By Sharon Bray-McPherson

One of the biggest keys to the ongoing success of any marketing campaign is to understand that it's not perfect. Results can almost always be improved; but figuring out how to get those improvements, that's done by testing.

Too many marketing efforts have gone down the tubes because marketers "went with their gut" on a campaign, believing they knew best what the customer would want. Remember that "New & Improved" ... sometimes isn't.

Marketing – whether that is chiropractic marketing or any other kind of marketing – is about showing prospective clients that you understand their need and that you can give them what they want. Your marketing offer – what you can do for clients – is the single most important thing about good marketing, but all too often, people spend much more time on the format of their advertising than they do on their marketing offer....

The key to any successful marketing campaign is being memorable. Advertisers spend millions of dollars figuring out exactly what needs to be done to create advertisements that stick in the heads and hearts of their consumers. When it comes to creating a unique and distinctive business card, you have the exact same goal. In today's highly competitive marketplace, you need to stand out from the rest to define yourself as the best.

When it comes to saying good things about yourself or your service, most people are more likely to believe what someone else says before they believe you.  Enter the power of testimonials-the strongest selling point for any business.

With great testimonials you will be able to...

Did you ever wish you could afford to hire one of those professional copy writers who charge $5000 or more to write a simple sales letter? Or worse, have you laid down your hard-earned cash for a self-proclaimed "professional" writer, and gotten back something your 3rd grader could have written?

If you spend countless hours staring at a blank page trying to come up with compelling ad copy for that "killer" sales letter (you know, the one that's going to get you tons of new patients?)... 

When you think of marketing, what comes to mind? Slick brochures, high-priced ads, or quick-talking "experts" who charge you more money than they make you?

When you think about marketing your business are you overwhelmed with numbers and details and all the confusion that comes along with sales and promotion?

When you consider creating a marketing plan for your services are you at a total loss of where to even begin?

If you're like many chiropractors today, you answered with a resounding "YES" to the above questions...

Have you ever eaten at a fancy restaurant where everything was just perfect? The host, waiter, and kitchen seemed to anticipate your ever need: there was no wait, the table was set divinely, your water glass was filled at the very moment you emptied it, and the ambiance was ideal. In these rare moments, it seems like the restaurant has a "sixth sense"-like they knew exactly what you would need at all times during your meal to have an optimal dining experience, right?

Did you know that you can use this same sixth sense when you are setting up the patient experience in your clinic? You won't be serving up filet mignon, but you will be serving up a memorable chiropractic experience that will more than satisfy even the most finicky of patients...

In the 21st century, it's no longer a choice of whether you should have a marketing campaign working for you, it's imperative. Do you know why? If you don't have a marketing plan, the doctor down the street will. And, if she doesn't, the one across town will.

Competition is great everywhere and your competition doesn't end with other chiropractors. You are in a marketing arena with allied health providers, medical doctors, physical therapists and so many others who use marketing techniques such as newspapers, radio, and television commercials to advertise the very same services you offer as well as alternatives to your services. That said, it's vital that you put yourself in that arena so that you can not only fend for yourself, but also see your business and profession thrive.

It has often been said that the first impression your prospective new patient has is from their interaction with your staff on the telephone.  Well with that said, what happens when a new patient calls your office when it's closed.  Do they get a live person who receives and takes your messages, do you have an answering machine or do you have a voicemail system?

Whichever method you use...