When you decide to use the advertisements to get your message out, it's very important that you create the best possible ad to promote your chiropractic business and services.

The following six elements are the basis of ALL marketing initiatives, but knowing them can help you specifically within your chiropractic marketing. Whether you are inviting patients back for follow-up visits or seeking new patients, your message needs to successfully utilize each of these six points in order to "close" the deal.

 
1. The Headline

Get the reader's attention with a headline or eye-catching phrase. Headlines are the marquee, if you will, or title line of your ad. This is the "hook" or "curiosity tickler" of the ad that is designed to capture the reader's attention.

Make sure that every word is attention-getting or provocative. The goal of your headline is to hold the viewer's attention just long enough that they are compelled to read on to the body copy.

2. The Offer: Benefit-Rich Body Copy

The body of the ad should list benefits or reasons why the customers should buy your product or service now. The body copy is your main "sales" pitch.

- Emphasize the customer by using the word "you" instead of the word "we."

- Use bulleted text to highlight key points.

- Use a copy length that supports your message: long copy looks informative and is good for technical or business products. Short copy leaves room for graphics.

- Use comparative advertising phrases such as "You've tried the others. Now try us!" only if your product or service has an obvious advantage over the offerings of your competitors.

3. The Urgent Call to Action

The closing copy should make the sale possible by including any contact, telephone, address, or other ordering information necessary for the consumer to act on his or her purchasing decision.

Your Call-to-Action is simply what you want your readers to do (i.e., call you for more information) with a strong emphasis on a) easy contact details and b) again identifying how contacting you will help them.

No one is going to dial an 800 number and give his or her credit card information to purchase something advertised in a newspaper ad, except perhaps for a book or concert ticket. An ad doesn't seal the deal; it's just an important step in leading the consumer down the path to a sale.

Examples of calls-to-action include:

"Call now for more information! xxx-xxx-xxxx"

"Visit www.YourURLHere.com right now and download your free report!"

"Come to our office before Thursday and enter our contest to win…"

The call-to-action is the objective of the ad…your "most desired response." And when it comes to getting that response, it's been shown time and time again that you won't get what you don't ask for.

In other words, you must clearly tell your prospect exactly what to do. When you do this, you create closure-from the opening headline to the closing call-to-action. When you include this most vital element of your marketing message, you are assuring yourself that your prospect will know how to move forward with the information you've given them.

4. The Guarantee

By offering a guarantee in your ad, you offer credibility to your services. When you can tell your prospective patients that you guarantee satisfaction in your services, they'll be more likely to give you a try. Especially when it comes to people who have never seen a chiropractor before, a guarantee can go a long way to assuring that person that their money will be well spent.

5. Contact Information

Consumers who don't know you, don't trust you because you might be a fly-by-night scamster. I know you're not, but to put their minds at ease…give them a sense of security by providing a variety of contact methods. When you supply complete contact information, you are telling a prospect that you are a real person, business, and legitimate provider. You will immediately allow them to focus on your offer rather than wondering if you're for real or not.

6. The Postscript

If possible, restate your selling proposition in the post-script. Response rate testing indicates that the typical letter recipient's eye moves down the page to the P.S. before they read everything in the letter!

For a successful ad, you'll put in your very own incentive such as a "time sensitive" offer (e.g., "Call within the next 30 days and receive a free chiropractic exam (a $300 value)").

As you work with each of these copywriting elements and test different techniques against each other, you will perfect your ad and get the results you want. The way you broadcast your business to the world is vitally important to your success of your, so be patient and you will be well on your way to creating the perfect ad!