Regardless if you’re new to Next Generation Chiropractor or have been with me since day one, my purpose has never changed — I’m incessantly bent on providing valuable content that trains chiropractors on how to effectively use blogs and social media networks to grow their chiropractic practices.
For some, the information has been overwhelming. They understand the importance of having a presence online but are too intimidated with the process.
For others, the information has been emphatically embraced and implemented. Three quick examples that come to mind are Dr. Jon P. Heins of Belvidere, New Jersey, Dr. Eduard Burt of San Francisco, California, and Dr. Todd Sullivan of Springfield, Virginia. To use the words of Gary Vaynerchuk, they’re crushing it!
But, as many are aware, technology changes at a blistering pace. Case in point, no matter when you buy a new tech gadget, the sad fact remains that it’s outdated the moment you walk out of the store!
This being the case, chiropractors must be cognizant of changing times and changing markets. If you still think Yellow Pages are the answer, you either need your head examined or we need to have a long, serious talk! 
What about websites? What about blogs? What about social media networks that generate millions of visitors per day? Are they obsolete?
Not exactly but they are seeing a massive metamorphosis on how they’re utilized which will affect the way chiropractors play the game.
What’s causing this change?
One word — MOBILE!
Check this out …
- There are over 5 billion cellphone users worldwide compared to only 1.8 billion Internet users (this is almost 3x the market share!)
- Of these users, 51 million use smart phones
- Over 50% of those that connect to the Internet today are doing so via a mobile device
- Text open up rates are 95%
- 73% of new mobile phone buyers report that text messaging is the most important feature on their phone
- The typical mobile phone user now sends more text messages than mobile phone calls
- Gen Y and Z consider email passé
- Some universities have stopped distributing email accounts all together
- Compared to the average web user, mobile users socialize more online (91% compared to 79%)
- For US mobile phone users, the average time spent browsing via their mobile device is 2.7 hours per day
- Mobile advertising was a 3 billion dollar industry in 2009. By 2012, it is projected to be a 19 billion dollar industry — a whopping 400% increase in spending by advertisers!
- The mobile app market is expected to grow to $35 billion by 2014
Are you getting the picture?
YES, it’s extremely important to have a blog!
YES, it’s extremely important to build your brand online!
YES, it’s extremely important to use social media networks!
And, YES, it’s extremely important to be proficient in Internet marketing!
HOWEVER, all of those things need to be funneled to your local market and be compatible with mobile devices.
How?
Well, I’ll show you in 2011!
I’ve got BIG plans for Next Generation Chiropractor for the upcoming year and will be unveiling a secret project I’ve been working on that’ll get chiropractors in the mobile marketing game fast!
So stay tuned, connected, and ready to learn because once the mobile train leaves the station, if you’re not on it, you’ll be left behind!
Question: What steps have you taken toward reaching your local community via mobile marketing?
Let us know by leaving a comment in the {comments} section below.
About Dr. Patrick MacNamara
Wow, it is a privilege to be mentioned in your post and being compared to Gary Vaynerchuk!
Excellent points, Dr. Mac!
Things are evolving very fast in the social media world. If one is not on top of it now it is going to be harder to jump on this train later on when it is full speed ahead. Blog with SEO content will push your practice into the orbit and all you have to do from there on just keep a momentum going by publishing fewer posts. This momentum will bring more eyeballs to your site and eventually more new patients to your office.
Mobile technology is evolving as fast as social media. One of the old post that Dr. Mac published “The future of mobile technology” shows that eventually everyone will use mobile
device instead of home computer. It is a history in progress.
I mentioned you because it’s the truth! You’re doing a great job and serve as an example for all chiropractors to follow.
Thank you for your kind words Dr. Mac!
Thanks for the mention, Dr. MacNamara. I am truly honored and humbled at the same time! I remember when I first started reading your blog back in May 2009 and it while it took me about month to finally decide to just jump in and get started with all of this (with your help of course) and for the first time since I opening my own practice 10 years ago I feel like I’m ahead of the curve instead of behind it when it comes to effectively marketing my practice. Since then, I’ve had quite a bit of success. So I can’t wait until you reveal what you have in store for 2011 concerning the new mobile marketing game.
On a side note: while all this web based marketing has increased the number of leads and new patients coming into my practice, it’s been learning and implementing AMCFamily’s procedures and protocol since joining the AMC Family back in April 2010 as you recommended that has doubled my practice in just 3 months and now has almost tripled it in 6 months! As it’s not how many new patients you get in the door it’s how many you keep long enough to get the proper Chiropractic care they need to correct their problems, get the great results that proper Chiropractic care is capable of, and of course having all of them referring their family, friends, and co-workers to get those same results. For that I am eternally grateful for all your guidance! Have a Merry Christmas and God Bless!
Merry Christmas to you as well, Dr. Heins! It’s been fun watching you succeed!!
Good content. The Internet is no longer the future, it’s the present. You’ve already mentioned some very intriguing ideas in this article about how to harness the power of the mobile phone. There’s nearly a dozen “medical” apps that I already use: how fantastic would it be to get some good quality chiropractic apps out there? Of course, that’s the key: good quality.
Thanks for your input, Dr. Johnson. And, if I had more hours in the day, I’d tackle what you’ve referred to. Our profession is lacking when it comes to quality apps but the opportunity is HUGE for someone willing to take the initiative.
Nevertheless, in the interim if one understands the way mobile is progressing, it isn’t necessary for a chiropractor to build or have an app to be successful during this transition. It just requires being cognizant of which technologies will provide the greatest bang for the buck when marketing their products and services online. That’ll be the focus of Next Generation Chiropractor when 2011 arrives.