Chiropractic students can often develop tunnel vision, hyper tuned into learning the fine points of the art of the adjustment. Of course, the mechanical aspects of what a future Doctor of Chiropractic performs in a chiropractic adjustment is paramount, but it won’t matter if they don’t know how to get patients through the door and retain them. Here at Life University (Life U), chiropractic students in clinics are responsible for acquiring their own patient load because it helps them develop the interpersonal skills necessary to establish and run a successful practice.
Stages of the Patient Journey
(Adapted from the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress’ article, “Marketing Resource Guide”)
- Awareness
A new patient is usually coming in because they noticed a particular pain problem related to the neuromusculoskeletal system, often neck or back pain. As much as the hope would be for more patients coming in for proactive wellness, realistically speaking, first-time patients are likely presenting with a specific complaint.
Their understanding and experience with chiropractic care will lie on a spectrum. They could be skeptical about Chiropractic but considering care because of the suggestion of a friend or loved one. Alternatively, they might know something about Chiropractic but never tried it before, or they might have plateaued with other types of care. Regardless of the reason, this patient is now searching for a solution that makes sense for them and their life, with a health provider they can trust. This search might take the digital form of Google searches and social media, physical advertisements, or social feedback, such as asking for referrals and recommendations from people they know in their area.
For a new or emerging chiropractor, it is essential to ensure your practice is readily discoverable to potential patients, especially those within particular patient populations that a DC desires to serve, such as interested parties related to pediatrics, geriatrics, sports chiropractic and more. A DC will want to employ a variety of tactics in different formats to create many opportunities for community members to learn about who they are and what their practice can do for them. The exact methods and investments of time and funds should vary depending on the target population that a chiropractor wishes to connect with.
Physical advertisements like community publications, billboards or strategic sponsorships can be helpful. For example, a pediatric sports chiropractor could place eye-catching ads or sponsorships with local school sports teams. In a similar vein, consider pitching an informative article for a small local community paper or organizational newsletter. Many smaller newspapers or publications are receptive to free content that their readers can learn from. There are resources, such as those offered by the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP), that can help get you started.
Social media advertising can be economical and targeted locally, as well as radio ads. Health fairs, trade shows and community events with good foot traffic are also great ways to get out there and rub some elbows with the public.
- Interest
Step one was awareness. They are aware they have a problem, and hopefully they have become aware of you as a chiropractor and/or your practice. Interest is the next evolution of the process, where the potential patient has started to have at least a vague idea of what their problem is and what they might be able to do to address it. Maybe they tried other remedies like hot or cold compresses, massage, physical therapy, yoga or medication, but pain and mobility issues still linger on.
Imagine your potential patient with their hands hovering over the keyboard of their phone or laptop, about to ask the Wide World of the Internet what to do next. What can you do to help them find you? The short answer is a funny little phrase – Search Engine Optimization. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a marketing term that basically means using key words and other methods to improve your website and content, so it is more visible on Google and other major search engines. This article is not intended to outline the full breadth of chiropractic marketing tactics, but please visit our other article “Chiropractic Marketing Basics For Your Future Practice” for more detailed information.
The highlights of how SEO can help your chiropractic business stand out are to have a well-designed personal website that is user friendly and mobile friendly with all relevant information included that is easily searchable. If you are not confident in web design, consider consulting with and hiring a web design professional. Be sure to ask a potential web designer about how they plan to best position your website to come up early on in web searches.
Social media can be a helpful tool as well, though it requires more consistent posting and does have some risks that need to be monitored. According to ChiroTouch, the four top social media platforms for chiropractic content are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Notice that three of the four platforms are very video and/or photography-heavy, which makes sense for Chiropractic since it is best explained when demonstrated. Pick one or two platforms to commit to posting to, at least once or twice a week. If you cannot commit to keeping a social media platform refreshed, it might be better not to use it for your business, because a business social media page without new posts can look stale and neglected.
- Evaluation
At this point, the prospective patient is most likely motivated to trying Chiropractic. Then the question becomes which chiropractor works for their needs. Referrals can make a major difference here, as well as a Google search or locating a practitioner in a health plan directory. The goal is to create several physical and digital touchpoints in which new or existing patients can connect with you.
- Decision
Congrats! The patient has decided to enter initial care at your practice. Chances are they will have looked at online reviews of you and your practice beforehand, so keep that in mind. Managing reviews can be a pain, but as 75% of patients use online reviews to help them select a doctor, it is something of a necessary step. Make a point to attempt to address and resolve negative reviews as much as possible, as patients respect doctors who make an effort to serve them well and rectify any mistakes to the degree possible. A referral program with small incentives (e.g., SWAG items, discounts, etc.) can help bolster the number of positive reviews as well.
Now the day has arrived for your new patient to come in for an appointment and to start care. Be sure to decorate your walls with engaging posters, brochures and informational guides tailored to your practice to help the patient not only learn something new but also feel more confident in their choice.
- Retention
The future of any healthy practice depends on a solid retention rate. How do you keep them coming back? There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but in general, providing expert care with an attentive bedside manner can go a long way toward retaining patients. Not to mention, consistent care is what will make the difference in long-term pain management and improved health and life quality overall. This is in keeping with Life University’s foundational value of Lasting Purpose: To live an inner-directed life, to give, to do, to love, out of your own abundance.
Continuing to keep the patient engaged with reliable content, communication and customer service is key to retaining patients as they work with you to achieve their health goals.
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