Our method of communicating the chiropractic message is also changing. The subject of chiropractic, once largely relegated to the Yellow Pages and newsletters, has moved into the mass media and onto the internet.
But the basic interaction is still the same. Someone credible shares relevant information with someone else. This can happen in person, through print, on a website, on the radio or television. The dynamics of human interaction haven't really changed, even though the technology continues to.
Chances are that only 10-20 percent of the people in your community have really heard about chiropractic from someone qualified to tell our story. Sure, everyone "knows" what chiropractors do: "They crack your back."
Reaching the 80 percent that don't understand what chiropractors do is a long-term project. It will require multiple methods of communication and an investment of time and money. Generally speaking, those methods that require less money require more time. You can go door-to-door to tell people about chiropractic; all it will cost you is a pair of new shoes every month.
You probably don't realize it, but over 35 percent of the people in your community are on the internet. Over 10 percent of your neighbors have already purchased something on a website in the first six months of this year. These numbers are increasing at dramatic rates.
Why are they spending time on the Web? Information.
Information is the one commodity that everyone needs. And one of the most sought after topics is health.
When it comes to reaching more people in less time by spending less money, the Web is the obvious choice. You would spend millions on television commercials before you reached 35 percent of your neighbors. And the quality of that interaction wouldn't be half as good.
But having a website is more than just putting up a sign in cyberspace. It is a new technology that offers numerous ways to inform and educate. Here are some examples of how you can reach the 80 percent nonpatient neighbors via the Web. These are a must for any well-designed website:
- Tell Them about Yourself: By introducing yourself and telling about your education and practice, you are no longer a stranger.
- Teach Them about Chiropractic: This is your chance to educate them about the many benefits chiropractic care offers. But remember, these people don't understand anatomy. Use words that best relate to them.
- Go Interactive: Put up a bulletin board where potential patients can ask questions and get answers. Not only will you have a chance to interact with them, but for every person who asks a question, another 50 are reading the answer. On chiroweb.com, Drs. George Best and Greg Nelson are answering question about chiropractic on the "Ask a Doctor of Chiropractic" bulletin board. In the first two weeks, they only answered a few questions, but the number of visits in those first two weeks totaled more than 250.
- Reach Out with E-Mail: E-mail costs very little and can be re-e-mailed to many. You should be sending out an e-mail newsletter to patients and anyone else in your community who is the least bit interested. Put out sign-up sheets for this free service. If you are having trouble with content, call us. This is a service we offer.
As the world anticipates the next century and second millennium, chiropractic is already three years into our second century.These are new times with new opportunities to tell the world about chiropractic. But it happens one person, one community at a time.
Use these ideas and others to make your community a chiropractic community.
Click here for more information about Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h), Publisher.