Chiropractic Marketing: There’s a Tweet for That!

Since the launch of Apple’s iPhone, we’ve been inundated with the message, “There’s an App for that!” And, after visiting iTunes, one has no doubt believing their statement. As of today’s post, there are over 100,000 Apps now available in the App Store.

One sector that’s driving App development is social media. Case in point, look how many Apps are available just for social media networking. It’s not only mind-boggling but proof positive that social media is here to stay.

As a chiropractic entrepreneur, it’s your job to be cognizant of change. As new ideals come down the pike, you should have enough executive intelligence to either implement them or move on toward the next big thing.

Well, if you haven’t noticed, Twitter is the next big thing!

Consider the following graph by Pew Internet and commentary by the guardian.co.uk:

The use of social media is still growing: a survey has revealed that 19% of internet users now say they use Twitter or another service to share updates about themselves or see updates about others.

This is a significant increase of 8% – in previous surveys from April 2009 and December 2008 the figure was just 11%. Furthermore the report, based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research International of 2,253 adults, matches the expectations of companies such as Twitter and Facebook.

Likewise, Nielsen Wire reported the following on June 22, 2009:

Twitter.com was the fastest-growing Web brand in May 2009, increasing 1,448 percent year over- year, from 1.2 million unique visitors in May 2008 to 18.2 million in 2009.

What’s the take home lesson?

If you want to succeed as a chiropractor, you better get in the game!

So, borrowing from Apple’s infamous slogan, let’s examine three ways to connect with your local community through Twitter.

Once you understand Twitter’s power, you too will be saying …

“There’s a Tweet for That!”

1. Get Listed

If you’re not listed with Twitter directories, it’s difficult to be easily found. So, before you start tweeting your heart out, get listed with the following directories:

Worldwide:

1. WeFollow
2. Just Tweet It
3. Twellow
4. Twibs
5. TweetFind
6. TwitDir
7. TwitR
8. My Twitter Directory

Local:

1. Loaded Web
2. Local tweeps
3. Twellow Hood
4. Nearby Tweets
5. tweetwagon
6. tweets Lounge
7. Twitter States

2. Use Hashtags

Hashtags make tweets more searchable on any given subject. For example, one of the most popular hashtags used on Twitter is #followfriday.

Once thrown into the Twittosphere, your tweet is tagged, streamed into #followfriday’s public timeline and easily found through a simple #followfriday search.

To learn more about hashtags, check out Mashable’s HOW TO: Get the Most Out of Twitter #Hashtags. For a directory of hashtags, see Directory of hashtags.

Chiropractic Marketing Tip: To get noticed and be found locally, use hashtags. For example, include your city and state within a hashtag. This will allow local users to more easily find you.

3. Be Human

Theodore Roosevelt once said, ““People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

This is true even within the realm of social media. The bottom line is that you’re dealing with people and people want to know you’re authentic. A good rule of thumb is to listen before you tweet.

Unfortunately, even though Web 2.0 is about the conversation, some chiropractors believe the conversation should be more like an opened fire hydrant instead of a casual stroll through the park.

In other words, instead of nurturing relationships with meaningful conversations, they start blasting Twitter’s timeline with tweets all about them and their business — a true outbound marketing tactic that is dying a rapid death!

This not only annoys people but does nothing toward building quality relationships. And, since the new currency of inbound marketing is relationships, it’d serve you well to invest in them for the future health of your chiropractic business.

So, remember, Web 2.0 is all about the conversation. People want to interact with a human being not an automated SPAM bot. Engage in meaningful conversations and start building relationships.

Need more proof?

Take a look at the following chart by eMarketer.com and determine for yourself what the number one tactic by authentic social media marketers is for building business:

In closing, Twitter is a powerful chiropractic marketing tool. Use it wisely and it’ll drive traffic to your chiropractic blog. If you still don’t get it, I’d recommend you read 9 Benefits of Twitter for Bloggers by Darren Rowse of Problogger.net.

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Tagged as: Twitter