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Chiropractic Marketing Guide
23 Tips for Content Marketing in 2023
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- 80% Of Videos You Post Should Focus On A Condition
Most of these videos should be made for Facebook and Instagram which means they should be short, preferably under 5 minutes. Because of the nature of the platform, you will need to try to capture the viewer’s attention quickly. Also, no one likes a talking head so make sure to always demonstrate treatment to give viewers a better visual. - Get Rid Of Your Nerves & Focus On What Really Matters
Make it about them, not you. The Chiropractors I speak with that know they should create videos but haven’t started yet are usually not making because of insecurities they have. If you view creating content as a community service all of a sudden it becomes a lot easier to do because you are being of service. - Make Sure Your Video Content Quality Is On Point
There are three things to really focus on when you are shooting the video. The way it looks, the way it sounds and the content you are delivering. Make sure that you are shooting in a well-lit area that is neat and clean. Demonstrate as much as possible. Have visually appealing aspects to the video whether it is explaining a poster on your wall, going over an X-ray, showing an adjustment, etc. Make sure that if there is natural light that it is behind the camera. If you point the camera at a window it will wash out the Doctor. Use a tripod. Shaky video is the worst. Be sure that you are aware of the audio. Shoot it when the office is quiet. - Equip Yourself Like A Professional
You don’t have to have Spielbergien resources to produce epic content. An iPhone is a powerful thing. Just look at Sean Baker’s Tangerine, which he shot on an iPhone5S. 5S!! And it went to Sundance! - Make Sure Your Blog Copy Is Original
The blogs that your website company posts for you are used on hundreds or thousands of other Chiropractor’s websites so they will not be helpful to your content strategy. Unique content that answers the question a searcher has is what is valued by Google. It needs to be at least 1000 words but the longer the better. - When Writing Blogs, Use More Local Keywords
Work more local keywords into your blog, especially the first few paragraphs. Google is getting smarter and smarter so you don’t need to stuff keywords into the copy but it needs to know that your blog is for your town. - Use Ideal Blog Formatting
It takes a lot of work to write a blog, at least one that’s any good. You want that hard work to pay off by providing value, educating your audience, and maybe even converting a person or two. Proper blog formatting will help to optimize the SEO power of the blog so that it actually shows up in search. - Keyword Search Tools
Don’t sleep on free tools to help you jumpstart your SEO prowess. Keyword tools will help you analyze search trends. - Post Consistently. If You Can’t, Find Someone Who Can.
Be honest with yourself. If there is one truth I have learned running a content marketing agency for Chiropractors it is that they HATE writing blogs. So if you know you aren’t going to write a blog consistently give it to a team member to do. If you don’t have a team member that will do it, hire a writer. For 1000 words you could probably get it done for between $75-100. Just give them the title and some guidance and before you know if you’ll have a blog. - Have A Special Guest Blogger
We don’t always have time to sit down and write a perfect, SEO-optimized, 2000-word blog post. We got things to do! Accepting guest posts is a great way to give your audience consistent, quality content and get your eight hours of sleep. - Don’t Be Afraid Of Content Recycling
No need to reinvent the wheel. Save time and energy by repurposing content. It’s like regifting, only socially acceptable. - Re-Edit A YouTube Video For Another Platform
Turn one long-form video into bite size, stand alone clips and you’ve got yourself a week’s worth of content! - Go Visual
You’ve likely got a bunch of text content from your blogs, social media posts, or website pages. One of the easiest ways to repurpose content is to make it visual. Turn stats about chiropractic care’s success rate or the pervasiveness of a certain condition into an infographic. Appeal to the visual learners out there who don’t want to read a 2500-word blog and just want to see what you’re talking about. - Feature Your Employees
Employees are the best brand ambassadors. In your practice, your employees greet your patients with a smile and make sure they are happily sent on their way. Customers are more likely to trust a brand ripe with employee pride. - Publish Content That Has Nothing To Do With Your Product
Creating content is all about establishing yourself as a healthcare expert in your community. Your posts don’t always have to be about the nuts and bolts of chiropractic or a specific condition. Your audience wants to hear your unique perspective on other elements of healthcare. - Do A Live Q&A
Live Q&As allow you to interact with your audience without leaving the comfort of your own home. You can figure out what interests them and create content that speaks directly to those questions or concerns. Your followers are your best source for content ideas. - Don’t Be Afraid of TikTok
Everyone is talking about TikTok, for the right and wrong reasons. you can’t sit around and wait to find out what will happen. You have to take advantage of its reach immediately. - The Rise of AI
Ever heard of ChatGPT? How about Bard? Or Llama? There is no shortage of AI tools out there to help those of us who don’t have the time to write or don’t think it’s their strongest attribute. - Use Podcasting To Network
Podcasts allow you to “host the party” and as the host you get to invite whoever you’d like. If you are a sports Chiropractor you could interview all the gyms and nutritional experts in your area. A pediatric Chiropractor could interview all of the professionals that work with expecting and new mothers. This allows you to network with the people you want to network with by providing value to them and putting them on your platform. By being heard/seen with them their audience begins to know who you are as well. - Setup A Consistent Interview Structure Or Theme For Your Podcast
I like to have free-flowing conversations but I also have some questions that I ask on most, if not all, of the interviews to give it some consistency. That structure gives me something to fall back on if the conversation starts to wane. - Stay “In The Moment” Always When Interviewing A Podcast Guest
Interviews are easiest because you just get to be interested in other people’s stories and don’t have to always be creating. Let your personality shine. Be enthusiastic. Be present with the guest and try to think like a listener when asking your questions. - Be A Guest On A Podcast
Podcasters are hungry for guests to be on their shows. Ravenous, is more like it. This is an easy and FREE way to reach a different audience and expand your brand awareness. - Know When And Where To Splurge On Podcasting Equipment
Does having the right equipment increase the odds that your podcast will succeed? Yes!
Will the right equipment save a podcast with poor positioning and mediocre content? No. Definitely no.
Will a phone and earbuds work? Yeah…honestly, you might not even need the earbuds.
- 80% Of Videos You Post Should Focus On A Condition
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Why Content Marketing Is Real Marketing
“I get plenty of leads but it doesn’t turn into much.” I hear this almost every day when I do Strategy Sessions with my fellow Chiropractors. These frustrated Doctors are on a call with me because they are hoping for something different than what they have been doing. They know they should be “marketing online” but they don’t really know what that means and all they ever hear from the Facebook gurus, who are really just 24 year old kids that bought a course on how to run Facebook ads for local businesses for $1997 that one time, is to run a CRAZY offer for a $21 first visit. In their heart they know they should be doing more but no one really tells them what that is and that one friend from Chiropractic school seems to be killing it with their Facebook ads.
On these calls I explain to them what I call the Online Marketing Matrix. It states that there are two kinds of online platforms and two kinds of marketing that Chiropractors should be focused on. The platforms are attention based and search based. The attention based platforms are the ones where people spend their time within their personal news feed being delivered content that they have curated with people or businesses they like or follow and paid ads. These platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The search based platforms are where people go to get their questions answered or look for specific things. This is mainly Google and YouTube.
Here is the Online Marketing Matrix and some of the different examples Chiropractors should focus on.
For all of the platforms, you can implement strategies around both types of marketing. Those are lead generation and content marketing. Lead generation is what most Chiropractors think of when they think of online marketing. This is usually paid advertising where you are trying to get a lead or a patient. Facebook offer ads and Google ads are commonly used examples of these. Content marketing is where you are using one of the three types of content (video, text or audio) to deliver information to your target market with no real call to action. The purpose of this is to provide value to your ideal patient and to begin to build trust with that person.
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of Just Running A Facebook Ad
Why is it that there are SO many “marketing agencies” telling Chiropractors they should be running Facebook ads? Where did they all come from? Five years ago there was no real done for you marketing out there that specialize in Chiropractic. I could talk about this all day but basically a cottage industry of online entrepreneurs began selling courses on how to run Facebook ads and some of them were specifically around how to run Facebook ads for local businesses. The way this works is they teach them how to make an ad, run traffic to that ad on Facebook, pick a niche to focus on and sell to that niche. For $1,997 you are now a business owner. Some of these people that bought these courses, legitimately now run multi million dollar a year businesses off of just that. Makes that $200K in student loans a little harder to look at huh?
Chiropractors are a perfect target (some would say mark) for these people because we are easy to identify and find. We all went to Chiropractic school. We all know lots of other Chiropractors. We are all in Facebook groups together. Most of us say we are Chiropractors on Facebook. Chiropractic clinics are normally Doctor owned and operated businesses meaning it is easy to identify the ultimate decision maker. This is why you get so many friend requests from marketing people.
So these agencies are now armed with the knowledge of how to run an ad on Facebook and their niche and they all tend to find their little pocket of Doctors willing to give it a shot. But because all they know is how to run a first visit special ad that is what every Chiropractor is doing.
The GOOD is that sometimes they work. Typically the discount special ad will work for 3-6 months before it starts to decrease in effectiveness. In some areas it lasts longer. In other areas it is shorter.
The BAD is that because there are so many people selling this idea to Chiropractors, and there are enough success stories, that now everyone is doing it. I see towns of 50,000 people that will have 7 offices running basically the same ad. 24 months ago it was rare for more than one office to be running ads but that is how fast it has metastasized. So not only is there more competition amongst Chiropractors but other local business niches were chosen by the people who bought the courses and they are running the same type of ad for all of the gyms, karate studios, and dentists in town. People’s news feeds are becoming polluted with terribly produced, bottom of the funnel, Groupon style ads. That means they are interacting less with the ads which leads to more expensive leads.
The UGLY is that I believe these ads can cause long term negative brand equity for your practice if this is all anyone ever sees from you. When every time they go onto social media they see you severely discounting your services with no value added to help counter balance that you will start to be seen as exactly that, a discount Chiropractor. I believe Facebook offer ads should play a role in your online marketing strategy but it shouldn’t be 100% of it. Maybe more like 10%.
Content Marketing Can Create Patients Out Of Thin Air
When you run a Facebook ad for a discounted first visit or you run Google ads to people looking for a Chiropractor you are competing for the already converted in a zero sum game. The people looking for a Chiropractor have already decided that they need a Chiropractor. When they go to Google it is like 10 years ago when people opened up the yellow pages to the Chiropractor section. They were going to call someone so it better be you. That is why the yellow pages were so easy to get a positive ROI from back in the day. You paid for the biggest ad, put a tracking phone number in the ad and kept track of how much was collected off of each call.
Facebook is like the newspaper, TV or radio when I started in practice. You could put your ad in places where people were spending their time and attention. This was a little different than the yellow pages because people weren’t watching TV or listening to the radio to find a Chiropractor but if you were able to make your offer enough times you might get someone to take action. Most of these ads were similar to the Facebook ads you see today. An offer to come into the office. These attention based platforms have the same issue as the intentional based ones in that people who are taking advantage of the offer are people who already believe Chiropractic is the solution to their problem.
Content marketing, whether it is videos on social media, blog posts on your website or a local podcast, can begin to educate people on the problems they have and the solutions you provide. You can begin to create patients out of thin air, and in turn change the entire trajectory of a person’s life.
Let’s say there is a woman named Mary that lives one mile from your practice. Mary gets debilitating migraines three times a week. She has to lay in a dark room for hours. Her kids feel neglected. Her husband is feeling the strain of having to do everything. She has to take days off of work because of it so her job is in jeopardy. She isn’t able to do the things that bring her joy for fear a migraine may unexpectedly set in. She has been suffering for years now. She has NO idea Chiropractic could help. She either hasn’t been told or maybe she asked her MD and she told her that it wouldn’t help. But one day, as she is scrolling through Facebook she sees a video with a bold headline that says “How To Eliminate Migraines Without Drugs”. She stops and watches the three and a half minute video from a Chiropractor who has an office a mile away. It makes total sense to her. She wonders why no one had ever told her this before. Mary can now look up that Chiropractor online. Maybe watch more videos. Read more blogs. What happens next? Mary doesn’t then go to Google and let the search engine decide who she should call. If she decides that she should give Chiropractic a try she is 99.9% of the time going to call the Doctor she saw on that video.
This is the beauty of Chiropractic. We have the truth. Explaining the subluxation and how the adjustment is the only thing that will fix that makes sense to people. We all explain that to people one on one. Content marketing allows you to use the modern marketing methods to communicate that message in a much more scalable way.
Amazing Video Content WILL Attract New Patients - Four Pro Tips To Make Sure Your Content Is Gold
I believe that video is the most impactful way to deliver natural health care information to your community. Potential patients can not only learn new information but they can begin to know, like and trust you at the same time. Unfortunately, it is the content that is the most difficult for people to make, for lots of different reasons. Here are the three tips I think will help you get started or will help you optimize what you are already doing:
Equip Yourself Like A Professional
You don’t have to have Spielbergien resources to produce epic content. An iPhone is a powerful thing. Just look at Sean Baker’s Tangerine, which he shot on an iPhone5S. 5S!! And it went to Sundance!- Camera
Smartphones are getting smarter and smarter. Using your phone as a camera allows for versatility in your shots, and plenty of apps can enhance the quality and capabilities of your videos. An iPhone is an easy, accessible way to start making great videos. Just remember when shooting long-form videos for YouTube to shoot horizontally for the best outcome. If you’re looking to up your game and become a YouTube sensation, think Justin Bieber circa 2007, a DSLR camera like the Canon EOS Rebel T5i might be the way to go. Though I bet the Biebs was using his mom’s Razor. - Microphone
Visual and audio are the two most important elements of video creation, but honestly, audio is usually neglected. The microphone on your phone is pretty reliable, though for long-term use and more versatility, think about getting a lavalier mic. Rode makes fantastic wireless and plug-in lavalier microphones. For a more professional feel, try a USB microphone from Audio Technica. This is a ‘two birds with one stone’ situation as the Technica is also a great microphone for podcasting…(a bit of foreshadowing) - Tripod
Using the handheld look on your videos is a great way to create dynamic visuals, but sometimes, especially if you’re the on-camera AND off-camera talent, a tripod is necessary. iKan makes sturdy and reliable tripods that are easily transportable and give your shots a professional look. If you’re looking to get fancy, iKan’s gimbal stabilizer won’t trigger motion sickness when you go for those handheld moments. - Lighting
Lighting is everything. It can completely change the way a person looks…
Always be lit from the front and never backlit, unless you don’t want anyone to be able to see you, then definitely be lit from the back. Here is where you can take advantage of the sun. Natural light works perfectly, and an overcast day softens the light making a low-budget video shoot look Hollywood-ready. If you don’t want to be at the mercy of the sun, one look at yourself in front of a ring light from Taotronics, and you’ll start thinking you shouldn’t leave the house without one.
These four items are all you need to get started making great videos. Remember, the most essential aspect of the video is YOU. It doesn’t have to be perfect, in fact, mistakes almost always lead to the most compelling moments. Your audience wants to fall in love with you, so be yourself, be fearless, and have fun!
Don't Get Overwhelmed - Use These Ideas As A Springboard For New Content
Go Visual
You’ve likely got a bunch of text content from your blogs, social media posts, or website pages. One of the easiest ways to repurpose content is to make it visual. Turn stats about chiropractic care’s success rate or the pervasiveness of a certain condition into an infographic.
Appeal to the visual learners out there who don’t want to read a 2500-word blog and just want to see what you’re talking about.
If you’re having trouble isolating information for a single infographic, make a series of them! Turn your blog post into a visual Slideshare. It can be embedded in a website or sent out to your email list as a great interactive piece of email marketing.
If you’re more of a reader and think your audience is as well, turn the blog into a downloadable PDF. It could be sent out to your email list or used as part of an opt-in selection on your website. In exchange for a visitor’s email address, you provide high-value content that will establish you as a healthcare expert.
If You Haven't Already, You Need To Start Blogging - Three Simple Hacks To Remember Before Posting.
Blogs are great content pieces because they will help you show up when people are searching for solutions on Google in the future. They also last much longer than videos on social do. Once they are on your website they are available for Google to show in search results. Videos on social media get buried in your news feed once you’ve stopped putting money behind them. Blogs help your website to be seen as more relevant than your competition’s because you are creating new content for them to show. This can help with your Google Maps placement and overall website ranking. Here are the three tips I think will help you make your blog strategy more effective:
Make Sure Your Blog Copy Is Original
You have to have original content for your blog. The blogs that your website company posts for you are used on hundreds or thousands of other Chiropractor’s websites so they will not be helpful to your content strategy. Unique content that answers the question a searcher has is what is valued by Google. It needs to be at least 1000 words but the longer the better. The average blog shown on the front page of Google is 1800 words long. These 200 word blogs that I see on Chiropractor’s websites will do more harm than good in the long term. You may get Google to show it but if people click on it, see that there is nothing to it and click back to the search results Google will eventually stop showing your blog because it won’t find it relevant.
Start A Local Podcast Now. Three Ways To Create Meaningful Podcast Content (That People Will Want To Listen To)
Audio is the most overlooked piece of the content marketing puzzle. People love consuming content passively and audio is the only format that you can do that with. Podcasts are exploding in popularity and they are some of the easiest pieces of content to make. Now, I am not sure that a local Chiropractor talking about Chiropractic is going to hit #1 on the charts any time soon but you can use a podcast to start to build your network and be seen as an expert in your community.
Your community needs you now more than ever. You aren’t competing with other Chiropractors in your town when you create content. You are educating people that may have no idea that Chiropractic could help them. You are competing against them doing nothing or worse, trying to medicate their way out of pain. If you make creating content less about you and more about the people you are trying to serve it will become that much easier. If B.J. had the tools of communication we have today or if all of us worked to spread the message as hard as he did using those tools Chiropractic would be at a 90% utilization rate instead of 10%. People are dying. They need the information we have. It is your responsibility to get it to them. If you have any questions for me please reach out to me on Facebook or Instagram at drnicksilveri or email me at [email protected].
