November 2008

17 rules for effective chiropractic advertising

by Dr. Robert J. Manna

I've got a dumb question for you. Would you reach into your pocket and take out a few hundred dollars in cash and throw it into a fire? Of course you wouldn't.

But, I'd venture to say that millions of chiropractic advertising dollars are completely wasted each year. That's right. You may as well burn those advertising dollars unless you know exactly what you are doing. When it comes to advertising, you can't just "wing it." The good news is that when you know what you are doing, you can turn your advertising dollars into a fortune of business, and help lots of people who have no idea where to turn.

But why advertise at all? Because even if you have great referrals an effective ad program can add an additional from five to twenty five new patients a month to your practice.

I know, I know. I've heard it, too. Chiropractors say it all the time, "MDs don't advertise, so why should I?" The truth is that life isn't fair, and MDs actually have the pharmaceutical industry advertising for them at the rate of a few billion dollars a month. These Big Pharma advertising dollars drive patients into the MDs office in droves asking for the specific drugs they saw on a TV commercial. "Doc, I need that Lunesta," (or Viagra, Levitra, Boniva, Requip, Lipitor, or whatever).

We don't have giant multi-billion dollar companies driving people to us. It's up to us, and our limited budgets. So, how is it done right? How do you get people to respond to your ads instead of tossing them in the garbage?

Well, first you have to understand that there are millions of people out there that medicine has failed. They're still confused, suffering, and in need of what you have. They're frustrated and don't know where to turn. Many "get it" and know that 90% of medicine is the psuedo-science of masking symptoms. Many have heard something about chiropractic, some of it true, and much of it untrue and scary. With this knowledge in mind, our advertising must explain what we do, and what the benefits are while simultaneously calming people's fears.

Although this list is by no means all-inclusive, here are 17 rules for improving your advertising.

1. Above all else, have a powerful and eye-catching headline.

2. Make your ad read like a compelling, emotional story.

3. Every sentence of your ad should make the reader want to read the next one.

4. Tell people why you're passionate about chiropractic.

5. Use clear, conversational language.

6. Your words should make the reader feel that he or she knows/can trust you.

7. Use a friendly photo that promotes rapport.

8. Use testimonials.

9. Explain how you may be able to help the reader.

10. Defuse people's fears about chiropractic.

11. Give people a compelling reason to call you right away.

12. Never be boastful or disparage other professionals.

13. Always, always be truthful.

14. Make it clear how people can call you, and where your office is.

15. Make the format of your ad easy to read.

16. Make sure the reader knows that his or her neighbor comes to see you, too.

17. Do everything above in accordance with the law.

Just using these 17 rules can improve your ads dramatically. Give it a shot.

(Robert J. Manna, DC practices in Rome, GA and owns the Killer Ads, Inc. He has taught doctors in 19 countries how to advertise their practices successfully. His website is www.thekillerads.com or he can be reached at 706-233-9000.)