Which to Spend on Reaching More Acupuncture Patients: Time or Money?
Marketing costs either time or money, just like everything, right? So there’s always a cost associated with it, you just have to choose which you’d like to spend, based on what’s available to you.  If you find yourself occasionally sitting in your office tapping your fingers on your desk, wondering where are all the patients are this week (and don’t worry, we’ve all been there), then clearly what you have is time to spend. On the other hand, if you’re very busy with patients, then you don’t have much time to spend on marketing, but you probably have a little more money that could be directed towards it. In this case, because you lack time, you pay someone (or something, like a Google Ad) to do your marketing for you.  Pretty straightforward.
So you have to choose: cash money or time. For most, it’s a clear-cut choice.  If you chose time (you know you made the choice in your head while reading), then this series of two posts has your name on it. (If you chose $$, not to worry, we’ll talk about paid advertising and marketing in the near future.)
Something to keep in mind as you read: These ideas focus on in-person marketing, which is not always terribly popular because of the effort involved and the fact that it often forces people out of their comfort zones.  (Um, the dreaded networking event where everyone stands around awkwardly and prays that one person takes their business card so they can call it a night and leave as fast as possible?) But there are two very important, very real reasons that in-person marketing is useful, so I ask you to keep an open mind and at least give them a try.
Why In-Person Marketing is Awesome and Worth the Time, Effort, and Occasional Awkwardness:
1) In an industry like acupuncture, you are really selling yourself, and so you need to get yourself out there as much as possible, talking to potential patients.  You’re going to be putting sharp objects in someone, and they are way more likely to come see you if they have met you and already know they feel comfortable with you.  They are one step closer to trusting you. Trust is important in health care of all kinds, but especially in acupuncture, because we are often asking people to try something that is perhaps a little scary and hard for them to understand.  You’re asking for their trust. Trust is best generated in person.Â
2)  People like to buy things from people they know.  I have read this so many times in marketing books, and seen it to be true so many times in real life. We want to support people that we know, like, and can relate to.  It makes us feel good about where our money goes.
So if the following ideas make you cringe, try to remember those two cardinal rules above – trust is best generated in person, and people like to buy stuff from people they know.  Also, all of the things on this list get easier with practice. At least, that was my personal experience, and speaking as someone who is known for being a hermit and a little bit “people-shy,” that’s saying something.  My point is, give these ideas a decent try, and I think you won’t regret it.
And remember, if you need help with any of this, check my online marketing course built specifically for acupuncturists. With videos, screenshares, worksheets, and calendars, you get my comprehensive road map for marketing your practice.Â
FREE MARKETING IDEAS FOR ACUPUNCTURISTS – PART 1:
1)     Visit all the businesses near/around your office to introduce yourself. Bring your cards and brochures and let people near you know that your business, and expertise, exists.
Many small business owners I know are nervous about this for some reason – they’re afraid to interrupt other people at work, or to put themselves out there. But this is casual, friendly, and a great way to connect with other business owners, who can make a great support network. Take some of their cards for your office, and they’ll feel even better about the interaction.
2)     Give free educational talks about acupuncture anywhere that will let you.  Talk at libraries, gyms/fitness centers, spas, high schools, local businesses, etc. This establishes you as a local expert and (again) lets people know you exist.
Many people have a bit of fear about talking in public, and this is normal.  There was a time when I would rather have gouged my eye out with a rusty spoon than stand in front of people with a PowerPoint.  (Hello, freshman year of college!) However, after much practice, I’ve now come to a point where I don’t mind speaking to groups and answering their questions.  Again, as a shy person, it took time. But it gets better with practice, guys.
A little something else to help calm your nerves: A few years ago a wise person reminded me that when you give an educational presentation, you are the expert, and people really are there to learn from you.  No one is going to leap out of their seat and yell, “That’s not really how Qi works!  Get out of here, you filthy charlatan!” Nope, they’re just going to be kind of dumbfounded by Qi, and are thinking of questions to ask you after the presentation, because you are the EXPERT.
3)     Attend free health fairs – but with a purpose. The usefulness of health fairs in actually generating patients is hotly debated amongst the acupuncturists I know – some think it’s useful and others feel it’s not worth their time.
Click here to get your free comprehensive checklist – How to Get More Patients from Health Fairs.
I think part of the issue is that you can’t just go to a health fair and stand by your booth and smile. It’s important to approach health fairs like any other networking event – with purpose. Having specific, measurable goals for the event is ideal, like how many people you want to connect with, for example. Decide what exactly you want to get out of the event.
To this end, I recommend you start a newsletter for your business, to keep yourself in the forefront of potential patients’ minds.  (Look for a newsletter platform that offers free plans up to a certain number of contacts, like MadMimi’s email marketing.) At the health fair, make one of your goals to collect people’s emails for the newsletter. How to do this?  I used to do a giveaway, and in order to enter, people had to give me their contact information in case they won the giveaway. Most people give an email. The important (super important!) thing with this is that you have to tell people that if they enter, they’ll also be put on your newsletter list. I put that disclaimer right on my sign for the giveaway, so it’s clear and up front. Aim to collect 20 emails, for example.
Secondly, be sure to visit every vendor at the fair and introduce yourself and trade business cards with them. You will probably end up seeing a lot of the same people again and again at health fairs (I know I did over the years) and even if these people don’t come to see you themselves, they can become referrals sources because if you talk to them, they will eventually feel like they know you and trust you enough to recommend you to others.  So the other vendors at health fairs should be important people to you because they’re probably in a related health care field and can send patients your way.
4)     Ask for referrals from happy patients. This is often a totally untapped goldmine for most practitioners. Don’t wait for the patient to take the initiative to tell people how great they feel because of you; specifically ask them to do it.
Unfortunately I’ve heard from a few acupuncturists that they have a hard time just flat-out asking for referrals. It makes them a little uncomfortable. To make this a little easier, I recommend you frame it around how it would benefit your patient. So, for example, offer an incentive for patients to send you referrals, and then you can look at it as “telling them about the incentive” as opposed to “asking for something.” For example, try printing up little referral business cards that say something like,
“Your recommendation to a family member or friend is the highest compliment I can receive. Please share your positive experience with others to help promote the amazing benefits of acupuncture.  In appreciation, for every two referrals you send, you’ll receive a free mini foot massage” or “10 free minutes of therapeutic Chinese massage.”
When the patient checks out, you can hand them the card and they read it and realize there is something fun in it for them if they help you out, and then you don’t feel awkward or desperate for implying you want their help making money.
That’s all for today, but there are more free marketing ideas to come in the next post.  Just to review, the most important message of this post is that it’s critical to TALK TO PEOPLE and CONNECT WITH THEM IN PERSON whenever possible in order to create trust and awareness and therefore generate more patients.
Of course, please let me know what you’ve found works (and doesn’t) in the comments section below. The wisdom of experience is priceless – let’s share it around!
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