Reading time: 3 – 4 minutes
A few weeks ago Kellie and I rented, what is arguably, the worst movie I have ever seen.
When all was said and done, I was close to asking Blockbuster for my money back on the rental. Seriously. That’s how bad this movie was.
Ironically enough though, there was one great lesson for astute and savvy chiropractors right at the beginning of the movie.
Let me share it with you here and save you the misery and lost hours of your life having to sit through this film.
The movie I’m referring to is “The Box” starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden.
It’s about a married couple who unexpectedly receive a small wooden box on their doorstep, and are told that opening it and pushing its big red button will grant them a million dollars and kill someone they don’t know.
Anyway, when the box is first delivered, it’s done with a lot of mystery and intrigue… immediately grabbing the couple’s full attention.
It’s left on their doorstep with no explanation, wrapped in simple brown paper.
There’s a tiny note inside the package that says “Mr. Steward will call upon you at 5PM.”
Of course, from that moment on the couple is totally engaged and curious what the box is all about.
And, there’s lots of anticipation for 5PM.
And this whole “box delivery experience” is where the lesson for chiropractors can be found.
You see, when it comes to marketing or advertising your practice, the first objective is always: getting attention.
Your marketing and advertising must be different enough to stand out from the norm and the crowd, and grab your target audience’s attention right away.
Remember, it doesn’t matter how good your marketing message is if nobody pays any attention to it.
And, hey, don’t think that just because you mail a postcard or run a small space ad that that means people are automatically going to read it.
NO!
You have to earn their readership… their attention… by being different, by being compelling, by being interesting, by being entertaining… and immediately conveying a benefit.
Next, your practice marketing should stir emotion, create some excitement, and build some anticipation. This is done with benefit-driven copy that paints a vivid picture of how your reader’s life stands to be radically improved with the addition of chiropractic care in your office.
Lastly, your marketing itself should create a memorable experience for prospective patients.
For example, I know a guy who owns a car repair shop that mailed out letters to customers that were made to look like they came from his child, written in multi-colored crayons, with a hand-drawn coupon on the last page.
The letter not only got his customers attention and generated sales, it got passed along to family members and friends (because it was so different), and generated lots of referrals in the process.
It was an effective “sales letter” that also gave recipients a unique experience.
Point is:
For your chiropractic marketing to be really effective, it MUST first grab recipients’ attention, convert that attention into excitement and intrigue, then translate those emotions into action, all while delivering a unique experience.
This whole process really begins with you making a commitment to NOT FOLLOWING THE HERD.
[Editor’s Note: Do you have at least 12 NO-COST chiropractic marketing channels working to bring you new patients? If not, you should really read this. Go here.
