better platform.
Helpful video formats include:
- Educational content – Answer common questions that you receive from patients, share research findings, and give general advice that you would offer to anyone that came to your office.
- Treatment demonstrations – Show how a treatment is performed in your office to give prospective patients an idea of how it goes and what it looks like. If you are using a human model to demonstrate with, be sure to obtain their written consent prior to filming.
- Exercise tutorials – What are some exercises patients can do to complement the treatments you provide? Demonstrate them here.
- Patient testimonials – What do your real patients think of their experience at your practice? Ask to film them giving a testimonial or ask them to send you a video that they’ve taken themselves.
Remember, like written content, specific rules like HIPAA regulations apply. Do not disclose anyone’s personal medical information or film them with their face visible without first obtaining their express consent to do so.
Email Marketing
Email is an effective tool for connecting with current and former patients. Collecting email addresses at events such as health fairs is also a great way to convert prospects into patients.
You can use emails for sharing courtesy reminders, updates about your practice, and promotional offers. You can also use email to connect readers to your digital content, such as articles or social media accounts.
For best results, keep your messages short and to the point, and don’t send so many emails that readers will be inclined to ignore them. For a more nuanced approach, you can segment your email list by characteristics such as age, gender, or patient status (current/former/prospect) in order to enhance personalization.
Digital Advertising
Digital advertising involves paying a publisher to present your ads on search engines, web networks, social media, or other digital spaces. One of the most common channels is search engine advertising, also known as pay-per-click (PPC).
PPC deals are usually made directly with search engines. Rather than paying for a certain amount of exposure, you pay only for the instances in which a user clicks on your advertisement. Your ads are shown in response to certain keywords that relate to your business. This targeted and cost-effective form of advertising is a good bet for drawing high-value traffic to your site.
When you’re advertising online, choose channels that allow you to target audiences based on specific factors that are most important to you. These may include traits like geographic location, age, gender, household income, and other similar attributes.
Meta Advertising (Facebook & Instagram)
In addition to providing platforms for your social accounts, Facebook and Instagram are powerful spaces for paid advertising. These platforms have enormous user bases and nuanced opportunities for targeted advertising based on interests and demographics. There are also opportunities for A/B testing, which involves running a pair of ads to determine which one performs better.
As with channels like PPC, be sure to create highly personalized ads that relate directly to the types of patients you want to encourage to request an appointment with your practice. Be sure to read Meta’s advertising policies, though, to ensure that your messages are within their guidelines for appropriate and ethical marketing.
Get More Insights for Starting the Practice of Your Dreams
If you’re focused on growing your practice, coaching goes a long way. At Aligned Mentoring for Chiropractors, we’ve helped thousands of ambitious chiropractors take their practices to the next level.
For early-career chiropractors, our Right Start program helps put a winning, sustainable business model in place. To learn more, contact AMC today.
