In this blog series I’m looking at the pearls of wisdom I heard at a recent business event I attended. Global marketing superstars were in attendance and I drank in vat loads of valuable ideas and insights.
One of the world’s biggest digital marketing experts quite shocked us with his assertion that the best don’t necessarily win! But of course, as I thought about it, he was right.
Local competitors who market themselves better than you will win. Simple as that! Not necessarily because they’re a better therapist. But because their marketing is better!
How the best Osteopath can also win!
You see when we are purchasing something or deciding to invest in something for ourselves we take a journey, whether or not we realise it. Sometimes we can make that journey instantly and make a snap decision. But when it comes to trying something new pertaining to our health or requiring some investment, I believe that the journey may well take a little while and certain milestones must be passed before enough trust has built up.
In the beginning of this journey, you and a potential patient are strangers. Then they gradually notice you are there and begin to understand what you do – as long as you haven’t blinded them with science!
From there, they will progress to liking you. If they don’t, then the journey ends here! They may well check out your website, read a blog of interest and/or follow you online on your social media too. And this is where a well-placed testimonial will work wonders for you. [Not permitted in Australia] Ultimately they progress to trusting you enough to book in as a new patient.
Once they experience your fantastic work and the results they wanted, they will undoubtedly become raving fans of yours and encourage others to book in with you! They will give great reviews on Facebook about your treatment, mention the wonderful results they achieved and how you have reduced their pain.
They may well assert that you have magic hands too!
That is modern day word of mouth referrals in action!
And that is why online marketing is all about building relationships; one potential patient at a time. Please don’t think of social media and digital marketing as ‘broadcasting’ to the world. That makes it feel pretty scary!
Talk to just one person
Indeed, I’m currently gently easing my new Osteobiz Blueprint members (or Bluepers as they’ve dubbed themselves!) quite a way out of their comfort zone. But once I explain that posting online does not mean they’re ‘broadcasting’ but in fact only EVER talking to just one person, they feel more comfortable about it.
Just one person on the bus flicking through his timeline on the way to work.
Just one person standing at the school gate looking for something of interest whilst waiting to collect the kids.
Just one person with an achy back, bored at work, staring idly at his news feed and eating his dull cheese sandwich.
So if you want to be the best Osteopath and win too, shifting to a point outside your comfort zone is exactly the place where growth happens.
The Bluepers are now diligently working on daily social media challenges to get their pages active, interesting and engaging. Dull just doesn’t cut it.
Guess what’s on the other side of fear, out there way beyond our comfort zones? Yep – it’s success!
