9 Ways to Engage Your Chiropractic Blog Prospects

Since the inception of Next Generation Chiropractor, I’ve covered everything from 6 Essential Reasons Why You Need a Chiropractic Blog to how to Form a Tribe for Your Chiropractic Practice the Seth Godin Way.

Today, I’d like to give you 9 ways on how to engage your chiropractic blog prospects through your chiropractic blog.

But, before I do, let’s review two critical concepts:

1. Your chiropractic blog should be the hub of all your online activities.

Remember, you must leverage the power of social media networks to drive traffic to your blog.

Once they arrive, outside of enticing headlines that lead them to read your valuable content, make sure you have tools in place that stimulate action from the reader.

2. Your chiropractic blog needs to engage readers beyond just commenting.

Again, using specific tools throughout your blog will aid in accomplishing this. But, before we talk about them, let’s review a great definition of engagement.

What is engagement?

Engagement refers to the attention other people pay to your published content, like blog posts, news and articles. They see and read a post, and then because it’s interesting, inspiring, or controversial, they get “hooked” and decide to take further action.

Getting hooked and acting on it when you read something that makes you think, laugh, or get angry is engagement. The actions that people then take are called engagement events.

What are Engagement Events?

An Engagement Event implies a single, meaningful occurrence. Engagement events are individual activities performed using specific social networks, sites, or application. One tweet is an engagement event, for example. So is posting one comment, or voting one digg.

So, now that you understand the aforementioned, let’s examine 9 ways to engage your chiropractic blog prospects.

1. Build your marketing list through an opt-in form.

I purposefully made this number one so that you’d realize how important and powerful this is.

A chiropractic blog is a powerful tool. But, if you don’t use its capabilities, you’ll never benefit from all that it can do.

Yes, I realize that there’s beauty in the dialogue. Thanks to Web 2.0 technologies, we’re all benefitting from them.

However, you need to remember that you’re running a business and businesses require cash flow.

So, how do you initiate the cash flow process from a blog?

Through an opt-in form connected to some form of relational marketing like a monthly newsletter, et cetera.

By strengthening relationships through your newsletters, you’ll establish even more trust outside of what you’ve already formed through your blog.

Trust is the currency that eventually opens wallets to do business with you.

Bottom line: create an opt-in form through an email marketing service provider like aWeber and start building your list TODAY!

It couldn’t be easier!

2. Create an engaging email newsletter.

Email marketing services like aWeber and MailChimp make it really easy to create visually stunning email newsletters.

Whether you’re versed in HTML or need a simple WYSIWYG editor, you can do both within either account’s dashboard.

Another nice feature is the ability to engage other prospects through built-in social media tools.

For example, take a look at these tools built within MailChimp:

Pretty sweet, heh?

And, not a single code of HTML or CSS is needed. Nice!

3. Write an eBook.

You’re probably thinking, “Yeah, right! An eBook? How in the world could I possibly write an eBook?”

Well, let’s look at it from a different perspective.

Have you ever written a series of blog posts on one subject?

If so, you’ve got an eBook, my friend!

Simply repackage it and combine the series of posts into one PDF file. Then, offer it as a free download in exchange for one’s name and email address.

Don’t think it will work?

My email opt-ins increased by over 400% simply by adding a free downloadable eBook!

4. Catalyze ongoing engagement events.

Do what with my what?

Umm, let’s try this … stimulate more action from your chiropractic blog readers through various built-in tools.

Need an example?

Check out my post titled How to Engage Your Chiropractic Blog Readers Through the Wibiya Toolbar.

5. Offer promotional services and products via downloadable PDFs.

Let’s say you’ve got a March special centered around St. Patrick’s Day.

First of all, you better have that puppy tied to your Facebook fan page, tweeted to your followers on Twitter and even promoted through a short video that can be uploaded to your YouTube channel — geotagged enabled, of course!

Now that you’ve covered all social media networking bases, it’s time to soft sale your promotion to your opt-in email list.

Simply write a quick email informing all patients and prospects of your upcoming St. Patrick’s Day chiropractic promotion. Then, provide a link back to your blog that provides them with a PDF downloadable coupon.

To add icing on the cake, make sure it is action-driven. Think direct-response marketing.

In other words, include an expiration date on the coupon to stimulate its use.

7. Incorporate a live video chat on a hidden page.

Stick with me here!

If you’ve got a free account through Tokbox, you can embed live video capabilities within a designated hidden page.

Then, on a pre-determined date for email subscribers only, provide a free live webinar on a health topic of your choice.

Got the picture on why you’d offer this to only your email subscribers?

It’s just another opportunity to promote the benefits of joining your email list! If they’re not on the list, then they don’t get the free prize inside!

8. Provide a contact page.

You think I’m joking?

Well, I’m not!

You’d be amazed at how many chiropractic blogs I’ve visited — which sadly aren’t that many considering the most recent statistics — that don’t offer this one powerful customer service option.

You want to roll the red carpet out to everyone that comes to your blog’s front door.

In other words, don’t barricade yourself behind a wall. Give prospects and patients direct access to your email Inbox through your chiropractic blog’s contact page.

Now, there are many plugins available that serve a contact page’s purpose.

Nevertheless, the one that wins hands down is Gravity Forms.

Check out their site for more details. You won’t be disappointed with all the features packed into that one plugin!

9. Provide a FAQ page with downloadable forms

Most visitors to your blog will be prospects who are searching for solutions to their health concerns.

With that being the case, why not offer a very detailed FAQ page that addresses the top concerns both prospects and patients have had before utilizing your chiropractic services?

What? You don’t have that information handy?

Never fear! SurveyMonkey is HERE!

Why surveys?

Because how else will you ever know what your prospects truly want if you don’t survey them?

Unless you’re an exceptionally gifted mind reader, I’ve got nothing!

And, with today’s technology, you can make this process fun and easy. Well, maybe not fun, but definitely easy!

Now, if you don’t want to use SurveyMonkey, another method is to keep an active poll going on the home page of your blog. This can easily be done through plugins like the ones listed over at WordPress.org.

Just be forewarned — it takes a great deal of time to develop a FAQ page through individual polls than it does through a thoroughly written survey.

And now for the encore!

I realize that I’ve already given you what you expected but I’m feeling generous today and thought I’d throw one more at you.

BONUS ROUND: End each blog post with a question

This really is more of an art than a science. But, if you ask the right question, you’ll open the flood gates for comments.

And, in all honesty, comments become the life blood of each blog post since they stimulate more ideas, opinions and dialogue.

Plus, comments are counted as engagement events!

Therefore, you’ve killed two birds with one stone simply through ending your post with a question.

Now it’s my turn!

Question: So, what do you think? Do any of the above tips provide value on how to engage your chiropractic blog readers?

If so, let’s hear your thoughts below in the {comments} section.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”