Free! As you probably know, people love free "stuff." Often it doesn't really matter what the free "stuff" is, but the fact that it's free attracts people by the droves. You can use this quirk of the human character to your benefit. In fact, in marketing there are numerous places where FREE is your absolute in-road to the hearts and minds of prospective and existing patients.

For your chiropractic business there are few more effective marketing tools than putting together a free "goodie bag" for your patients. When you fill that bag with items that the patient will use, you will keep your name in front of them long after they've visited your office. As a low cost, high payoff marketing strategy, you can't afford not to be all about the "Free."

Put things in your goodie bag like a coffee mug, magnetic to-do list for the refrigerator, magnetic business cards, chip bag clips, pens, pencils, and key tags, In other words, you want to give them items that will stay around the house AND items that you can personalize with your name, clinic name, and contact information.

The Most Important Mistake to Avoid when Going Free…
If there is one mistake I see chiropractors making, it's giving away free stuff like mugs, pens, or notepads. Don't get me wrong, giving these items away can be a great technique for building business. But, these chiropractors are shooting themselves in the foot. Why? Simply because they've neglected to personalize the gifts. In other words, they haven't made the investment in adding their name, clinic name, contact information, and/or tagline to the free stuff.

That's a critical mistake! When it comes to advertising and especially when it comes to giving away free stuff, it's imperative that you personalize everything! It may seem silly to put your name and contact information on something as seemingly insignificant as a pen, but believe me that investment will pay off time and time again.

Every time that individual uses that pen, she'll think of you and your services. If she's visited you before, she'll remember how good the visit felt. If she's not been before, she'll be reminded how going might be a great idea.

When you advertise your services on your free giveaways, you are putting yourself out there in high profile places-on the coffee mug, on the pad of paper next to the phone, on the magnet on the fridge, on the pen that is used every day.

When you make the small investment to place your name and business in front of people every day in all of these assorted ways, you dramatically increase your conversion and repeat-client rates.

That said; always, always, always personalize your free giveaway items with your name, contact information, and services.

More Than Just Gifts…Information for Free
Oftentimes, an informed client is the best type of client for business. So, consider giving away free reports and workshops. Many times a client may simply not know the right questions to ask you during a treatment session. However, when you provide free reports to your patients (and prospective patients), you can begin to educate them as to what bodily issues and injuries chiropractors generally treat. More specifically, you can inform your patients about the services you offer.

The effect is doubly positive. First, you create an informed client who can come to you with a more refined ability to describe what s/he is experiencing. And, secondly, the report allows you to showcase what kinds of treatment you offer as well as the success of such treatments. For example, if a patient didn't realize that you offer PI treatment services, a free report would allow you to discuss the common injuries and treatments associated with motor vehicle accidents as well as to highlight the fact that you and your office can provide such services.

Again, with free reports and workshops you educate about an issue, illness, injury, or treatment in general, as well as educate about how you perform such services.

Whether you give away free goodies or free information, the effect is the same: you create happy patients who have a good feeling when they think of you. And, because you've personalized all of your goodies-when they think of you-they'll be able to contact you whenever they please. Win-win!