Let me tell you a quick story about a skilled acupuncturist. He worked hard to create a wonderful experience for his patients. He practiced his art with conviction and skill. He invested in the best clinical tools he could afford. He painted the walls of his consulting room a nice color and accented them with landscape paintings.
New patients came to see him every week, but there were days that he caught himself sitting in the lobby, reading a magazine (maybe this one) and waiting for the next patient to show up. He had a few faithful patients, and hoped that in time they would spread the word about his practice.
His business did OK But as you may have guessed it by now, it never thrived. It's the story of many acupuncturists today, but it doesn't have to be your story.
The Challenge of Attracting New Patients
U.S. adults are increasingly aware of the benefits of seeing an acupuncturist. However, many acupuncturists continue to have a hard time attracting a steady stream of patients. Some of the potential reasons include:
But don't let these challenges discourage you. Today, you have access to more marketing tools and channels than any previous generation of acupuncture professionals. And the best of these tools is close to home – social media.
Why Social Media Empowers Acupuncturists
Social media and mobile devices have transformed the way people search and engage with private practices. Word-of-mouth is still important, but many people now take it online. Social sharing, and viral sharing especially, promotes referrals faster and at a greater scale than before.
Do you know millennials look to alternative medicine as a way to healthy living? Younger millennials are 40 percent more likely to turn to alternative medicine that the general population, according to a Nielsen study. And for most millennials, social media isn't only a means of communication, but a way of life. Networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube are an integral part of their everyday interactions – not just with friends and family, but also with brands and service providers.
Older adults aren't missing out on social media, either. Americans ages 50 and older continue to embrace social media – 70 percent are using YouTube and 68 percent are on Facebook.
Social media empowers you to promote your business in an organic and fully scalable way. More affordable than conventional advertising, it offers you greater reach and explosive growth through viral campaigns, which can have a snowballing effect, generating thousands of likes, shares, comments and leads.
Having thousands of followers on social media makes a huge difference compared to having just a few hundred followers. Equally important is focusing your efforts on the most effective social media channels and the right content formats to maximize your reach. For example, marketers who use video generate 66 percent more qualified leads per year.
Use Social Media to Attract New Patients and Gain Credibility
Your patients and potential patients are on social media – that much is clear. So, how can you start using social networks more effectively not just to promote, but to grow your practice?
You have to build an engaging presence, which is a process, rather than a simple strategy. You have to create value for your audience with every post you publish, and consistently interact with fans and followers.
Here's how to transform your social media presence and differentiate yourself from competitors.
1. Don't be average – become an engaging presence people can't ignore. Share your knowledge and experience through content that's informative, entertaining or a mix of both. Answer questions and reply to comments. Draw on your skills and experience to provide guidance and advice.
2. Focus on visual content. Images, infographics and videos have a stronger emotional impact than plain text. Visual content enables you to promote the entire experience you offer. It enables you not just to highlight the benefits of your treatment or your central location, but also to present them in a way people can visualize.
3. Highlight happy patients to boost your reputation. You probably have testimonials on your website already, but these may not generate enough visibility. It's time to feature positive patient experiences on social media, starting with Facebook. Invite happy patients to leave you reviews after a successful treatment and use case studies to build trust.
4. Team up with influencers. Influencers enable you to spread the word about your practice in a less intrusive way than ads, while at the same time boosting your reputation. Even micro-influencers can generate considerable exposure for your practice. Identify potential influencers among your followers – people with a large following and a strong social persona; or consider using an influencer marketing agency. Influencer marketing is especially strong on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
Are You Ready to Adjust?
In the end, growing your practice today requires successful adjustments, and not only of the spine. Adjusting how you promote your practice and the channels you focus on can transform the way patients and potential patients perceive your business, and help you consolidate your reputation.
As an acupuncturist, it's not enough to tell your prospective patients how effective your treatments are. You need to connect with them. You need to build trust and do it in a way that organically creates referrals and that scales. So remember – social media is a conversation between you and your patients based on trust and honesty. It's not a monologue!
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