10 Chiropractic Marketing Ideas to Increase Business and Sales

You studied hard, got your license, and gained invaluable experience. You believe in yourself and your chiropractic practice. So, why aren't new patients knocking down your door to find relief? 

Your chiropractic marketing may be to blame. And, needing a little help in this area is normal. 

You aren't a marketing expert. You're a chiropractor. You're also a business owner which comes with an abundance of responsibilities. 

But, you know that your business can't thrive unless you make a profit. And, the only way to do that is to bring in new customers and make them lifelong fans of your practice. 

Sinbad keeping it real.

You also are competing with other chiropractic offices. They may be targeting a similar audience or provide related services. How can you get the edge? 

Successful chiropractic marketing is the solution to these dilemmas. Chiropractic marketing can be a DIY pursuit, or you can outsource your marketing efforts to a digital marketing agency. What's best for your practice will depend on your availability, skills, and staff. 

So, if you're looking to implement new marketing ideas, then look no further. Read on to discover 10 marketing ideas to grow your business while increasing your revenue and new patients. 

Chiropractic Marketing: 10 Marketing Tips to Improve Your Business

Marketing is a vast field. It contains many different layers and elements that you can adjust and improve. Explore the following marketing ideas to learn how to bring in new patients and grow your sales. 

1. Utilize Social Media

As humans, we naturally love familiarity. Being on social media is more about brand awareness and recognition than producing sales. The more familiar patients are with your brand, the more trustworthy your practice will become. 

Create social media profiles based on which ones your target audience uses most. For example, if you're targeting professionals, use LinkedIn.

You can also purchase ads on social media platforms. Select which demographic data to target to reach your audience on these platforms accurately. 

Click to Get a FREE Pack of Social Media Graphics

2. Offer Supplemental Products and Services

While you're at it, use your social media profiles to show off the products and services your offer. It may be supplements, fitness equipment, or group coaching. Focus on the benefits your patients can expect by using the product or service.

This strategy successfully generates leads and can increase your sales.

Your practice website can (and should) have a shop or store to generate additional revenue channels.

3. Create Useful Content

People are smartening up to traditional sales tactics and pitches. They don't want to be pitched to or sold anything. Instead, they want to connect and learn. 

Adhere to your customers' needs by educating them through blog posts. You can also guest blog for another company to gain brand awareness and leads. 

Content will also help to improve your website traffic. And, as your traffic increases, your search engine ranking can also go up. You can reach a wide range of people who can then help you to improve your local rankings as well. 

Using video is one of the best ways to spread your unique healthcare vision.

4. Get Referrals

Develop a referral program for your customers and other medical professionals. For customers, offer a discount or reward for referring a friend or family member. Advertise the referral program on social media, via email marketing, and your website. 

For medical referrals, you'll need to build up a professional partnership. Explain the benefits of your services, automate your referral process, and educate yourself on how to market to other doctors.

5. Build Community Relationships

People love supporting companies that support a higher purpose. Getting involved in the community is a perfect way to show patients that you care. 

Create and build community partnerships.

Support other local businesses by highlighting your favorite healthy restaurants on social media.

Offer lunch and learns to community agencies and companies. Provide free advice and expert wellness tips. 

6. Email Marketing

Email marketing is cost-effective and promotes brand awareness and conversions. It also reminds patients that your practice is still thriving. 

Use email marketing to provide your patients with educational materials, promotions, and company updates. A monthly newsletter is also a beneficial way to engage with your patients.

Grow your email list by offering discounts on your physical products in exchange for their email address. 

Click to get a FREE Email Newsletter Template

7. Press Releases

Traditional marketing tools shouldn't be ignored. Word of mouth marketing, traditional ad space, and press releases can still help you to grow your chiropractic firm. Press releases will help you to reach your target audience and promote brand awareness.

Create press releases when something exciting or out-of-the-norm occurs at your practice. For example, if you win an award, complete a community project, or write a book. 

8. Develop a User-Friendly Website

Website design can influence your search engine ranking, your website traffic, and your conversion rates. Develop a user-friendly website by using a simple, fast-loading design. Your website's menu should also be easy to navigate and include only the necessary information.

Your website can also include videos, meaningful images, and testimonials. Having a "schedule an appointment" feature will also help to streamline the conversion process. The easier it is for customers to contact and schedule an appointment, the better it will be for business.

9. Set Yourself Apart

Your competition can be stiff (no pun intended). 

To truly succeed in your market, you'll need to set yourself apart. What makes your practice different? 

Is it your experience? Maybe you have a piece of equipment, testing tool, or service other chiropractors don't offer. Or, do you holistically approach chiropractic?

When creating your unique value proposition, always keep your target audience in mind.

10. Ask for Reviews

Patients and customers trust each other more than they believe in marketing tactics. Ask for reviews from all your patients. Encourage them to review your practice on social media, Google, and websites like Yelp. 

Asking for reviews is also essential for your reputation management. Many disgruntled customers express their frustrations by leaving negative reviews. Asking for positive reviews balances out these negative reviews.

Stay up to date about your online reviews. If you do receive a negative review, work to amend the patient's concern. Often, the patient will respond positively and be willing to find a resolution. 

Chiropractic Marketing a Pain in the Neck?: Gaining Support

These chiropractic marketing tips will help to put your practice on the map. They can also improve your reputation and increase your profit. 

But, your marketing efforts can be even more successful by hiring a digital marketing agency. Helpful guides and resources can also help to improve your marketing efforts. 

Want to become the chiropractor other doctors refer to? Sign-up for a monthly or yearly membership for a step-by-step guide to learn how to increase your medical referrals.

How to Get Referrals with Chiropractic Case Notes | FREE Template

Are you sending case notes?

If you're like most docs I speak with the answer is unfortunately "no." Maybe you think it takes too much time, perhaps you don't know what to send.

Either way, if you are not sending chiropractic case notes, then you are missing out on an enormous opportunity to showcase the co-management of patients, show off the fantastic results of your care, and begin the process of building referral relationships.

Sending chiropractic case notes is the foundation of building referral relationships with other healthcare providers in your community. If you think you are too busy, or that case notes are a waste of time- then keep reading. It's easier, faster, and more impactful than you think.

This article will show you the four key elements to have on every single case note that you send. Additionally, I'll show you the best time and cadence to send those notes (it's NOT on every visit). By the end of this short article, you'll have all the information you need to send out effective case notes quickly, start bridging the gap, and begin building referral relationships.

Get a FREE Case Notes Template!

Spoiler alert: Case notes alone have never flooded a chiropractic office with referrals. Sending notes is not a silver bullet to building a relationship. But, sending timely and well-crafted case notes is an essential foundational layer of our physician outreach.

Benefits of Sending Case Notes:

1- Showcase the Great Results You Get with Your Patients (B2B Testimonial)

2- Social Proof of Co-Management

3- Additional Marketing Touch Point

I like to think of case notes as patient-centric testimonials. Most practices are hyper-focused on getting Facebook ratings and Google reviews. These type of reviews are known as B2C marketing. They are business (B) to (2) consumer (C) outreach. Reaching out with B2C testimonials is great...but, what about the other half of the coin?

The other half is your B2B channels. These are your business to business testimonials- and there is no better B2B communication than a case note. Your case notes show the social proof that you are actively co-managing, as well as the fantastic results you get with your patients in your practice.

If I asked you the question of what percentage of your patients leave your office happier and healthier than when they first walked in, I bet your answer would be over 90%.

My next question is, how often have you taken the additional 2 minutes to create a case note that shows off those unbelievably fantastic results? Probably not as often as you could or should!

Not sending case notes showing off the results of your care and the improvement of your patients is a huge missed opportunity that you need to start taking advantage of immediately.

So how often should you send case notes?

We have seen the best results by sending case notes at initial evaluation, any re-evaluation, and discharge from active care.

Discharge from active care is defined as the last visit before a patient goes to as needed, PRN, maintenance, or wellness care. Anytime you are billing a 99201-99204 or 99212-99214, that is a good indication that you should be sending a case note.

What to include in your case notes:

The 4 Essential Components of a Case Note

1. Patient Name

2. Date of Service

3. Diagnosis

4. Treatment Plan

Your case notes should not be long and include every test under the sun. Powerful, effective case notes are typically concise (under 1 page) and contain four critical pieces of information.

Get a FREE Case Notes Template!

Just as a primary care doctor doesn't care about what size screw a surgeon uses during an operation, they don't care about every single orthopedic test you performed.

They do care about, who did you see (patient name), when did you see them (date of service), what did you find (diagnosis), and what are you going to do about it (treatment plan)? Keep it simple.

In an ideal world, your case note should be leaving your office as a one-page document. I say that for pragmatic reasons. When I was working in large scale orthopedic groups, we'd continuously get case notes from doctors in the community.

Unless they were relating to an emergency, the notes would be put into the patient chart by a medical assistant and not looked at until the patient came back into the office. The patients next appointment could have been two days, two weeks, or 2 months after the case note was sent.

Let's get real if the doctor is walking down the hall ready to see the patient, and they open the chart to find a 10-page case note from you...it's not getting read! But, what if they open the chart and see a one-page note which clearly and concisely shows your name, the patient diagnosis, the date of service, and the expected treatment? You now have a high likelihood of them opening the door and asking the patient how they are doing in your practice.

As we went through earlier- the odds are in your favor! Chiropractors typically have sky-high patient satisfaction and remarkable results. So there is an excellent chance that the patient will praise your care- which is precisely the "win" you are looking for.

Think about how many patients you see each month in your practice. Then, think about how many in-active patients have been in your practice since you opened your doors.

Now imagine you had sent case notes for every eval, re-eval, and discharge visit for these patients. You could have hundreds, thousands, or maybe even tens of thousands "touches" to other healthcare providers showcasing the great results that you achieve. I KNOW that would make a massive difference in how many referrals you get each month.

Before you send a case note, you need to know who you are sending it to. The easiest way to do this is to make sure you have a spot on your intake form for patients to enter their primary care doctor.

Typically, this will be filled out 50-60% of the time. When it's left blank, I recommend asking a simple question:

“Hey, John, I noticed you left this blank. We'd love to have that information to communicate and coordinate your care. Do you mind if we have your primary care doc name?"

By asking that question, you should be able to collect the primary care doctor information on 90% of the people who begin care in your practice.

Case notes are one leg of the referral relationship stool. The others are sending research updates (marketing) and taking meetings (trust and rapport). At The Evidence Based Chiropractor, we've had the honor of working with hundreds of chiropractic practices. Using our system, they have generated tens of thousands of referrals that have resulted in millions of dollars in additional revenue.

Think about the amount of time you spend with your patients during treatment. Think about the energy, effort, and expertise it takes to help them get well. To not take 5 minutes and show off your results with case notes is crazy!

If you want to start getting more referrals from other physicians in your community, then become a member of The Evidence Based Chiropractor. I'd love to work with you. You'll receive the entire process, tools, support, and systems needed to bridge the gap. Get out there showcase your practice and improve the health and well-being of the people in your community.

Get a FREE Case Notes Template!

Is Your Child's Backpack Causing Lifelong Health Problems?

How heavy is that backpack?

Even though an iPad can store an entire library worth of books, most kids still trudge to and from school each day carrying an oversized and overweight backpack filled with heavy textbooks.

While it may not seem like a big deal, recent studies have shown that carrying the weight of a typical backpack is one of the top reasons for kids to have back pain. 

Why it Matters:

A vast majority of kids wear backpacks every day that weigh 15 lbs or more. That’s a heavy backpack! Over time the stress of the load can result in back pain, a rounding of the shoulders, and postural changes.

The spinal compression caused by heavy backpacks often has kids leaning forward to compensate, which begins a vicious cycle of postural issues, compensation, and pain. 

- Up to 30% of kids may suffer from back pain due to carrying a heavy backpack

- Limiting the total weight of the backpack to less than 10% of your child’s body weight is recommended 

- Wear your backpack with both shoulder straps fit snugly, so the backpack isn’t carried below the waistline 

Next Steps: 

Kids typically choose their backpack based on what makes them look cool. We recommend taking a second look and making sure the straps are wide and padded, the size is appropriate (and not too big), and that it has compartments to help distribute the load.

If your child has pain, numbness, or tingling; give your chiropractor call- they will be happy to help get them back on track! 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A BACKPACK RESEARCH BRIEF!

Science Source: 

Backpack weight and back pain reduction: effect of an intervention in adolescents. Pediatric Research 2018

Stenosis of the Spine: The 3 Most Common Types

Stenosis is a narrowing the nerve channels in and around your spine, which can result in pain, numbness, and fatigue. This condition affects millions of people per year and is the #1 cause of spine surgery for people over the age of 40.

For most people, the symptoms of stenosis usually start with a simple case of low back or neck pain. Over time, the pain may progress towards numbness and tingling that travels downs your arms or legs. In this article, I'll break down the three main types of stenosis. Once you can identify the type of stenosis you have, you'll be empowered to take the first steps towards finding lasting relief.

Get a FREE Research Brief Showing the Results of Chiropractic with Stenosis

The 3 Types of Spine Stenosis

Spinal Stenosis:

Spinal stenosis is pinching or compression on your spinal cord. Between the bones, or vertebrae, of your spine, are your spinal discs. The discs act as small spacers between the bones and allow your spine and body to move in a variety of directions.

Behind the disc is a large canal or hole in each bone. That hole is your spinal canal and is the channel that your spinal cord travels down. When a disc, bone, or ligament gets into the spinal canal, whether due to injury or age, it can cause compression on the spinal canal. This compression is called...spinal stenosis.

The hallmark of spinal stenosis is numbness and tingling into your legs and feet. Also, you may notice your endurance starts to decline. Where you used to be able to walk around the entire grocery store, now you may only make it up and down an aisle or two before you notice yourself leaning on the carriage to provide support and relief.

Many people suffering from spinal stenosis eventually feel like they are always "looking for the next chair." If that statement resonates with you, then you may have spinal stenosis.

Also, spinal stenosis tends to affect both legs evenly. If you have pain or numbness only down one leg that you may have foraminal stenosis, which we will dive into next.

Foraminal Stenosis:

The second most common type of stenosis is called foraminal stenosis. Foraminal stenosis is what many people know as a "pinched nerve."

While the spinal cord travels up and down the backside of your spine, your nerve roots exit out the left and right sides of the bones. These nerve channels are called the foraminal canals. If a disc bulge, bone spur, or ligament overgrowth encroaches into the canal, then it can cause compression that is called foraminal stenosis.

Foraminal stenosis typically results in extreme pain or numbness down one arm, or one leg is depending upon whether the pinch is occurring your neck or back.

A compression in your neck would cause arm pain/numbness, where a pinch or compression in your low back would cause symptoms into your legs.

It's also important to keep in mind just how small these nerve canals are. At about 10 mm in height and 8 mm in width, there isn't a lot of wiggle room. Even a disc bulge or herniation of 3 mm could decrease the size of the canal by nearly 30%!

Lateral Recess Stenosis:

Lateral recess stenosis is the third most common form of stenosis. This occurs when compression occurs at the junction point of the spinal cord and nerve root.

The spot where the nerve root branches off the spinal cord is referred to as the lateral recess.

In private practice, I would often see lateral stenosis accompany either spinal or foraminal stenosis. Since the nerve root is not protected by the outer laters of the spine at the lateral recess, it's "unprotected." The lack of protection by the spinal cord leaves the nerve root exposed, and compression at this spot (the lateral recess) tends to result in piercing, sharp pain down the arms or legs.

Like spinal stenosis and foraminal stenosis, lateral recess compression can occur due to disc, bone, or ligament encroachment.

Get a FREE Research Brief Showing the Results of Chiropractic with Stenosis

Next Steps:

Once you can identify the type of stenosis you're dealing with; now you have the opportunity to seek out the best treatment possible to find relief.

The good news is that regardless of which type of stenosis you are suffering with; conservative care such as chiropractic is still the best first option (in the absence of red flags).

Researchers have actually discovered that chiropractic care and adjustments can provide equal (and in some cases more) relief than injections, medications, and surgery.

“Improvement (with conservative care) was self-described as “good” or “excellent” in 80% of patients.” - JMPT, 2009

The Top Chiropractic Podcasts You Should Follow

Line these chiropractic podcasts up for your morning commute.

Which chiropractic podcasts are worth listening to? It's a great question, and we've made it easy for you by rounding up the five best chiropractic podcast for once and for all.

Whether you are an all action sports chiropractor, research-based pain relief specialist, or wellness advocate- there is a chiropractic podcast featuring information that will help you grow your practice.

Podcasts are exploding in popularity for a few reasons. First is the fact that you can listen anywhere- even while driving your car or working out. Usually, these aren't times where you want to be watching videos or reading articles! Also, most podcasts present their content in a way that is fun, exciting and leaves you wanting more.

The chiropractic podcasts featured below showcase an array of information- from in-depth interviews with industry heavy hitters, practical marketing advice from the trenches, to showcasing the research that matters- they provide a venerable masterclass in modern chiropractic practice. All of them featured a patient-centric approach that ties directly to modern chiropractic practice building.

If your goal is to stay up to date on research, hone your craft at marketing, and learn about industry news and happenings- podcasts are the ideal choice.

The Modern Chiropractic Marketing Show-

The Modern Chiropractic Marketing Show is a podcast which offers practical marketing tips, exciting interviews, and proven strategies for practicing docs. Hosted by Dr. Kevin Christie, a fantastic chiropractor practicing in South Florida, this podcast features a bunch of tactics and information that Kevin has personally used in his practice. For listeners interested in chiropractic marketing advice that has been battle-tested, The Modern Chiropractic Marketing Show is a must listen, someone who has scaled multiple practice locations has been involved with the NFL, and regularly attend entrepreneurial conferences, Kevin is a great mentor for many chiropractors in the trenches.

Chiropractic Science-

Chiropractic Science is a podcast focused on the research. If your an evidence-informed doc that geeks out on the latest research, a subscription to Chiropractic Science is in order. This podcast examines the most recent research and interviews many of the researchers, giving you a behind the scenes look at what it's like to produce modern chiropractic research. Not afraid to get into the details- Chiropractic Science is the PubMed of chiropractic podcasts.

The Evidence Based Chiropractor Podcast-

Offering chiropractic research and marketing each week in the time it takes to get to your office; The Evidence Based Chiropractor is the official podcast of this website. Approaching nearly 200 episodes, The EBC Podcast provides listeners with research updates and marketing strategies that can be immediately implemented in their practice. Research can be super, and marketing can be super complicated- The EBC Podcast does the hard work of sifting through the information, picking out the gold nuggets that can impact your practice, and delivering those nuggets on a silver platter every Monday morning.

Black Sheep DC Podcast-

Hosted by Jerry Kennedy, Black Sheep is a podcast that takes an unfiltered look at chiropractic practice. Whether it's evaluated hot button topics, showcasing high leverage marketing tips, or interviewing trendsetters, Jerry isn't afraid to dive deep. Relationship marketing is a hallmark or tenant of the podcast, and Jerry delivers incredibly valuable information for new, and seasoned docs, who are looking to grow in an ethical, patient-centric way.

Forward Thinking Chiropractic Alliance Podcast-

As the official podcast of The Forward Thinking Chiropractic Alliance you know host Dr. Bobby Maybee isn't afraid to tackle the tough issues affecting chiropractors around the world. Interviews with heavy hitters, previews of upcoming events, and tactical information for evidence-informed docs have all been featured on the Forward Podcast. Based on the guest list of interviews, it would be easy to shrink; but Bobby does a great job of stepping up, leaning in, and getting his guests to unpack their experience and knowledge base.

Clinic Gym Radio Podcast-

Do you like movement and health? Do you cringe at 3x wk forever treatment plans but secretly wish there was a better way towards financial freedom practicing in an ethical, patient-centric way? If so, you’ll love Josh Satterlee’s Clinic Gym Radio Podcast.

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