3 tips for no-cost advertising

In the recent past, we have gotten a number of requests from practices seeking marketing assistance with one thing in common: the practice have virtually no money available for marketing.  Generally, these practices fall into 2 categories:

1. 1. Startup practices that are trying to build things on a shoestring budget.  Once the staff and rent have been paid, there’s no money left over for much of anything, especially buying an ad or running a pay-per-click campaign.
2. 2. Struggling or failing practices.  These practices are holding on by making sure they have an office (rent), the heat stays on (utilities) and key personnel (salaries).  Marketing essentially becomes deemed a nonessential expense.

Whatever the case, marketing your practice with no money is challenging, but not impossible.  In fact, succeeding is very possible.  Just keep these things in mind:

You need to put yourself out there

When you spend money on an advertising campaign – no matter what method you chose—you put the word out that your practice is open and accepting new patients.  With no money to spend, you have to get the word out in other ways.  The detailed list of specific ways to do that are the subject of a future missive, but for the purposes here, just know that you and your top people need to get out of the office to talk to local businesses, schools and the community-at-large.

Build an outstanding referral program

You only have so much time to get out to visit people who might become potential patients.  How much better would it be to have a lot of people helping you with that process?  The way to do that is to have a referral program that is strong enough to motivate patients to tell family and friends about their service.  Giving a $5 discount for every referral doesn’t motivate anyone.  5% off is a little better, but you’ll have to look very closely to see any movement in the excitement meter.  

Back in the old days, we had a very consistent referral promotion for orthodontic payments.  If you refer a patient and that patient starts treatment with us, the practice eliminated the next monthly payment.  If you were paid in full, you got a gift certificate for the amount of one monthly payment for a selected major retailer.  That promotion got more than one patient to claim that he or she would never make a payment for his or her child’s treatment (i.e. this patient would refer enough patients to offset every monthly payment due).  Trading 1 free contract to get 30 paying ones is a very favorable tradeoff.  That doesn’t happen without a strong, well-publicized referral program. 

Be patient 

If you want to be in front of a large audience all at once, a local commercial during Super Bowl XLIX will cost $22,000 (that is in my local market of New Orleans, LA – cost will be higher in larger markets).  Lots of people will be watching your local NBC affiliate during that time and you’ll certainly get in front of a lot of eyeballs.  Moving down from there on the cost spectrum will get you access to substantially fewer eyeballs at one time.  When the cost level gets down the $0, you are looking at a very limited number of people accessed with every iteration of your marketing.  So, don’t expect things to blow up immediately for you.  Rather, treat every opportunity to market as a huge chance to make a difference and every patient as pure gold.  Consider your chance to impress them with your treatment skills and personality as a once-in-a-lifetime deal.  Results will follow and begin to build on themselves.  Before you know it, you’ll see improved new patient activity and possibly funds available to put toward marketing which will really ramp up your growth.

Need ideas specific to your situation?  We’ve got ‘em.  Just contact us and let’s get the ball rolling.