The Common Chiropractic Digital Marketing istakes

 Marketing campaigns are a fantastic tool to help you deliver a targeted message through a specific channel, which is why they're such a crucial part of your content strategy. But not all marketing campaigns succeed the way they should — often because of simple oversights or unwitting mistakes many marketers don't even realize they're making. 

A comprehensive marketing strategy involves a lot of moving parts. To help out, below are the most common chiropractic marketing mistakes and how to avoid them.

Ignoring Local SEO

More than 95 percent of Internet users search for local businesses online. This is why local search engine optimization (SEO) cannot be ignored. Local SEO helps you attract potential patients who are looking for a chiropractor near you.

For instance, if you're located in California you'll want to be found when someone searches "chiropractors" from a location in California. Here are some of the best ways to boost your local SEO:

Optimize your pages: Add your city, state, and chiropractic services to your page titles and descriptions. Also, add keywords naturally throughout your pages. Just be careful not to over-optimize.

Complete your Google My Business listing: Google My Business connects your website with potential patients on a local level. Be sure to complete your profile in full, as this is what shows up first in local search results.

Keep your contact information consistent: Wherever your practice information is located online, it should be accurate and consistent. This includes your practice name, address, phone number, and other important details.

Embed a Google map of your location: Google Maps gives users an easy way to locate your practice. Embedding a map on your site clearly shows prospective patients that you are near them, increasing the likelihood that they will stay on your site.

Not Updating Your Website

According to Google, 72 percent of mobile users say it's important that a website is mobile-friendly. Moreover, two-thirds of consumers are more likely to purchase products or services from a business that has a mobile-friendly site. In other words, if your website isn't mobile-optimized, you might be losing patients to your mobile-optimized competitors.

Other factors include:

Speed: Even a three- or four-second delay in a website's load time can significantly impact patient conversion.

Design: The shelf life of a website is only three to five years. A website that has surpassed this mark will likely lose patients to a more “tech-savvy” competitor.

Browsability: Today's online user doesn't have the patience to sift through page after page of text-based content. Include photos throughout your pages and space out your content with bullets and headings.

Content: Content is the leading factor in converting website visitors into patients. Your content should be unique, professional, and it should tell visitors why they should choose you.

Disregarding Online Reviews

Online reviews provide multiple benefits. One, it can help local SEO. Reputation is a big part of Google's algorithms. A consistent flow of five-star reviews signals to Google that you are trustworthy. Second, online reviews are a form of social proof. They carry a lot of weight in buying decisions, especially when it comes to health care. In fact, nearly 90 percent of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

The tricky part is knowing how to improve your online reputation. Here are some ideas:

Respond quickly and thoughtfully to negative reviews

Focus on the most popular sites, like Google, Facebook, and Yelp

Include a “Review Us” button on your website to make it easy for patients to give feedback

Create first-visit online surveys to capture positive feedback while your practice is fresh on a new patient's mind.

Increase top-of-mind awareness with newsletters and social media

Not Communicating

Patients will ignore you if you ignore them. The goal of your online presence is to communicate - with both prospective patients and current patients. A lot of chiropractors think their online presence runs itself. Keep in mind, patients can contact you through a variety of online channels. The most common channel is your website. If someone fills out a contact form on your website, try to respond within 24 hours.

Social media is another place people can contact you. And it's often overlooked. If you're not checking your Facebook messages regularly, you could be missing out on appointments. Remember, people like to reach out in the ways that are most convenient to them.

Here are some ideas to be proactive with your online presence:

Blog regularly to keep patients informed about their health

Post on social media to keep patients aware of your practice

Use email marketing strategies to improve patient retention and boost referrals

Implement PPC campaigns to get new patients immediately

It's never too late to identify and correct any marketing mistakes your practice is suffering from. Investing in the time and staff needed to optimize marketing efforts will benefit your profits and minimize your losses.