We live in a digital-centric era, and online networks offer brand-new ways for businesses to expand and connect with clients. Many within the health and wellness space like chiropractors and physical therapists have leaned heavily into their digital networks to accomplish this goal, but how can you harness this potential for your own growth? With the demand for holistic healthcare rising every way, you can reach a broader audience online so it behooves you to embrace the digital era wholeheartedly rather than avoid it.
We’ve outlined some unique strategies and ideas that can help you boost your chiropractic practice and attract more patients for long-term growth.
The Power of Online Networks
While you can’t beat the personal connections you can form through in-person networking and word-of-mouth marketing, online networks have similar potential and power for your business development. Rather than speaking with one individual in a more personal setting, online networking platforms like LinkedIn or X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, allow you to connect with multiple individuals simultaneously and share the same message directly with them. This expanded reach offers numerous advantages for your professional practice and can be a game changer for your marketing efforts.
In addition to the convenience and reach, online networking platforms are a low-cost investment (sometimes even free), which means you have the potential to get a bigger bang for your buck. Furthermore, you can be far more intentional and deliberate through online networks. How? By optimizing your connections and your messaging. You can filter out the connections that you don’t want to interact with and refine the messages and content that you distribute to ensure your time and energy aren’t wasted on the wrong people.
Online Networking Opportunities: What You Should Explore
The digital landscape is nothing short of vast, and there are plenty of opportunities for networking that can greatly benefit your chiropractic business. Where should you focus your time and energy? In a few different areas:
- Social Media Networks – Platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and even TikTok are obvious opportunities for any business. The average person spends over an hour each day on social media platforms, engaging with various types of content, responding to others, and sharing their own posts. Simply put: if your chiropractic practice is not on social media, you’re missing out on a significant opportunity.
- Blogging Sites – Whether you publish blog articles on your website or on a third-party platform like Tumblr or Medium, blogs are still a highly effective way to improve organic search engine rankings and spread your message to even greater audiences. If possible, it’s best to publish your blogs on both your professional website and a third-party platform to maximize your reach beyond your typical subscribers.
- Social Discussion Forums – If you’ve ever taken a deep dive into a site like Reddit, you likely saw how easy it is to get lost in a rabbit hole. On these sites, users can post questions and answers for all kinds of discussion topics and expand their knowledge, find sources of new inspiration, and make new connections with others. We recommend taking some time to look closer into subreddit pages and channels that are relevant to your geographic area and your chiropractic practice to start making some new online connections.
- Other Online Networking Alternatives – There are many opportunities to explore beyond just LinkedIn! For instance, Xing is a professional network where you can join groups of like-minded professionals to network and share ideas. Bark is another neat service that connects local professionals with people who are seeking their services. And Opportunity offers a unique service that provides “professional matchmaking” and connects people based on their needs.
Take the initiative to explore new options for online networking to grow not just your client base, but your professional connections too.
Leverage Online Networks to Find Events Near You
As we said earlier, you can’t beat the face-to-face connections you can make at networking events. So, why not use your online networks to find those events in your area?
Online platforms like MeetUp, Eventbrite, and even LinkedIn will list tons of professional networking opportunities in your area, and you can definitely find some events that are relevant to your business goals. While you can find those events on your own time, it’s a good idea to reach out to current connections to ask for invites to upcoming networking opportunities. Many people are in constant pain every day, and you can definitely find those individuals at networking events too.
That said, these online events can also act as great opportunities to find new brand partnerships and opportunities to market your business tangentially to another.
Social Media Networking
Social media has become a powerful tool for all businesses to connect with their target audience effectively, and those in the health and wellness space have found these platforms to be invaluable. Chiropractors can establish trust among their current patient base and prospects simultaneously on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and they can even bring in new patients through these platforms too.
Be Strategic with Organic Posts
To position yourself as a trusted expert in the field and attract potential patients, you need to be very intentional in the type of content that you publish on social channels. Not only do you need to be mindful of your brand voice and the language that you use, but you also need to think about what your network finds valuable and how your content can add value to their everyday lives.
For instance, you could use organic content to proactively address patients’ concerns and provide them with insightful information on pain relief. Whether you’re sharing detailed tips to improve posture or you’re explaining the benefits of regular chiropractic adjustments, providing relevant content that adds real value is key to engaging with the target audience and communicating your value.
You can enhance your posts by including visual elements such as photos, videos, infographics, and animated GIFs to effectively communicate your personality and differentiate yourself from other chiropractors in your area. This type of content will make your posts more appealing within your online networks, so keep in mind: visual forms of content are often more shareable and get better engagement than static text posts.
Be Genuine in Your Social Marketing Strategy
People within your online social networks can spot generic content and slapdash ads from a mile away. As such, it’s important to keep in mind that a successful social strategy should not just add value to patients’ lives, but also showcase your genuine personality and brand. Online reviews are a great way to accomplish that goal because they act as social proof for prospective patients and you can add your own personal spin on it too. There are unique pieces of review management software out there that can automate the review collection process, making it easier to gather feedback and testimonials from satisfied patients.
Just keep in mind that any marketing materials you present on these digital networks will be representative of your business and your brand. So be mindful of which testimonials you promote, how you promote them, and when you post them.
Grow Your Network Through Other Digital Marketing Strategies
Through targeted advertising campaigns, engaging social media content, and strategic search engine optimization efforts, chiropractors can effectively market their services, grow their networks, and attract more prospective clients. Let’s take a closer look at some of those strategies.
Search Engine Optimization Tactics
In order to get your website at the top of organic search engine rankings, you need to optimize your website for relevant keywords, ensure that it runs smoothly, and work to improve your domain authority. Search engine optimization is a complex process that takes a long time to generate organic results, but it can be invaluable for growing your professional network and your client base.
Take some time to conduct some thorough keyword research on your competitors and your current website. This activity allows you to identify the precise terms potential clients are searching for in your area, allowing you to tailor your website content accordingly. On-page optimizations involve the fine-tuning of various elements such as meta tags, headings, and content structure to ensure they align with relevant keywords. With enough time and effort, you can strategically improve your website to rank higher in search engine rankings.
Email Marketing Ideas
Email marketing can take many different forms such as informative newsletters or marketing automation processes. Nevertheless, email can be invaluable for chiropractors because it provides an opportunity to educate their audience about relevant health concerns, reengage with patients who have not visited the office in a while, and share relevant offers to encourage referrals. These strategies help build trust with current, past, and prospective patients and they help position your practice as reliable, patient-focused, and knowledgeable.
Leverage Online Networking Today
As you’ve gathered from the article, online networks are a game-changer for chiropractors looking to expand their practices, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to connect with new prospects and build your professional network. Implement some of these ideas today to take your practice to new heights.
Author’s Byline: Nellia Melnyk, based in Denver, CO, brings extensive experience in digital marketing to the healthcare sector. Her valuable insights and expertise are shared through informative articles, and you can connect with her on LinkedIn for further healthcare-related tips and knowledge.
