3 ways chiropractors can capitalize on today’s health and wellness trends
Posted: October 17, 2019 - By Elizabeth VelezChiropractic practices will forever be a cornerstone solution to living a healthier, painless and less tense everyday life. More people are committed to living long lives that are healthy, relaxed, and full of happiness. But with those wellness benefits being at the top of health trends, is chiropractic care the first, or even second, place where people are looking to attain a healthier lifestyle?
Not always. The answer to the above question is dependent on how you’re positioning your practice, and where you are focusing your marketing efforts. Here are 3 ways chiropractors can use the health and wellness trend to their advantage.
1. Communicate Holistic Topics that Directly Impact Your Patients
One of the ways chiropractors are increasing patient retention and seeing more patients is by tapping into a holistic audience. According to MSNBC.com, a growing number of Americans are health and wellness seekers who are searching for long-term solutions – specifically online. In fact, 45 percent of all adults nationwide are using the Internet for health-related purposes. This may include your own patients. But wouldn’t it be more strategic and beneficial for retention if your patients were getting their holistic answers from you and your practice? After all, it is more cost effective for you to aim your efforts towards retaining your patients rather than acquiring new ones.
One of your main marketing tactics should be to position your practice as an expert in holistic wellness. This can be done by sending monthly email newsletters to your patients, while keeping the content focused and strategic. If you notice this month that most patients are asking about holistic pain-relief options, send a newsletter about the top supplements that can help ease strain and discomfort in between visits. In every newsletter, be sure to briefly mention one or two reasons why visiting consistently will decrease the need for pain-relief supplements.
It’s also important to remind patients on all digital platforms that chiropractic care is natural and drug-free. The general public may already know that fact, but repetition is an effective communication strategy. After all, consumers typically need to read a message seven times before they will even consider taking an action.
2. Show the importance of regular visits
We’re living in a time where information is so easy to instantly access that we’ve grown an insatiable thirst for it. The average person checks their mobile device 150 times per day. Digital attachment is a new problem, and patients are unaware that the chronic neck pain they may suffer from is often attributed to “tech neck,” also called “text neck.”
The second way you should position your chiropractic practice is a necessary part of their holistic lifestyle. In the same manner that patients visit their dentist or eye doctor regularly, they should also visit their chiropractor. Although you see it everyday, your patients may not be correlating their behavioral habits to their pain. If you educate patients on how their spinal health affects the body as a whole, the importance of consistent chiropractic visits will be more clear. You should supplement that importance with recall text reminders for any lost patients, but your holistic-focused newsletters and wellness-focused appointments should do the heavy lifting.
A recent medical article stated that nearly one in three doctors said they withheld medical treatment from patients if the services weren’t covered by health insurance. Additionally, a Pew study found a consumer who uses the Internet as a resource for health education “stands a better chance of getting better treatment.” As a chiropractor, you should position your practice as an alternative and reliable source where patients can get optimal treatment.
Patients often appreciate the service a conversation provides. Even if there is something you feel may benefit their wellness but is not covered by their insurance, discuss it with them. The Internet has created a world of information and options. When it comes to your patient’s chiropractic health, it is much better for them to hear it directly from you.
3. Join the holistic conversation on social media
Search engines are the first stop for 8 out of 10 people seeking health information. But, often people are unable to locate the most current or accurate information. Social media can actually be a great way to tap into new health breakthroughs and current trends. The third way you should position your practice is part of relevant conversations about health and wellness on social media. Don’t worry – you can use the copy and ideas from your newsletters and repurpose them for this channel to help supplement your posts.
Popular outlets like Facebook and Instagram create a good opportunity for chiropractors to promote chiropractic care, and find their niche demographic. How? Through hashtags. Follow health and wellness hashtags to see what is trending and include those hashtags in social posts promoting your practice. If you discover a relevant post from holistic or wellness-related hashtag, be a part of the conversation and leave a comment! These social media tactics will help you grow your following and potentially increase acquisition. It may be a bit of a foreign area, but your practice can’t afford to snub social media.
Your social media can also be a great place to share stories about common problems that people suffer from everyday, and amazing patient transformations that came from holistic chiropractic care. Be sure to get written consent from patients before sharing these success stories on social media or anywhere else online.
Holistic wellness conversations and searches are happening nationwide everyday. With these positioning tactics, your chiropractic practice can be at the forefront of the conversation for your patients, and potential patients. The importance of holistic care is here to stay, and your chiropractic practice is in the perfect position to drive retention and grow your patient base.
Sources
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3077086/t/more-people-search-health-online/#.XZUo5OdKjOS
https://www.chiroeco.com/chiropractic-industry-trends/
https://www.holisticfamilychiropractic.com/news/canton-chiropractors-help-treat-tech-neck-digital-dementia
My back and shoulder have been really bothering me for a while now. It is good to know that I should think about communicating well with the chiropractor. That way, he knows what is exactly bothering me.