ClinicallySignificantProductions.com

Chiropractic Internet Marketing, Press Releases, and Article Writing

2010-08-31T02:36:00.000-04:00

Wow! Things have really taken off over at our new project, Chiropracticpr.com. We have been swamped with requests for our Chiropractic press release authoring and promotion, Chiropractic article writing, and social media management services.If you haven't already done so you can check out some of our most common services in our store.

The ChiropracticPR.com blog is also very popular so be sure to stop by and check out some of our recent posts. We offer Chiropractic product reviews, free Chiropractic internet marketing advice, and much more!

Stay tuned for more updates!

Be sure to visit our other Chiropractic Blogs

2010-06-17T21:12:00.004-04:00

As many of you know, we quickly outgrew the limitations of the blogger.com blogging platform. About half a year ago we migrated over to the WordPress blogging platform. It was the right decision. We still maintain activity here on Blogger.com (I must say I miss the simplicity of this interface) but most of our heavy and beneficial blogging is done on our WordPress blogs.

I originally wanted to simply cut and paste our posts from our other blogs here but Google does NOT like duplicate content. For those interested you can check out our other blogs at the following locations:

ChiropracticPR.com http://chiropracticpr.com/blog
ClinicallySignificantProductions.com http://clinicallysignificantproductions.com/blog
ChiropracticArt.com COMING SOON!

2010-06-12T14:54:00.001-04:00

Chiropractic Internet Marketing and Social Media Advertising Made Affordable - Free-Press-Release.com http://ping.fm/mAJeF

2010-05-19T23:19:00.001-04:00

Press Release: New Chiropractic Blog Features Free Tips on Chiropractic Internet Marketing...
http://ping.fm/hLSZd

2010-05-16T10:52:00.001-04:00

Press Release: New Chiropractic Blog Offers Free Chiropractic Internet and Social Media Marketing Tips
http://ping.fm/ZLXe5

2010-05-08T11:52:00.001-04:00

Press Release: New Chiropractic site Offers Affordable Chiropractic Internet Marketing, Chiropractic Press Release Writing Service, Social Media Marketing Services, Site Design, and More. http://ping.fm/ZET4S

2010-05-03T10:51:00.001-04:00

Press Release: New Site Offers Chiropractic Press Release Writing Service, Social Media Marketing, and more! http://ping.fm/aHarD

2010-03-29T09:13:00.001-04:00

Best Buy and RadioShack, headed for marriage? http://ping.fm/WDgvn

2010-03-26T19:24:00.001-04:00

Michigan Finally Gets New Chiropractic Scope Law http://ping.fm/nSQXO

2010-03-24T20:19:00.001-04:00

New edition of our Newsletter: New chiropractic products, discounts and more! http://ping.fm/inNXF

2010-03-20T09:49:00.001-04:00

Chiropractic college becomes a university: bizjournals.com Business News - MSN Money http://ping.fm/cBDUj

2010-03-09T14:16:00.001-05:00

New blog post! Chiropractic Pt. Education: Is free affordable enough?http://ping.fm/txPOg

2010-03-08T14:23:00.001-05:00

iPad Pop Quiz: Are You Nerdy Enough to Buy One on April 3 - DailyFinance http://ping.fm/PwtFv

2010-03-05T17:37:00.001-05:00

A Warning That Bears Repeating http://ping.fm/1i9pv

2010-03-05T17:35:00.001-05:00

Reading: http://ping.fm/G1gA5 chiropractic

2010-02-22T16:49:00.001-05:00

Mel Gibson Can Still Kick A*s With Help Of Chiropractor - Musicrooms.net http://ping.fm/HiSR6

2010-02-22T16:40:00.001-05:00

Chiropractic Art Upper Cervical Atlas painting - eBay http://ping.fm/62Iz6

2010-02-22T16:00:00.001-05:00

Reading: California chiropractic board adopts new patient safety regulations - Sacramento Business Journal: http://ping.fm/q0Ntd

2010-02-16T00:35:00.001-05:00

Chiropractor? Sign up for our newsletter for updates, product/promotion announcements and more! http://ping.fm/EDmo8

2010-02-10T10:00:00.001-05:00

Michigan Governor signs bill restoring chiropractic scope of practice! http://ping.fm/BJbqn

2010-02-10T09:57:00.001-05:00

Parker Seminars hosts first annual women in chiropractic conference http://ping.fm/eZrFC

2010-02-03T08:31:00.001-05:00

Palmer Chiropractic Cup in the Quad Cities this Weekend - Quad Cities Online http://ping.fm/Z4qIG

2010-02-02T23:03:00.001-05:00

New Blog Post: Hundreds of Happy Chiropractic Ebay Customers! http://ping.fm/2zxxc

2010-02-02T13:18:00.001-05:00

New Blog Post: Hundreds of Happy Chiropractic Ebay Customers! http://ping.fm/2zxxc

2010-02-01T10:45:00.001-05:00

New Blog Post - Chiropractic Social Media Marketing: Take Time for Success http://ping.fm/K6LhG

2010-01-29T11:50:00.001-05:00

Great to be able to help out. We're also still donating 10% of chiropratic ebay proceeds to the Red Cross http://ping.fm/85WSm

2010-01-29T11:48:00.001-05:00

We've been asked to donate pt education materials to a new military chiropractic clinic and a cancer support non-profit this week!

2010-01-27T09:47:00.001-05:00

Parker Seminars recognizes outstanding service http://ping.fm/OUqBn

2010-01-27T09:45:00.001-05:00

Erchonia announces new laser class at Parker http://ping.fm/2FVUp

2010-01-22T21:10:00.001-05:00

Schwarzenegger, ICA to celebrate symposium partnership anniversary http://ping.fm/cgNhx

2010-01-21T17:26:00.001-05:00

Former NBCE executive director passes away http://ping.fm/tw578

2010-01-21T17:24:00.001-05:00

$1.2 Million for Logan to Study LBP and Balance in the Elderly http://ping.fm/5U91S

2010-01-20T08:03:00.001-05:00

AMA Urges Restraint for Clinicians Seeking to Volunteer in Haiti http://ping.fm/BNoak

2010-01-18T10:15:00.001-05:00

Chiropractic Ebay Purchase Proceeds to Benefit Red Cross Haiti Relief and More. - Free Press Releases http://ping.fm/KambD

2010-01-16T18:32:00.001-05:00

New Blog Post: Our Chiropractic Ebay Proceeds to Aid American Red Cross http://ping.fm/85WSm

2010-01-16T18:04:00.001-05:00

Ebayers can support Earthquake relief in Haiti and so much more: http://ping.fm/8C9jO

Your Chiropractic Ebay Purchases can Help Aid Disaster Relief in Haiti and other Areas Thanks to the American Red Cross.

2010-01-16T16:37:00.003-05:00

We've been moved by the terrible tragedy of the earthquake in Haiti. Looking at the horrible images and heroic efforts of everyone involved it's hard not to be motivated to take action. Times like these put our own trivial troubles and problems in perspective. Jumping on a plane and helping out isn't an option (and isn't even advised by officials at this point) so we wanted to come up with a way to do a small part to help out with this, and any other crisis.

Donating to the American Red Cross seemed like the obvious first step. We decided donating a percentage of all our proceeds made on Ebay was the easiest, and fastest way for us to get started. With just a few clicks we were able to arrange to donate 10% of all of our proceeds made on Chiropractic products sold on ebay to the American Red Cross.

Why the American Red Cross?

Obviously they are one of the most most recognized charitable organizations around. Charity scams and con artists are everywhere waiting to take advantage of a public with good intentions. We feel comfortable donating to the Red Cross and know you will too. In addition, donating to the Red Cross allows your funds to be directed where they are most needed, whether it be in Haiti or another crisis relief effort.

So to make a long story short, if you have a need or desire to stock up chiropractic patient education, chiropractic art, or our other products now is the time!

We are donating 10% of all proceeds from our current chiropractic ebay listings. Some examples include:

Chiropractic art: hand painted chiropractic spine paintings
Chiropractic Patient Education PowerPoint Presentations
Chiropractic Patient Education DVDs
Spinal Decompression Marketing Kits
Spinal Decompression PowerPoint Presentations and DVDs
Chiropractic Marketing
Chiropractic Outcomes Assessment Resource Kits
Cold Laser Marketing and Patient Education
Cold Laser PowerPoint presentations
Cold Laser Waiting Room DVDs
And More!
So check out all of our ebay chiropractic product listings and see for yourself.

Even if you don't purchase from us, I encourage you to donate what you can at the American Red Cross homepage or with another organization. If we all can contribute even $5.00 to $10.00 we can have a significant impact!

2010-01-16T16:36:00.001-05:00

Your Chiropractic Ebay purchases can aid Haiti and other Disaster Relief http://ping.fm/G9GEp

2010-01-16T14:06:00.001-05:00

We're donating 10% of all proceeds from our chiropractic ebay products to the American Red Cross: http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/dcmimpala_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ

2010-01-15T14:39:00.001-05:00

Chiropractic Press Release: Our new chiropractic blog http://ping.fm/XtBsV

2010-01-14T15:17:00.001-05:00

Chiropractors in NJ now face a new scope of practice . . . http://ping.fm/bAIfR

2010-01-11T20:44:00.001-05:00

Chiropractor? Check out our chiropractic blog for tips, info and free stuff! http://ping.fm/2iXWk

2010-01-11T20:30:00.001-05:00

Chiropractic Blog Post - The Future of Chiropractic Marketing: Is the Web Working For or Against You? http://ping.fm/kO6gs

2010-01-11T20:27:00.001-05:00

Chiropractic posters, t-shirts and other gifts for chiropractors: http://ping.fm/3dgkq

2010-01-11T10:48:00.001-05:00

New Chiropractic blog post: The Future of Chiropractic Marketing: Is the Web Working For or Against Your Practice? http://ping.fm/kO6gs

2010-01-10T15:02:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone is having a great weekend and enjoying time with their family, friends and loved ones!

2010-01-10T15:00:00.001-05:00

Chiropractic Press Release: Our new chiropractic blog http://ping.fm/XtBsV

2010-01-09T13:22:00.001-05:00

We've been named a PowerSeller AND a Top Rated Seller on Ebay for the 3rd month in a row! http://tinyurl.com/chiroebay

2010-01-09T12:53:00.001-05:00

Releasing new chiropractic products soon! Keep updated via our blog and site: http://ping.fm/vfNqA http://tinyurl.com/chirostore

2010-01-09T12:50:00.001-05:00

Seems a certain *study we referenced from them may not be legit...which created dozens of addt'l hrs of work for us! Yay!

2010-01-09T12:46:00.001-05:00

Wrapping up our spinal decompression marketing kits for ToughTables.net this weekend. Had to rework them due to axiom suit in FL

2010-01-09T11:06:00.001-05:00

Check out our chiropractic blog for chiropractors: http://ping.fm/nDbG6

Announcing our other blog!

2010-01-07T08:38:00.002-05:00

So if you haven't heard by now, we have a new home for blogging! We've started to outgrow some aspects of blogger.com and needed a little more freedom over layout and seo and we needed the widgets and plugins not really avaialable here. That being said, we STILL love Blogger.com. It's very easy to use, which is one of the reasons we got started blogging here.

We finally took a few minutes to figure out WordPress and went ahead and set up our brand new blog hosted on our own domain.

We aren't abandoning this blog and we'll still be posting original content here for all of you who follow us and read our posts here.

In the meantime, be sure to check out our newest chiropractic blog at: http://clinicallysignificantproductions.com/blog

Yours in health,
-Dr. James

Which Form of Chiropractic Marketing Performs Best For You?

2009-12-31T10:51:00.003-05:00

As 2009 comes to a close we've been wondering which form of chiropractic marketing has shown the best results for you and your practice. Has TV or Radio generated a ton of new chiropractic patients for you? Is traditional print/display advertising the clear winner for your chiropractic practice? Have the internet and social media been a big source of your new chiropractic patients?

We want to know your opinion! We're taking a poll and want to hear your voice on chiropractic marketing. Go to: http://www.twtpoll.com/clinsigpro and rate the various forms of chiropractic marketing. It's quick and painless. There's no sign up, no asking for your email address, just VOTE and give your honest opinion! Hurry because the poll closes on January 2nd! After the poll closes we will analyze the results and blog about it in a future post.

So tell us. . . what is your go-to chiropractic marketing?

The New Year: No Better Time than NOW for Chiropractic Patient Retention and Re-Activation!

2009-12-28T13:09:00.006-05:00

Over the course of a calendar year patients fall through the cracks. It's not intentional, it's not something we want to see, but it does happen. Our fast paced lives and the increasing demands placed on today's Doctors of Chiropractic often means we are more prone to procrastination and putting off duties that seem unimportant at the time. Although they are often pushed to the back burner, patient recall and patient retention are two vital aspects of your chiropractic practice procedures.

The start of a new year is the ideal time for launching a patient recall/reactivation campaign. At the start of the new year many patients make resolutions to improve their health and wellness. Most of us see the new year as a chance to start off with a fresh start and a positive outlook. Your chiropractic patients are no different.

Take this opportunity to send out a letter, postcard, or other communication to reactivate old patient accounts. Use this wonderful time of year to reach out to those patients who may have also placed your chiropractic practice on their back burner. Contact patients who haven't been seen in a few months and make it worth their while to come back.

The new year is also the ideal time to launch efforts to retain your existing chiropractic patients. Make the effort to ensure you are doing everything you can to keep your happy chiropractic patients happy!

Don't worry because we will soon be launching a slew of new tips, ideas, and products along the way. From patient recall/reactivation letters to patient retention strategies, we have your back in 2010! So get in the right frame of mind and put as much energy in keeping and reactivating current patients as you do in generating new patients! Stop by this blog and our site again soon and watch for a free patient recall/reactivation letter template and more coming soon!

-Dr. James

Chiropractic Marketing During a Recession: Less is More

2009-12-22T10:19:00.004-05:00

The worst thing to do during a recession is to stop advertising right? Well the answer is not so clear cut. In stark contrast to what your local yellow pages rep may be telling you, pulling some advertising may actually be the best thing you can do for the economic health of your practice.

Chiropractic practice marketing during a recession can be a challenge. Even for a successful chiropractic practice, every dollar counts during tough economic times. A slow economy brings out the conservative side of every business owner, and the aggressive side of every salesman! With that in mind, let's briefly look at why you shouldn't believe everything your local advertising rep tells you.

I know what you're thinking, "Doc we've always been told the worst thing to do during a recession is to stop advertising!" This is only partially true. This statement is usually uttered by a pressured advertising rep or salesman who's worried you will end your advertising or choose not to advertise with him. While stopping ALL advertising is ill advised, pulling some or even much advertising could actually be a great idea for your chiropractic practice.

During a slow economy a Doctor of Chiropractic needs to examine which advertising methods are working well and which are simply not producting enough of a return on investment. You probably have a lot of paid chirorpactic marketing and advertising that simply isn't producing much in the way of new patients. When times are good it's easy to hold on to the "what if" marketing philosophy. "What if" that ad I've been running brings a new patient to me next week?

I present this question: "what if" you pull funding from that low production ad and put the funds toward your marketing that is working? What if you took that great display ad to a second or third print publication? What if you increased your social media or pay per click campaign? Doesn't it make sense to invest in what is working and pull funding from what is not? Although this is common sense it is so easy to forget when we get caught up in sales pitches, pressure, and economic worries.

I totally agree that a recession is not the time to stop all of your advertising. However, a slow economy is an absolutely ideal time to take a critical look at your chiropractic marketing and advertising plan and budget. If something isn't producing new chiropractic patients it needs to go. Pull the money from that non-productive advertising and do something else with it! Beef up your marketing that IS effective, keep it for cash on hand, or try something new.

While you might argue a slow economy is not the time to try new advertising I'd disagree. It is better to do something different than to continue to waste money on advertising that has consistenly shown poor return on investment. We've all heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. It's true! If the advertising wasn't very effective in a good economy and poor during a recession, what makes you think it's going to be different next month? To continue to dump money into worthless marketing is throwing your hard earned money away.

Use tough economic times to take a critical look at your advertising spending. Trimming your marketing budget may be exactly what is needed for a struggling chiropractic practice to survive an economic downturn. Trust me when I say, your local ad representative is never going to tell you this!

Free Chiropractic BJ Palmer Quote Prints for a Limited Time.

2009-12-21T08:34:00.006-05:00

Founded by a Palmer College of Chiropractic graduate, we have a deep respect for chiropractic history and the founders and developers of the chiropractic profession.

With that in mind, and in honor of the holiday season, we are offering 4 free chiropractic prints in PDF format. These beautiful prints feature attractive art and popular chiropractic quotes and BJ Palmer Epigrams.

You can download the prints for a limited time at:
http://www.chiropracticart.com/Freebies.html

No strings attached! CLICK HERE to download your prints!

Also be sure to check out our high quality Chiropractic posters, prints and other chiropractic gifts!

Purpose or Profit? Chiropractic Patient Education (Part 3)

2009-12-20T12:03:00.005-05:00

As difficult as it is I try and set my own personal beliefs and philosophy aside when I educate my chiropractic patients. Rather than painting a narrow picture of what chiropractic is I try and present a broad range of information to my patients. I feed them the knowledge, plant the seed, and let them make up their own mind. Selfless chiropractic patient education is actually much easier than you might think. Let me walk through how I prioritize my chiropractic patient education.

To keep myself on track I evaluate all of my patient education materials by asking three questions, in order of most to least importance.

1. Am I doing this because it is in the best interests of the patient?

2. Does this promote the entire chiropractic profession in general and not just MY niche and beliefs?

3. Is this good for my practice?

If I can answer YES to all three questions then I am comfortable in using whatever the patient education materials in question may be.

Numbers one and three are the easy goals. So how in the world can you be bothered with ensuring your patient education promotes the entire profession? It's much easier than you think. In a nutshell it boils down to thinking beyond promoting your own practice. Your patient education should promote, or at least do no harm to, the chiropractic profession as a whole. Here is how I try to promote my practice without warping the view of my patients regarding the chiropractic profession.

Rather than pushing ONLY my own techniques and point of view I keep much of my patient education vague. Of course I promote my techniques and therapies heavily, but I'm also very careful to point out that these are not the only techniques out there, even if they aren’t my choice for my practice.

There are techniques and doctors out there I don't necessarily totally agree with. That's not to say these techniques or doctors are wrong. They just aren't my cup of tea. That doesn't mean they aren't right for the patient or for the profession. That doesn't mean I need to bash these techniques when I'm educating my patients. It’s bad for the patient and for the chiropractic profession. Let me give you the perfect example.

One of my chiropractic colleagues in town utilizes certain low force techniques exclusively. His advertising and patient education usually contains statements to the effect of "no dangerous twisting or cracking", "no painful cracking", "no twisting or popping" . . . you get the point. While this may promote his practice and technique, it isn't doing much for the rest of the profession.
Don’t misunderstand me, I'm all for low force techniques. They are great for many conditions and they are ideal for certain patients and for those apprehensive about traditional Gonstead or Diversified adjusting. Low force adjusting techniques are great but that doesn't mean patients should be taught that other techniques are "bad".

The moral of the story is we should always make an attempt to think about how our day to day patient education activities affect the profession. Our advertising, practice protocols, and patient education procedures are all a reflection of the greater chiropractic whole. We should all make an effort to promote our profession AND our practices when educating patients. If this is too much commitment then an effort should be made to at least NOT degrade and discount other techniques and philosophies when we educate our patients.

No one is perfect and so we can’t always make the best choice for our profession. We owe it to each other to make the effort to do so however. As a profession we waste too much energy on dividing ourselves and competing with one another. That’s another soap box and another blog post! Until next time, thanks for reading!

-Dr. James

Purpose or Profit?: Chiropractic Patient Education Part II

2009-12-11T13:42:00.024-05:00

The fact that your own chiropractic patient education procedures affect the entire profession is tough to believe at first glance. If we put a little thought into the matter your viewpoint will change considerably. How many of your patients have never been to a chiropractor before visiting you? The answer is many. Like it or not, when one of these chiropractic newbies walks through your door, YOU are representing the entire profession. To these patients you ARE the chiropractic profession because they know little to nothing about our field.

Although the number of licensed Doctors of Chiropractic is steadily increasing most of the population hasn't taken advantage of our services. Many of our new patients have never been to a Doctor of Chiropractic. In these instances our actions are bound to be generalized to the entire profession. Although this may be a heavy burden to bare..it's the truth.

Need further convincing? Let's look at another scenario we all encounter frequently. How many times have you had the honor of treating a new patient who was previously the life long patient of another doctor? Perhaps Doctor Johnson down the street retired and you are treating his former patients. Maybe a patient has moved after living in another doctor's community for decades. These cases are very interesting because these patients are accustomed to their previous doctor's technique and procedures. Convincing these patients that your methods, although different, are just as effective can be very challenging.

The point here is a single chiropractor's practice and patient education do shape a patient's view of the chiropractic profession. Patients pass their point of view on to their family, friends, and co-workers. Don't be fooled into thinking that your education stays within the walls of your clinic. So like it or not doctor, your practice shapes a community's view of our profession. Although this can be a frightening realization and a big responsibility, it can should be viewed as an honor.

Most of my patients are bound to believe Diversified, Gonstead, Flexion Distraction, Decompression and basic modalities are all there is to Chiropractic. If they go to an upper cervical, SOT, or other doctor they are going to be in for some culture shock if they've never been educated properly. Likewise if I position myself as strictly a pain relief doctor, they may have difficutly transitioning to a wellness based health care model.

I know this and I am careful to explain to my patients that althought I try to relieve their pain and symptoms, there is more to the philosophy of chiropractic care. I also tell my patients that I am one Doctor of Chiropractic with one set of tools and techniques. If I can't help them, or if my practice isn't for them, maybe my colleague Doctor Jones across town is another possibility. I'm amazed at how patients respect this! I owe it to my patients and my colleagues to spread the word that chiropractic is useful for more than pain relief. I owe it to my profession to communicate the fact that there are many means to the chiropractic end!

Obviously you can't educate patients on EVERY technique and chiropractic philosophy. Instead you can introduce the concept that the world of Chiropractic is huge and a variety of possibilities exist beyond pain relief and the techniques of your own practice. You owe this to your patients and your profession! I encourage you to open your mind and educate your patients with more than your practice goals in mind.

Purpose or Profit?: Chiropractic Patient Education (Part I)

2009-12-10T22:32:00.027-05:00

Chiropractic patient education is vital. It is vital to the health of your practice and for reasons much more important than the confines of your practice walls. Let's look at three reasons why you should be dedicated to educating your chiropractic patients.

Why is patient education so crucial? I know what you are thinking. It's the argument used to support chiropractic patient education 90% of the time. So let's get it out of the way right now: Patient Retention.

Educated chiropractic patients are more likely to stay on as a patient after their pain and symptoms have resolved. We all know this. Patient education usually results in wellness care which is great for patients, and great for practice revenue. A practice cannot survive without patient retention.

Yawn. These are all true statements, but is this it for YOU? Are you educating patients just so they don't disappear when their low back pain resolves? Is the mission of your patient education only profit and patient retention percentages? Isn't that a little empty and hollow?

Don't get me wrong. Although I'm blogging from high atop my virtual chiropractic soapbox, I'm also realistic. Patient retention and your own wallet are certainly important to consider in your daily practice. The problem arises when these concerns dictate what goes on within your practice. When you design your treatment plan based on how much money you can milk out of an insurance company it's called abuse, fraud, or at the very least: a disservice to the patient.

Is patient education based solely on maintaining income and patient volume any different?

You must educate patients for the good of your practice; but there are two other reasons that are far more important.

1. The Health of the Patient
2. The Well-being of our Profession

The first one is obvious. As chiropractors most of us believe in our profession. We believe in the power of chiropractic care beyond relief of back pain. We know chiropractic care helps promote wellness. We may not have double-blind randomized placebo controlled clinical trials to prove it, but we see it first hand every day. We need to put this knowledge and passion into our patient education efforts. The purpose of our patient education should be the patient and not our bank account.

It's easy to understand why patient wellness should be a focus over profit. Admitting and accepting the fact that your individual patient education efforts impact the entire profession is much more difficut. You and and your patient education are part of a collective whole that extends far beyond your practice and your community. I'll shed some light on this in my next post.

Our New Chiropractic Art Site

2009-12-09T08:18:00.008-05:00

We don't like to toot our own horn around here, but we can (and DO) make exceptions..so bare with me for a moment or two. ;) Our chiropractic art is popular. In fact, it's been so popular it's become apparent we need a new site and new domain dedicated to our chiropractic art. Our current domain although original (and long) doesn't do much to that we offer beautiful and affordable hand painted chiropractic paintings and other chiropractic art. On that note I'd like to announce our launch of ChiropracticArt.com.

This new domain is obviously much more content focused and leaves few questions about whether or not we offer chiropractic art! For the time being we've set up a mirrored site situation where we have basically made few modifications to our existing site and uploaded it to ChiropracticArt.com. There is one significant difference between the two sites however. We have made significant price reductions to ALL products at ChiropracticArt.com to celebrate our new site.

In the future we will most likely make a format switch and list chiropractic art exclusively on the new site and only patient education products and chiropractic videos on clinicallysignificantproductions.com.

If you haven't done so I'd like to invite you to visit our new chiropractic art site. There is still plenty of time to pick up some unique and affordable chiropractic art for Christmas gifts or even for yourself for the holidays. We offer many unique chiropractic works of art. Some examples include:

Hand painted chiropractic spine paintings..one is FOUR FEET TALL!
Chiropractic Paintings
Spine pictures
Framed chiropractic prints
Access to our chiropractic posters, chiropractic prints, mousepads, coffee mugs and more via our partnership with Zazzle
And much more

Many exciting changes will be coming in 2010 so stay tuned! Until then thanks for reading and for putting up with some blatant self promotion.

-Dr. James

Ten Ways to Avoid Trouble in Chiropractic Social Media Marketing

2009-11-20T09:26:00.003-05:00

As I've discussed in my previous two blog posts, social media sites like Twitter have made it extremely easy for Doctors of Chiropractic to reach endless numbers of potential patients. This low cost or free advertising can also get a chiropractor in trouble. I’d like to briefly discuss why it is so easy to get into trouble with chiropractic social media marketing. We’ll finish up by looking at ten easy tips to avoid problems with your chiropractic social media advertising.

Sites like Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and others are very attractive due to their ease of use and low cost. This ease of use and social nature can also be a recipe for disaster if a D.C. doesn’t use good judgment and common sense.

It is extremely easy to Tweet on Twitter to promote your chiropractic practice. In seconds one can tweet 140 characters to thousands of followers. This instant gratification technology sometimes leads to less than cautious advertising. Many chiropractors simply don’t take the time to critically analyze what they are saying. It is extremely easy to get caught up with the ease of use and let your guard down.

Another problem with chiropractic social media marketing is mixing business and personal life. I’ve seen far too many doctors tweet professionally one minute and then exchange less than flattering tweets with their buddies the next. Keep your personal life separate from your business life. After all you wouldn’t let your old frat buddy tell you crude jokes in the middle of practice on your busiest day would you? Doctors of Chiropractic need to remember to maintain professionalism at all times, even in the world of social media and the internet. Create separate more anonymous accounts for your personal life.

As you can see the low cost, social nature, and ease of use of most social media sites can lead to a Doctor of Chiropractic letting their guard down. Social Media and internet advertising should not be treated any differently than print or major media advertising. Don’t Tweet or post anything you wouldn’t want printed in the local newspaper or broadcast on television. Anything you say and do on the internet can and will show up again later. With this in mind, let’s look at ten easy tips to avoid trouble with Chiropractic social media marketing.

1. Remember information posted on the internet is available to EVERYONE.
This includes your family, friends, patients and even members of your state licensing board.

2. Remember anything you post publicly is permanent.
Even if you can delete it, someone else may have printed it, saved it, or the site was indexed and archived.

3. Think before you post.
This one tip can save you all kinds of grief. Before you click that button to submit your post take a minute to think about what you are saying and make sure it is ethical and can’t easily be misinterpreted.

4. Proofread before you post.
Check your spelling and make sure there aren’t any major typos that can change the intended meaning of your post. Frequent errors can hurt your reputation.

5. Consider social media sites paid advertising.
Do your state laws specifically mention use of the internet and social media sites? Probably not. If a problem arises do you think your state board would view your tweets and message posts as advertising? You betcha! The point is you should treat your social media and internet advertising just as you would treat any of your paid advertising. All of your state advertising rules should apply to any of your internet advertising.

6. Ask yourself, “How could this hurt me?”
Before you post anything on the internet think again! Take another critical look at what you are about to put before the eyes of thousands of viewers. Try and imagine how the post could hurt you and your reputation. Is there anything controversial about the post? Can you reword it to make its safe? Is this something that could come back to haunt you at a later point?

7. Remember your scope of practice.
Doctors of Chiropractic love to help. We love to help talk about health and wellness. These two factors can get us involved in discussions about topics that may extend beyond our scope of practice. You wouldn’t be advising patients about a surgical procedure or prescribing medication in your practice so don’t discuss things like this on the internet. A lot of us are very well educated and very knowledgeable on many health related topics. We need to remember to keep this knowledge in check and not tread into waters on the medical side of the pool, unless we possess the license and scope of practice to do so.

8. Post valuable information and not just blatant self promotion.
Of course it’s perfectly acceptable to promote yourself and your services. You should carefully balance your self promotion with valuable information. Posting useful health related information positions you as a knowledgeable health care provider and not simply a money hungry promotion machine.

9. Avoid ambulance chasing.
It is fine to advertise your ability to possibly reduce pain. You can even occasionally directly contact someone to offer your services. However, constantly contacting everyone who mentions they are in pain is ineffective and bad for your reputation.

10. Use common sense.
This is so basic and yet so often overlooked. Use good common sense. Simply be cautious. If you can’t back it up don’t say it. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Don’t post anything you wouldn’t say in your practice. If it seems like a bad idea it probably is! Take a minute to use your good judgment and you will avoid trouble in your social media advertising.

Well there you have it. My ten long winded tips to help keep you out of trouble when you use social media advertising to promote your chiropractic practice. Following these tips will keep your chiropractic social media promotion on target, ethical, and trouble free.

Until next time,
-Dr. James

Twitter and Chiropractic Ambulance Chasing: Chiropractic Social Media Marketing Gone Wrong

2009-11-19T23:55:00.008-05:00

Let me start by saying I'm probably going to offend some of you. That being said, I want to discuss what I consider to be the Chiropractic equivalent of ambulance chasing. I've noticed this for a while and it seems to be increasing in popularity. This mistake isn't illegal, it isn't really unethical, but I do feel it's bad for the reputation of the doctor and the chiropractic profession as a whole.

So what is chiropractic ambulance chasing? I see it most often on Twitter. The situation plays out like this. Two people are exchanging tweets. One of the friends mentions to the other that they were in a car accident and are experiencing back or neck pain. Boom! Out of nowhere comes a reply to this conversation. It usually looks similar to this, "Hello I'm Dr. SoandSo, your local chiropractor. I may be able to help you with your pain. Call 555-555-5555." Now this isn't terrible. Even though Dr. SoandSo wasn't invited into the conversation he was just trying to help, right? Well after we click on the doctor's profile we see the last 15 tweets he sent were all pretty much the same way.

I have issues with this type of advertising. Now don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying a Chiropractor should never speak up and say they might be able to help someone in pain on Twitter. What I'm saying is none of us should be sitting around and focusing on mass tweeting to anyone and everyone in our area that hints of being in pain. If one of your followers mentions their neck hurts, by all means personally suggest you may be able to help them. If someone in your area mentions they are looking for a good chiropractor, by all means jump in and offer your services. This can even be done via a direct message. We should not be searching for ALL people who use the word pain. So what's the harm in advertising our services this way? After all we should all be promoting chiropractic right?

In my opinion, tweeting uninvited to anyone and everyone in pain is NOT promoting yourself or the chiropractic profession. Sure it seems like a decent way to generate some new patients for free, but do the benefits outweigh the risks? How many patients actually respond positively to this type of advertising? My guess is not many. You may generate a few new patients or new patient leads but I doubt this type of advertising is effective.

I do think this type of social media advertising actually works against the doctor and the Chiropractic profession. Most people who are approached by a Chiropractor on Twitter because they mentioned pain are going to view it as an intrusion. After all, the doctor wasn't even part of the conversation until he butted in. This may make the doctor look like a fool but how in the world does this negatively impact the entire profession?

One isolated incident probably doesn't hurt the profession at all. Now consider if this happens to a person on more than one occasion by more than one chiropractor. Now consider this is happening to other people in other areas around the globe. The habits and questionable marketing tactics are generalized to our entire profession. Instead of being viewed as legitimate health care providers who genuinely care about helping people, we become viewed as money hungry ambulance chasers!

Am I being paranoid? Maybe. Ask yourself this question. Suppose you are approached out of the blue on Twitter by an unknown orthopedic surgeon offering to operate on your knee. This happened right after you tweeted to your friend that your knee hurt. How would you view the surgeon? Suppose you mention on Twitter that you have a headache. Next thing you know a neurologist replies that he can help. What are your thoughts of this unknown neurosurgeon who jumped in uninvited on a conversation he was virtually eavesdropping on?

I'm not saying you shouldn't use Twitter to directly offer your services. I'm saying it should be done with discretion, common sense, and a clear understanding of how it affects you and our wonderful profession. One of the best ways to keep your chiropractic marketing effective is to put yourself in the shoes of someone in the general public who knows little to nothing about chiropractic care. Taking this view from the outside in can highlight many trouble issues and weed out those bad ideas!

-Dr. James

Chiropractic Social Media Marketing: Free May End up Costing You More Than you Anticipated.

2009-11-19T16:40:00.011-05:00

Now that social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace offer a free venue to reach massive amounts of potential patients, many Doctors of Chiropractic have taken to the web to promote their services. Why this seems like an ideal situation on the surface, there also lurks a potential danger for causing great damage to your reputation, your practice, and even the chiropractic profession as a whole. Read on to see if you or any of your associates are flirting with disaster in your chiropractic social media advertising.

What is this potential danger? The sad truth is this danger is no stranger in the chiropractic advertising and marketing world. This sore has been festering on the face of Chiropractic since the dawn of the profession. You guessed it: unsubstantiated and unfounded claims about the benefits of chiropractic care. Yes that's right, educated Doctors of Chiropractic are STILL making promises they can't keep and shouldn't be making in the first place. Some of us are STILL making statements we couldn't support if challenged. This problem has been around forever and the internet and social media has made it twice as easy to cause yourself problems when marketing your chiropractic services.

Not only has the problem been around forever, but I fear the internet is actually making the problem much worse. Don't believe me? If you are an ethical chiropractor with decent common sense I'd like to issue you a challenge. Simply search for the phrase "chiropractic" or "chiropractor" on Twitter and see how long it takes before you cringe. Go to http://twitter.com/ and in the box labeled "See what people are saying about…" type in "chiropractor" or "chiropractic" and click search.

It shouldn't take long to see some sketchy ethics and even a few down right ridiculous chiropractic marketing tactics. Some of these are minor and innocent mistakes; and some are downright idiotic claims. I'm not here to point out any specific doctors or practices but you'll recognize it when you see it.

Here are the three biggest issues I see when I read and review chiropractic internet advertising and promotion:

1. Advertising Chiropractic care as a cure.

2. Making well intentioned but unsupported statements.

3. "Ambulance chasing"

In this post I'll address what I feel are the two most common offenses: advertising chiropractic care as a cure and making unsubstantiated claims. I'll touch on "Ambulance chasing" and wrap things up in my next posts.

1. Touting Chiropractic care as a "cure" for anything.

Chiropractic should NEVER be advertised as a cure for anything. You may not like hearing it, but it's true. You may be convinced your chiropractic skills can cure anything from low back pain, to hypertension and cancer. I don't really care. What I do care about is when you start voicing and advertising these overly confident thoughts.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in the power of chiropractic care. I went to Palmer College of Chiropractic, so believe me, I got my fair dose of chiropracTIC philosophy. I'm also a practicing health care provider in today's litigous society. I have common sense and I'm careful. I don't even say I can cure a patient's pain. I'm always careful to say I "may" be able to help a patient.

I don't care if inside my head I'm 100% sure the low back pain will resolve after a side posture adjustment or two. I don't care if I KNOW that an atlas adjustment is going to get rid of a patient's headaches. The point is I don't even make promises within the walls of my practice. Why would I do it in public and to total strangers? What happens when you promise a patient they will get better? Well the short answer is they better! If you promise chiropractic can cure something and it doesn't you are opening yourself up to a world of potential problems

Unfortunately promising pain relief is just the tip of the iceberg. I see Doctors of Chiropractic making bold statements and unethical promises on a daily basis. I see fellow colleagues advertising allergy "elimination", swine flu prevention, immune system strengthening, headache elimination, and pretty much positioning chiropractic as a cure for everything under the sun. The problem is these doctors would be hard pressed to support their claims.

2. Making well intentioned but unsupported claims.

This second advertising danger is more of an innocent or accidental mistake. It often starts by a well intentioned chiropractor who wants to show patients and the public that chiropractic may be beneficial for more than back and neck pain.

Do I see a problem with linking to a study about the potential benefits associated between chiropractic care for headaches, low back pain, or hypertension? Not at all. Do I see a problem with advertising chiropractic, spinal decompression, or flexion distraction as a potential treatment for pain or a possible alternative before resorting to surgery? Absolutely not if you can provide some sort of supporting research or documentation. Point the public to studies and information and let them draw their conculsions.

There is a huge difference between advertising "chiropractic care may help headaches" and "Chiropractic cures headaches". One must be extremely careful when choosing what to say and how to say it. If you aren't sure you should be making a statement try asking yourself these two questions: 1. How could this come back to hurt me? 2. Can I prove or at least support what I'm saying? Carefully considering the answers to these two questions can keep you out of a lot of hot water. Check out my next posts where I'll discuss the chiropractic equivalent of ambulance chasing and 10 ways to stay out of trouble with chiropractic social media marketing.

-Dr. James

New Chiropractic Art Squidoo Lens

2009-05-27T16:17:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to take a minute to announce our new Chiropractic Art lens on Squidoo. For those who aren't familiar with Squidoo, it is a cool site that allows you to create your own lens (page) about pretty much anything! Navigate to http://www.Squidoo.com/ and see for yourself.

Our new lens, entitled "Affordable Chiropractic Art" is dedicated to (drum roll please) . . . our affordable chiropractic art! I know what you're thinking . . . but hopefully this will be more than a way for us to promote our art. We'd like this to become a central hub to promote the chiropractic art of others as well.

Why a lens about chiropractic art? There is a strong demand for chiropractic art beyond the normal posters and vanilla ho-hum laminated wall charts. Many doctors of chiropractic are looking for art that serves a dual purpose. An aesthetically pleasing chiropractic painting can also be used to educate patients. I find myself pointing to my double canvas lateral spine painting to explain anatomy on a daily basis. For whatever reason, my patients just seem to "get it" more when I don't refer to an overwhelming diagram full of labels.

Although we like to sell products and make a profit as much as the next business, it's not our only goal. We will happily partner and cross promote any chiropractic art that matches our values. Anyone who produces quality, pro-chiropractic, and affordable chiropractic art is welcome to send us a message requesting a link in our lens or with other concerns.

Stop by and check out our new lens:
http://www.squidoo.com/ChiropracticArt

In the meantime, check out some of our chiropractic art in our store. We feature spine paintings, framed photographic prints and other chiropractic art. It's all done by chiropractors for chiropractors. Stop by and browse our affordable products at: http://www.tinyurl.com/chirostore

If you are lucky you can save some cash on our chiropractic art and other products by shopping with us on Ebay:

http://www.tinyurl.com/chiroebay

Until next time!

-Dr. James

The Story and People Behind ClinicallySignificantProductions.com

2009-05-08T09:08:00.028-04:00

At ClinicallySignificantProductions.com we lovingly refer to ourselves as the "small company with a big URL". For those who don't already know (or for those we want to know more) let me give you a quick overview of who we are, and what we do.

We are a site dedicated to providing effective and affordable chiropractic patient education and marketing resources to chiropractors. We offer many items such as chiropractic waiting room DVDs, chiropractic powerpoint presentations, and even unique hand painted chiropractic art. Although we cater to the chiropractic profession, we also offer resources for a variety of other healthcare providers.

Our spinal decompression and cold laser therapy marketing and patient education tools are very popular with Medical Doctors, Physical Therapists, and more! We have even started to introduce select hand painted art for Dentists and M.D.s! To check out our full line of products visit our store. Read on to learn more about us and how our site got started.

Who are the People Behind ClinicallySignificantProductions.com?
First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dr. James. I'm a practicing Doctor of Chiropractic, and founder of ClinicallySignificantProductions.com. I started the site soon after graduating from Palmer College of Chiropractic. After graduating I decided to open my own practice using my personal savings. Using only personal savings to purchase equipment and start my first practice was challenging. I soon realized everything is overpriced, and chiropractic patient education products are no exception! I was quickly disgusted at the prices companies expected me to pay to educate my chiropractic patients.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in Chiropractic and feel it is vital to educate patients and the public about the benefits chiropractic care has to offer. I simply don't feel a Doctor should have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to do so! As a new D.C. it simply wasn't even an option for me to purchase most of the chiropractic patient education or marketing products on the market. When I did break down and spend hundreds of dollars on a DVD or lecture presentation I was usually disappointed. I would often tell myself I could produce something just as good, or better, for a fraction of the cost. I began to do just that.

My self authored Chiropractic PowerPoints and DVDs were so effective I decided to begin offering them to my colleagues at fair and reasonable prices. I soon realized many other doctors shared my disgust for overpriced chiropractic patient education products and ClinicallySignificantProductions.com was born!

I saw firsthand that there was a niche in the chiropractic, cold laser, and spinal decompression patient education and marketing product market. There is a lack of good quality and affordable products for these purposes. I strive to offer entry level to intermediate pricing on our products and will continue to maintain this philosophy in all of our future endeavors. We have big plans for our little company!

When we refer to ourselves as small, we aren't kidding. The entire business consists of a handful of close knit friends and family members. Since I am a workaholic, and somewhat of a "control freak" according to those close to me, most of the business responsibilities are on my shoulders. Like most small business owners I have an intense drive and commitment to success. Although I have a large role in our business, I couldn't function without the much appreciated help I have!

As we continue to grow, the demands placed on those around me increase. My help continues to step up to meet these increasing demands with a smile. Whether it's packing that shipment on a Sunday night, processing orders while I'm seeing patients, or helping finish artwork at 1:00 a.m., I always have support when I need it! Without the help and support none of this would be possible and we wouldn't have seen the success we have seen. Thanks, you guys are the best!

More about Dr. James:
I am a practicing Doctor of Chiropractic currently licensed to practice in two states. I am a proud graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic's Davenport, Iowa campus, considered the fountainhead of the chiropractic profession.

My chiropractic techniques consist mainly of Diversified, Thompson, Gonstead, and Activator adjusting protocols. I also utilize active and passive physiotherapy heavily in my practice. Three of my favorite tools are spinal decompression, cold laser therapy, and flexion distraction technique. I am continually amazed at how effective these three resources can be. When combined with the power of chiropractic care, the results are even more astounding!

When I am not seeing patients or running ClinicallySignificantProductions.com I am busy with my third, and most important, full time job: My job as a single father. I was awarded custody of my son during my first year of chiropractic college. I have been raising him on my own ever since. Although raising my son is the most difficult task I face, it is also the most rewarding. I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to be in his life on a daily basis. Although he's only seven years old he teaches me just as much as I teach him. Each and every day he shows me how much we have to learn as adults, and human beings in general!

When I have time to relax I enjoy: spending time my son, being outdoors, fishing, sports, working on cars, cooking, and watching a good movie.

Well there you have it: more than you probably cared to know about ClinicallySignificantProductions.com and me! If you'd like to know more or have any questions, feel free to stop by the site and drop us a line. We'd love to hear from you. In the meantime we wish you all the best!

-Yours in health,
Dr. James B., D.C.

Have we Forgotten About Customer Service?

2009-05-04T08:33:00.009-04:00

Last night, while at home getting my son ready for bed, I received a phone call from a doctor in Costa Rica. She needed to purchase our Cold Laser PowerPoint presentation and she needed it right away. Although it was almost 10:30 on a Sunday night, I took time out of my night to assist the client's needs. Granted, I didn't exactly move mountains here. All I did was process an order from home and email a custom PowerPoint to a client who needed it right away. I'd love to say I cheerfully skipped to the office with a smile on my face and happily completed the task with a positive outlook. That wouldn't be the truth. I briefly forgot how important customer service is! Although I temporarily dropped the ball, it ended up being a positive experience that I hope you can benefit from as well.

I won't be dishonest with you. I initially wasn't happy about meeting the customer's request. I did spend a moment feeling sorry for myself that I had to "work" on a Sunday night (again). I complained to myself, "no normal business is open or worrying about customers at 10:30 on a Sunday night". The stupidity of this statement hit me almost as soon as it ran through my head. Of course no normal business does this. Only an excellent business does this!

While waiting for confirmation from the client that the file transfer was successful, I began thinking about customer service and how vital it is for a chiropractic practice or any small business. I then became ashamed of myself for feeling sorry for myself. I quickly changed my point of view and decided this little side project on a Sunday night wasn't an unwelcome aggravation. Instead it was yet another opportunity for my business and I to shine!

I began to reflect on a modest little business we call ClinicallySignificantProductions.com. We are a small fish in a big pond, but doing surprisingly well. Do we offer affordable rates? Yes. Do we offer quality products? Yes. Are those two things enough to keep the momentum going? Definitely not. While I am totally confident we put out very high quality products at an insane value, that's not what makes us special. That's not what will grow our business and keep existing customers coming back.

What makes us special is the fact that I am willing to answer emails at 5:30 pm on a Saturday afternoon before taking my son to the park. I'll respond to a voice mail at 10:30 on a Sunday night. We'll happily produce that custom painting and place that photo right where you want it in your DVD. There is always a company out there with an equivalent quality product and a bigger marketing budget. What makes our company, and so many other small businesses out there, special is our intense desire to offer the best customer service.

As I got ready to sit down and have some cookies and milk for a bedtime snack with my son, I realized customer satisfaction applies just as much to a chiropractic practice as it does to the accountant, baker, or plumber down the street. Satisfied customers come back and they tell others!

I preach about patient satisfaction and keeping the customer happy all the time. Let me explain why I feel it is so important:

Most of the world has simply forgotten about customer service!

While there is always the exception to the rule, it just seems like most of the world is on some sort of disinterested, self absorbed auto pilot. Nowhere is this more evident to me than at one of the local big box retail stores. Most of the stock help doesn't seem to care, the teenage cashier appears totally indifferent, and just pray you don't need to go to the customer service desk! In most retail stores you'll probably have to work your way up the food chain to the manager before you find anyone who appears to have any interest in you or your problem. In my experience this often translates into caring just enough to not get fired!

This is what makes the small business so special. In most cases the owner is directly involved in day to day operations. The owner usually has a passion for the work and a serious interest in the success of the business. This unique quality of a small business is often one of the most overlooked opportunities. This is what makes a small business unique, and when taken to the next level separates a good small business from a great one! In today's world you need to be great, not average!

In most cases, there is someone selling the same product down the street or just a mouse click away. I can almost guarantee there is another Chiropractor around the corner. What separates your business from theirs? To be an elite chiropractic practice, or small business, you have to go above and beyond normal expectations. With competition and a sluggish economy it's sometimes not enough to simply provide customer satisfaction during normal business hours. Now that may be tough to swallow, but it's the truth.

I let call forwarding forward calls from my practice and clinicallysignificantproductions.com to my personal cell phone after business hours. Is that absolutely necessary? Probably not. However, I feel it is necessary to grow my business and my practice. Seeing the occasional evening patient or the weekend emergency patient is sometimes inconvenient, but it isn't the end of the world. Emailing a PowerPoint or packing a shipment on a Sunday night might not be my idea of fun, but its part of the job! Providing excellent customer service is inconvenient and time consuming but you don't have to view it as a chore.

Balancing family, fun, and work is one of the most difficult and rewarding challenges of being a small business owner. Anyone who owns a practice, or business they care about, knows this. I probably spend 70-80% of my time thinking about growing my business and practice. I constantly strive to find new ways to satisfy my clients and go the extra mile. I don't work 40 hours a week, it's more like 90. Clearly, owning my own business means a lot of hard work. Why do I do it? Because it also means I receive the rewards you can only see by being the owner of a small business.

I have the unique ability to schedule my work and patients around my personal life. I can block out a day to go on my son's field trip. I can take that Friday off without fear of angering the boss. I can schedule a vacation when I want. I can arrange my schedule to see my son on and off the school bus each day. I don't have to worry about a surprise lay-off when I report for work on Monday. When I think about these things it changes my point of view.

We shouldn't view providing excellent customer service and going the extra mile for customers as a pain in the rear. Instead we should welcome the opportunity to build relationships and grow our business! Handling a call after hours, seeing that weekend patient, granting a special request: these are all unique opportunities to show customers how dedicated we are to their satisfaction. Providing customers with excellent service and more than they expect is job security for the small business owner!

So, the next time you find yourself working on a weekend, taking that late phone call, or filling that unusual request don't think of it negatively. Is a patient or client any less important on Sunday at 10:30 pm. Are they somehow more valuable or more important on Monday at 9:30 am? Of course not! The next time you have to go out of your way to satisfy a customer take a deep breath and think about all of the benefits of being a small business owner. Then smile and take pride in knowing you are truly one of a kind! Trust that going the extra mile for your customers will pay off in the long run, because it will!
-Dr. James

Spinal Decompression Marketing Done Ethically? Is Your Spinal Decompression Marketing Writing Checks your Gluteus Maximus Can’t Cash?

2009-03-13T10:53:00.006-04:00

Spinal Decompression therapy is an exciting modern healthcare treatment for back and neck pain due to a variety of conditions. There is a great deal of research to support the effectiveness of spinal decompression in relieving pain and symptoms. Many doctors, clinics, marketing companies, and equipment manufacturers really go overboard when praising the benefits of decompression however! Healthcare providers need to make sure their spinal decompression advertising and marketing isn’t making promises they can’t keep.

Don’t get me wrong, I have seen first hand evidence that spinal decompression works. I have seen many patients steer clear of the path of drugs and surgery thanks to spinal decompression and conservative chiropractic care. Although I believe in spinal decompression, I also know it has limitations. Spinal decompression is not a magic cure all. It is not an instant, guaranteed fix for herniated discs or back pain. Marketing it as if it is, is simply unethical. While that may seem obvious, we always need to be aware of the message our spinal decompression marketing is sending.

I understand most healthcare providers don’t design their own marketing. Most simply pay someone else to design and run it. That is still no excuse for not critically analyzing your advertisements and they statements they make. In the long run, the doctor or healthcare provider is ultimately the person responsible for the contents of their advertising. When it comes to state board regulations there is no passing the buck.

How often have you come across a spinal decompression ad that makes bold statements about curing this or that condition? How often have you read an ad that you KNEW violated state board rules or other regulations? More importantly, are you running these ads yourself? Even though an ad may be effective in generating new patients, it can still be potential trouble.

For example, about a month ago while traveling for a seminar I came across a simple and well designed decompression ad. It was very compelling and ended with a strong offer and a call to action. I had no doubt it was a very effective ad. My problem was with the headline, which read something to the effect of:
“Spinal Decompression can eliminate your back pain due to herniated or bulging discs . . . without drugs or painful surgery!”

I’ve also come across a few ads flat out stating that spinal decompression is a non-surgical CURE for back pain. These types of ads can land a practice in hot water. It is also my personal opinion that these ads are both dishonest and unethical.

You may not share my concerns, but look at what these ads are really saying to the prospective patient. Let’s look at the first example ad. The ad states that spinal decompression CAN eliminate back pain. It doesn’t say it might, or that it is a possibility. It states that it CAN. Now we could split hairs here and debate the meaning of “can”. Some would argue that the usage of “can” simply implies that decompression has the potential to eliminate back pain. I would agree it’s a possibility, but I don’t want my state board, or a court interpreting the meaning of my advertising content.

I think a much better choice would be statement like “spinal decompression may be able to help relieve your pain and symptoms . . . without drugs or surgery”. This may not be as eye catching as the original headline, but it conveys the same message and does so ethically. There is no promise. There is no statement left for loose interpretation. Written this way the ad simply states that spinal decompression MAY be an option. Without directly stating so, the ad also indicates to a reasonable person that spinal decompression is NOT always an option and it is NOT always effective.

Another concern with that first example ad is the word “eliminate”. Is it really ethical to be talking about ELIMINATING pain or symptoms? A statement like that can lead to false expectations on the part of new decompression patients. Patients will come in expecting elimination of their pain and symptoms, when the honest to goodness truth is we have no idea whether treatment will be effective. Wouldn’t the word “reducing” or “relieving” be a much better choice than “eliminating”?

As you can see, you should choose your wording carefully when you advertise. Simply innocently changing one or two words in the copy of an advertisement can lead to a potential problem. Many doctors and clinics no doubt innocently make honest mistakes. Although a mistake may be an honest oversight or miscommunication between the advertiser and provider, it doesn’t excuse the doctor from any liability.

The second type of ad I mentioned were those overly confident ads that boast spinal decompression can cure back pain or herniated discs. Yes, these ads do exist. I have seen them with my own eyes. I still cringe when I read them. A healthcare provider shouldn’t be advertising that they can cure anything with spinal decompression.

These types of ads are flat out unethical and illegal. They are a disservice to the prospective patient because they make statements that simply aren’t true! The problem becomes who is monitoring for this type of abuse and who wants to get involved to report it? I usually give these doctors the benefit of the doubt and assume they simply haven’t carefully looked at what their ads are saying.

It may seem that it is very easy to accidentally cross over into the world of unethical and dishonest spinal decompression advertising. This may be true, but it is also just as easy to prevent this from happening. Here are10 easy tips to ensure your spinal decompression marketing is both effective and ethical:

1. Be Informed.
2. Accept responsibility
3. Curb your enthusiasm
4. Don’t Promise Anything
5. Use Common Sense
6. Put yourself in the Prospective Patient’s Shoes
7. Patients Before Profit
8. Your Competition is not a Role Model
9. Be Consistent
10. Control Costs

1. Be Informed
Know your state laws and any other applicable rules and regulations. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Do your homework and make sure your spinal decompression marketing is in full compliance. Don’t leave any grey areas which are open to interpretation.

2. Accept Responsibility
You already know this, but it bears repeating. Ultimately the doctor or provider is responsible for the advertising they run. Don’t expect a marketing firm, a media outlet, or anyone else to accept responsibility for your mistakes. In the end YOU as a healthcare provider are responsible for the content of your advertising. It is YOUR license and reputation which are on the line. Market ethically or don’t do it at all!

3. Curb Your Enthusiasm
We both know spinal decompression is great. As healthcare providers we are convinced spinal decompression can help our patients. It is important to remember to keep our passion and confidence in decompression in check. Communicate your confidence in decompression, but remember that nothing is guaranteed. This leads us to tip number four.

4. Don’t Promise Anything!
Do yourself and your patients a favor: don’t make any promises you aren’t 100% sure you can keep. Do not advertise that spinal decompression can definitively cure, stop, or eliminate anything. If you want to state that spinal decompression may be able to do these things, I think you are treading in much safer waters!

5. Use Your Common Sense
I have faith that we all possess at least some degree of common sense. Use it! If something seems like a grey area or a bad idea it probably is! Stop and think about the impact any given form of advertisement is going to have on you and your practice before you run it. Try and visualize both the positive and potential negative impacts of an advertisement before committing. Following tip number six well help here.

6. Put Yourself in the Prospective Patient’s Shoes
It is easy to assume others know what we are trying to express in our advertising. We see the benefits of spinal decompression everyday so we have a biased point of view.

One of the best ways to critically evaluate your spinal decompression marketing is to look at each and every ad from an outsider’s point of view. Pretend you are a prospective patient who knows nothing about spinal decompression. Take a look at your advertisements and interpret them from an outsider’s point of view. What does your marketing say? Does it make promises? Can the ad be misunderstood and taken too literally? It is often beneficial to enlist the help of a friend or relative with this step.

7. Patients Before Profit
This one is simple. Remember the main goal is to help patients and improve quality of life. The goal is not make as much money as possible. Profit is a factor in the equation, but it shouldn’t be the driving force behind your marketing.

One of the fastest ways to start marketing unethically is to market only to make money. Focus on bringing in patients into your practice that you want to help. When you market with the end goal of helping people get out of pain and back to enjoying a better quality of life you will be amazed how profit falls into place. Your spinal decompression will be ethical and you will still make money.

Position yourself as a doctor who truly cares about your patients and those patients will reward you.

8. Your Competition is not a Role Model
Never rely on your competitor’s advertising to tell you what is legal and ethical. Just because Dr. Jones down the street at XYZ Clinic gets away with it doesn’t meet it is acceptable. Focus on tips 1-7 and let the competition say what they will!

9. Be Consistent
Make sure your spinal decompression advertising and marketing maintains a central theme and message. At the very least make sure your different advertisements don’t contradict one another. Don’t tell patients one thing in one and something totally different in the next.

Maintaining consistency is key. If your ads are sending mixed messages, your audience may dismiss them as unethical junk that tells them what they want to hear rather than the truth.

10. Control Costs
What do costs have to do with ethical marketing? Nothing leads to unethical marketing faster than when a doctor overextends their marketing budget. Think of it as the familiar old saying, “Desperate times call for desperate measures”. Panicked doctors who spent too much on advertising often say and promise things they normally wouldn’t. When that expensive advertising they can’t afford doesn’t work, the situation is often even more critical. These individuals may begin to use questionable marketing ethics in effort to bring in more patients.

Never put yourself in this position. Set a marketing budget that is affordable. Know this budget and stick to it!

These are 10 easy ways to ensure your spinal decompression marketing is ethical. Unfortunately many spinal decompression providers market with questionable ethics. This is both bad for their profession and a disservice to the patient. Healthcare providers owe it to their patients to market truthfully. Hopefully I have demonstrated that spinal decompression marketing can be both effective and ethical.

Follow the advice above, stay humble, and use your common sense. Whenever I run an advertisement I think of something my father would tell me when I was a teenager: “Don’t let your mouth write a check your butt can’t cash!” That advice still applies today!

If you have any questions regarding spinal decompression marketing, or to check out our ethical and affordable spinal decompression marketing products, visit us online at:
http://www.clinicallysignificantproductions.com .

Affordable Spinal Decompression Marketing in a Rough Economy

2009-03-10T17:19:00.007-04:00

The economy is rough right now. Marketing Spinal Decompression Therapy to patients, particularly when this is a service not often covered by insurance, is getting more difficult by the day. For many practices the knee jerk reaction is to scale back on everything; including spinal decompression marketing. This can be a fatal mistake for a chiropractic practice, or for any healthcare practice offering spinal decompression.

You need to fight the urge to push that “panic button”. You need to fight the instinct to save dollars by eliminating marketing and advertising. As scary as it might sound, during these tough times you actually need to maintain, or even increase, your marketing efforts!

You might be thinking to yourself, “Why would I want to spend more money on advertising when I have less money coming in?” The answer is obvious. When money gets tight, patients often cut back on care or drop out of care entirely. This is even more true with something that is often not covered by insurance, like spinal decompression therapy. You need more new patients to pick up the slack. You’ll never get them without increasing your spinal decompression marketing efforts.

Now hold on, I said increase your spinal decompression marketing; I didn’t necessarily say you had to spend more on it! You need to market smarter rather than simply throwing more money at the same old advertising campaign. Although it may sound difficult to believe, you can actually increase your spinal decompression marketing efforts without spending more money! In fact, if you really take the time to plan your marketing strategy wisely, you might even end up spending less!

Let’s take at look at how it is possible to successfully market your spinal decompression services in a tough economy, without breaking the bank! I’ve broke this down into 10 easy to follow steps:

1. Analyze your Current Marketing.
2. Ditch the “Duds” and Keep the “Killers”!
3. Make Changes!
4. Look to the Internet my Friend!
5. Take Advantage the FREE Spinal Decompression Marketing Available.
6. Re-Acquaint Yourself with Internal Marketing.
7. Use the Power of the FREE DVD and Other Free “Stuff”
8. Ask Yourself, What Makes YOUR Decompression Practice so Special?
9. Get Ready to Spend a lot . . . of Time NOT Money!
10. Continually Monitor and Re-Evaluate your Efforts.

Let’s take a look at each step individually.

Step 1: Analyze your Current Marketing.
In this step you need to take a critical look at ALL of your current marketing efforts. Before you can successfully plan any changes to your marketing plan you need to know where you stand. You have to know where you are at before you know where you are going!

This step can be painful at times, but it is absolutely necessary for future marketing success. Take a look at how your various types of marketing are doing. Carefully examine your marketing budget and your 12 month marketing calendar. If you don’t have any sort of marketing schedule NOW is the time to start.

Step 2: Ditch the “Duds” and Keep the “Killers”
Now that you have examined and evaluated your marketing efforts you need to act accordingly. Ditch the duds. Take whatever marketing isn’t working and get rid of it. If that old stale local newspaper ad hasn’t brought in a new spinal decompression patient in months, why would the next 3 months be any different? Stop throwing money at what isn’t working and keep those killer ads. A killer ad is simply those ads that work! It is amazing how often we overlook something so obvious. If an ad isn’t working we need to do SOMETHING with it, which brings us to step 3.

Step 3: Make Changes.
Now that we know what isn’t working, we need to do SOMETHING about it. This something will depend on your marketing budget. At times we need to kill an ad and put that extra cash toward running what is showing a return on investment. Sometimes we just need to look at the ad and reformat it. Making some fresh changes is often all that is needed.

In my opinion making changes that fail is more desirable than simply letting a “dud” ad continue running unsuccessfully. If you make changes to an ad, or run an entirely new ad, at least you have made some effort. Odds are that new ad will get noticed. Even if the new advertising isn’t effective at least you have learned something. Take notes, make changes, and keep moving!

Step 4: Look to the Internet my Friend.
The internet is really taking over as a dominant form of advertising and marketing. If you think you can survive against your competition while ignoring internet marketing you are dead wrong. The days of the local paper newspaper and hardcopy yellow page books will eventually be gone. This is probably not as far off in the future as most of us think! Although marketing decompression on the internet is a challenge, it is also vital for survival.

Internet marketing is a challenge because it is such a dynamic medium. Things are constantly changing and it is a real challenge to keep up and stand out among a sea of competitors. However, if you want to succeed it is a challenge you must continually meet.

If you don’t market your spinal decompression practice on the internet regularly, you need to start NOW. If you already market on the internet then you need to DOUBLE your efforts now. Take your presence on the internet at make it KNOWN. This is not too difficult and often requires you invest little more than time. That’s right, some of the most beneficial and effective internet marketing is absolutely free!

Step 5: Take Advantage of all the FREE Spinal Decompression Marketing Available.
There are a ton of opportunities for FREE spinal decompression marketing available that most doctors miss! In step four I praised the internet. Well here I go again. Open your eyes doctor! Have you paid attention to any newspapers, television shows, or radio broadcasts lately? I challenge you to go a single day without hearing something about MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, Friendster, LinkedIn, Twitter, or one of the other hundreds of free social networking sites. These are opportunities to connect with colleagues, potential patients, and fellow businesses! These are opportunities you need to sieze!

Post a video of your practice on YouTube or MySpace. Create a short infomercial or introduction to spinal decompression video clip which you can also link to from your site’s home page. Offer to ship a free spinal decompression DVD or free information kit.

Email marketing can be free as well. Write an e-book which you can offer for free to those who provide their email address. Offer a free monthly email newsletter on health topics to members of your community. The possibilities with the internet are seemingly endless and they often cost very little but a lot of time!

Not ready for internet advertising? Then take advantage of old fashioned free advertising. Get out in your community. Meet people and introduce yourself and your services. Establish yourself as a local authority on non-surgical relief of back pain. Write an article for the local newspaper. Hold free workshops and lectures on preventing and treating back pain.

These are just some of the FREE advertising available. When the marketing budget gets tighter you need to expand your mind, step out of your comfort zone, and take advantage of the free advertising you have available!

Step 6: Re-Acquaint Yourself with Internal Marketing.
We often get so focused on external marketing that we forget about marketing within our practice. The best source for new spinal decompression patients is often your existing practice members. Keep your patients happy and educated!

When you have happy patients who understand the benefits of spinal
decompression, then you must encourage them to tell others. Try implementing patient testimonials in your spinal decompression advertising.

What are other methods of internal spinal decompression marketing? Hold free health care classes and spinal decompression information classes for existing patients. You might also pass out free spinal decompression brochures or loop an educational spinal decompression DVD in the waiting room. You can also pass out free flyers or leave a stack of free spinal decompression audio CDS on the checkout counter. We have products to assist you with all of this!

Other good ideas are holding frequent drawings or contests for existing patients. Holding annual or semi-annual patient appreciation days is also a great idea. With happy patients you will see many new spinal decompression patients as word spreads. This effect is often two-fold when you openly an actively ASK for referrals from your existing patients, so don’t be shy!

Step 7: Use the Power of the FREE DVD and Other Free “Stuff”.
People don’t like to feel like they are being aggressively sold a product or service. We don’t like pushy salesmen and neither do our patients. Offering a free spinal decompression informational DVD or free spinal decompression information kit is a great idea. This allows you to market your services in a non-aggressive but effective manner. More importantly, who doesn’t enjoy getting something FREE? Advertise these free products in your ads and online!

Step 8: Ask Yourself, What Makes YOUR Decompression Practice so Special?
The truth is spinal decompression isn’t all that uncommon anymore. If you don’t have any immediate spinal decompression competition in your area your practice is the exception rather than the rule. Spinal decompression practices are popping up everywhere. You need to ask yourself the same thing patients will be wondering, “what makes YOUR practice so special?” Is it your low fees? Your experience? Is your main advantage late evening and weekend hours?

Once you have your answer, tell prospective patients about it in your advertising! If you can’t come up with an answer then you need to MAKE your practice stand out. Maybe you need late evening or weekend hours. Perhaps lower fees are in order? Although these changes may not be fun at first they are often all that is needed to jump start your practice to the next level.

Step 9: Get Ready to Spend a lot . . . of Time NOT Money!
I won’t lie to you, smart and affordable spinal decompression marketing is a lot of work. When you are trying to maintain or increase your spinal decompression marketing while spending less money you are going to need to put your working hat on. You’ll need your thinking cap and a lot of other hats too!

To save money you are going to be wearing a lot of hats. You’ll probably be designing, editing, and coordinating a lot of your own marketing. If you are new to social networking and other free online advertising there is a bit of a learning curve. It all requires a commitment of your attention and time, but the end result will be worth your effort! Don’t worry, when things pick up and your hard work is rewarded with an influx of new spinal decompression patients you can always delegate a task to someone else.

Step 10: Continually Monitor and Re-Evaluate your Efforts.
You need to constantly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing. In a way you are starting all over again at step one. You should be analyzing your marketing no less than on a monthly basis. Make changes, keep what works, and change what doesn’t!

There you have it: a 10 step crash course on affordable spinal decompression marketing in a bad economy. Now you have a basic understanding of how you can actually maintain or increase your spinal decompression marketing in a slow economy. Plan carefully and seize those often missed opportunities for free advertising. Hopefully you have come away from this article with some great tips and hints on successfully marketing your spinal decompression services. For even more help with affordable spinal decompression marketing and patient education, visit our site at: http://www.clinicallysignificantproductions.com. In the meantime get out there and start making the changes needed to market your very beneficial services to patients who need it ; without it costing you an arm and a leg!