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Attract More Patients to Your Practice

 

Depending on word-of-mouth recommendations for increasing your patient base is a thing of the past, particularly in the current era, when impromptu conversation just isn’t happening. Every conversation we have is intentional, and life is more virtual than ever before.

A benefit of all that time spent online is that harnessing the power of the internet and social media is easier than ever. Even though the idea of marketing can feel daunting, there are several simple strategies you can employ to both engage your current patients and draw in new ones.

Leverage your existing customer base by implementing a referral program

Referral cards are an easy way to get your team started with the referral process. You can paperclip a few to the patient’s receipt at checkout, and let them know to fill in their name when they give them to others. Be sure to encourage new patients to let you know their referrer when filling out forms—this lets them know you care. 

A patient who refers one new visitor could be thanked with a gift card.  A patient who refers three new visitors to your office could receive a Coop Original Queen Pillow. By offering higher and higher value rewards to your current patients, they’ll continue to refer family, friends, and neighbors.

Create an email marketing program
Don’t let the word “marketing" scare you! Email marketing is a great way to keep your practice on your patients’ minds. And free services like Mailchimp provide you with all the tools you need for email success. We recommend hiring a graphic designer for a one-time project to make you a customized & unique template⁠—this way, your emails will feel professional and polished, and all you’ll have to do is change the images and text from email to email!

We recommend easing into email marketing. Start with one email a month⁠—you can include news and updates about your practice, as well as some practical advice relating to your field.

Email doesn’t have to feel stiff, either. Stay true to who you and your team are, and to the goals of the practice. Be friendly as well as informative. The goal is to keep your patients engaged⁠—you want to be on their minds when a neighbor says, “Ouch, my back!”

New Patient Specials and Industry Discounts

Everyone loves a deal, and a special introductory offer will absolutely help you reel in new patients. 

What’s appreciated even more? Discounts for certain industries, like nurses, service workers, teachers, and delivery people. Tap into specific groups of people who could really benefit from your practice⁠—people who will feel the effects after one appointment and will continue to come back, especially when you empathize with what they do for a living.

1. Thought Leadership: Webinars and Workshops
   Information-sharing is integral to establishing a solid relationship with patients. Hold free and open webinars via Zoom or Google Hangouts to help your patients (and potential patients) with certain things that can be addressed at home.
   
   Think about your goal as a practice: what do you want your patients to walk away with beyond their appointments? By equipping your patients with tools and information⁠, which can range from stretches to homeopathic remedies to open advice chats⁠, you’re letting them know you care for their well-being beyond their appointment. Be creative and true to your practice in these exercises; this will help attract those who share your values!

These types of sessions can also serve as the anchor of your email marketing and social strategy. Perhaps you do one webinar a month. You can send out an email promoting it, and record a short video for a social post. Engaging content will keep your patients thinking of you and encourage them to share the information with potential clients.

1. Keep Your Website Up-to-Date and Informative
   Potential patients should be able to find everything they need on your site⁠—from the insurance you accept, to services offered, to reviews, to information regarding your team.
   
   Keep your homepage updated with events, hours, and any changes, especially during this time. Patients want to know what’s going on during COVID-19 and what safety measures your staff is taking.
   
   Separate your practice from the competition and carve out a niche for yourself with the following page elements:
   
   
1. Services
2. The Team
3. Reviews
4. Insurance Info 
5. New Patient Forms
6. Your Practice’s Specific Mission

    People love having all the info they need laid out for them. Having the ability to schedule an 

    appointment online is a must. Easily accessible new patient forms on the website will make 

    that first appointment check-in a breeze. You can even send a “what to expect” email once your 

    patient’s appointment is confirmed. 

Stay Human
Keeping a genuine human connection with your patients is critical. You want them to know you care for their health and well being. Stay connected by sending two kinds of texts:

1. Automated appointment texts
1. Go beyond reminders of scheduled appointments, and shoot your patients a friendly reminder that they’re due for an appointment. Just one reminder is good—remember, you want to stay on your patients’ minds, not pressure them into an appointment.
2. Automated birthday text
1. A short text from your practice on your patient’s birthday can be really engaging. Keep it short and wish them well. Knowing your practice goes the extra mile will keep your patients coming back. Think about it, they’ll probably say to their friends, “My chiropractor texted me ‘Happy birthday!’” That’ll leave their friends thinking, “Hm, my chiropractor doesn’t do that…”

Whatever you do to attract new patients, remember to keep it genuine. Stay true to your practice’s mission; people will see you deeply care about what you do, and that’s the most powerful  marketing of all