Marketing during slow times

noreply@blogger.com (BethL) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:49:00 +0000

All practices have slow times. I'm not just talking about the recession, I'm talking about the months during the year when patients don't knock down your door. Generally those times are July and August, and Thanksgiving through the 15th of January. Many people think that this is a great time to advertise because you need patients to fill the spaces. But the reality is, this is the worst time to advertise.

I liken it to selling snow tires to people in Arizona in the summer. They just don't have the propensity to buy. After all it barely ever snows in most of Arizona, so why would they buy. However if you sell those same snow tires to people in buffalo in november you'll find a ready market. Marketing your services is the same. You must sell when people have a propensity to buy, and not when they dont.

So the questions is when do you market? The answer: when you are busiest. That's the time when people want your services. I know it sounds crazy, but my grandfather always said you make hay while the sun shines and thats only way to do it. Use the summer and winter to plan your next steps and get ready for the busy times that are to come. The recession will end and we will get back to a normal routine, so dont put your head in the sand or try to advertise like heck because your slow now. Relax and only advertise when the time is right.

Why should an orthodontist blog?

noreply@blogger.com (BethL) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:19:00 +0000

Well there are thousands of reasons why an orthodontist should blog, but there is only two that count. You can increase your internet visability and better communicate with your patients. Whether you're an internet freak or a web weanie, writing online about your practice is simple and should be something you do at least 2 times a month.

Let your patients know about whats going on in your practice, finished before and after cases, what you're involved with in the community etc, and then write at least one article about orthodontics. These articles should not be canned. They should be fresh pieces that come from someone in your office or someone you hire to do it for you. Do not use the same canned materials as the 1000 other doctors have online from some of the big web companies. Use the info thats near and dear to your heart.

If you're an orthodontist, in a lot of ways you are a teacher. Let that teaching passion out of the box with a 3-4 paragraph article once a month. Its a great way to get your name out there and an even better way to let patients see you as the expert you are. So go out and become a blogger! You might even like it.

If you dont know how to get started, contact www.practicemarketer.com for a social networking package. They get you all set up and ready to go.

Practice Marketing

Marketing during slow times

Why should an orthodontist blog?