Would you agree it's time to start getting more patients and more money, quickly and easily? With almost 80 million baby boomers struggling to find alternative and integrative health care practitioners - and you struggling to find them - reading this article might just be the most important five minutes you ever give yourself and your practice.
I know what you're thinking: With limited resources of both time and money, how are you going to be able to use marketing to bridge the gap between your practice and these cash-rich, health-seeking baby boomers? Here's how.
First, you'll need to create a media kit to showcase your area of expertise, keeping in mind the objective is to secure a media opportunity with your local press. Don't let the name "media kit" throw you off. A media kit simply is a compilation of information about you and/or your practice that says you are a credible source and worthy of an interview.
If you know how to create a Word document, consider yourself halfway to creating a media kit. Here are the pages you will need in your online media kit:
- color picture of yourself;
- if you are a published author, a cover picture of your book;
- author bio written specifically for the media (i.e., who you are, your key areas of expertise, any awards you have received, and any other speaking or media engagements you have done);
- fully developed interview topic with talking and message points, along with pertinent questions;
- suggested interview questions relevant to the topic;
- facts that support your topic (e.g., a recent AARP study stated that as many as 44 million Americans provide elder care);
- sample quiz (If your material can be made into this format, prepare a fun quiz. Print media loves this format. This quiz works well for lifestyle, love, relationship, losing weight and the workplace, presented in a light-hearted manner.);
- testimonials from other media people stating you were a great guest;
- other media you have done, listing the most important first; and
- a link back to your Web site if it has a demo.
Now simply e-mail your packaged media kit to the newspaper of your choice. Walk your media contact through your kit and point out certain areas you want them to notice. Call them to ask if there is an opportunity to be interviewed for their paper.
You might have competition. However, with a complete media kit, you are bound to stand out in any editor's mind.
Being a gifted healer is table stakes when it comes to building your patient base. People need to know you're out there. How you optimize your outreach to potential patients could mean the difference between thriving or simply surviving.
Right now, someone out there is waiting to buy your product or service. The question you must ask yourself is: Do you know who they are? More important, do they know who you are? Bottom line, if you are not identifying your key and most profitable customers and getting your message out to them, you are missing an opportunity to find new customers and, ultimately, long-term patients. An opportunity lost will go straight to your competitor's practice.
Never lose sight of your overall responsibility. The onus lies with each and every practitioner to take an active role in educating consumers on their wellness options. Then and only then can consumers make informed decisions.
Think about it. Without appropriate education, consumers will either continue to accept conventional medicine as the only option for their health-related needs or go with the limited information their family and friends can offer. Worse yet, they will take the first name that pops out at them from the phone book. Unless your practice name starts with "AA," odds are it's not going to be you.
Randi Drinkwater has spearheaded marketing solutions for global companies such as IBM, Cisco Systems, and WorldCom/MCI/UUNet. She is the CEO of Alternative Growth Streams, Inc. (www.easygettingmorepatients.com), a Web-based company designed to empower alternative and integrative health practitioners to grow their practices.