Publicity Tips for Chiropractors
There are many different ideas out there about chiropractors. Much of the publicity about chiropractors is negative, but in recent years the publicity about chiropractors has been steadily improving. The negative ideas concerning chiropractic stemmed from negative publicity from the AMA's national boycott of this type of healing. Beginning in 1963 and going until 1987 the AMA managed a smear campaign that may affect people's ideas about chiropractic to some degree for years to come. The smear campaign ended due to the five Illinois chiropractors that filed a lawsuit against the AMA and affiliated groups for restriction of trade and won. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done and there are still people that could be helped by the services of a chiropractor but will not even consider seeing a chiropractor due to their tainted ideas that have been with them for years.
Recently, however, chiropractic has gained acceptance among medical professionals. More medical doctors have been referring patients to chiropractors for back pain, and there are medical doctors and chiropractors that are now teaming up in partnerships so that patients can have the benefits of both types of doctors. Another advance in the chiropractic community is that chiropractors can now be licensed in all 50 states and most insurance policies will cover some chiropractic care.
So, the question is to how to overcome the negative publicity that the chiropractic industry has received. There are many different ways to get publicity, there is the use of the tv, radio, newspapers, magazines, and probably most importantly word of mouth Some of these media outlets can cost a lot of money to place an ad but there are ways to take advantage of the media and not have it cost any money at all while still getting the word out about your practice.
TV reporters are looking for stories. If you need some positive press about your practice one way to get it may be to offer your services for free. By affiliating yourself with a community service project or event and offering a free service you may be part of a local news story. The media will come to you instead of you paying the high cost of tv advertising.
Radio is another great means of having your name heard. Talk radio stations need hours of interviews to fill their time slots. Once again, if you get in contact with a radio station and do an interview with a host that lets the listeners know of how chiropractic care can benefit their life you may have multiple offers for you to talk about your practice and once again get your name out in the public's eye or ear.
This same principle can be applied by all media outlets, you just need to be creative and decide what you have to offer the community. The media is always looking for "feel good" stories that help the community.
One of the best ways to increase your practice is through word of mouth. Patients who have benefited from your service can let you know of others who may be helped by a chiropractor. These referrals are typically the most loyal patients. If a trusted friend suggests your office and then has a positive experience the line of referrals for you will be ever growing.
So get out there and use the media to your advantage, you are actually helping the community by offering a way for them to have a healthier, happier life. Be creative in delivering your message to the media, get active in community events, and reap the benefits of your new found publicity methods.
