The Daily Courier sent a reporter to do a one hour interview with me regarding health, chiropractic, wellness and my online e-Magazine, Grants Pass Health Online. She was personally interested in wellness and stated several times the e-Magazine is a great resource.

I am 22 years in practice and have never been able to generate the public and media interest that the e-Magazine has done in just two months. It is a great tool to positively impact the health and lives of our communities all across America. Thanks for all of your help and great ideas.

Edward Welch, DC
Grants Pass Health Online

Relationship Marketing

When attempting to develop and grow your practice, establishing strong relationships within your community is paramount. Most importantly, relationships must be mutually beneficial if they are to pass the test of time. In other words, you have to be able to offer something perceived by that potential partner as valuable. Only then can you, as a chiropractor, expect something of equal value in return, for example new patient referrals.

Many chiropractors are searching for simple, effective, yet cost effective ways to build relationships with local residents, local healthcare professionals, businesses, organizations, social activity groups, places of worship, and within public or private school sectors. Not to over simplify the challenge, but online technologies can do this effectively, and most important, cost effectively.

Online newsletters are primarily designed to reach existing patients. Stand alone websites do little to attract new patients. Neither is designed to establish mutually beneficial relationships. Neither effectively connects you to those in your community you don’t know, which is of great importance.

Ask yourself two questions: In attempting to establish mutually beneficial relationships, what do you think is perceived by potential partners as most valuable? More importantly, how an you, as a respected healthcare professional in your community, provide valuable benefits to these partners effectively and cost effectively?

Here is where each community partner places greatest value:

• Local organizations want everyone in town to be aware of upcoming events.
• Healthcare professionals search for ways to educate and promote services.
• Businesses want branding and name recognition via advertising and promotion.
• Local residents want health information to improve quality of life and to help with every day healthcare decisions.

National Survey – Who would have thought?

I recently surveyed a national audience using simple online technologies. I wanted to know what was the one key factor used by them in helping to select a new healthcare professional? More than 73,500 responded. Results posted below are fascinating.

The number one choice was who another doctor recommends. Sounds reasonable yet it was surprising to review their second most popular selection. As chiropractors, we know educating patients is one effective way to practice build. I didn’t realize educating those we don’t know would have such profound impact on which healthcare professional is chosen.

Community e-Magazines

Several venues designed to educate the general public include brochures, videos, newsletters, direct mail, display advertisements, television and radio. Implementing extended campaigns can quickly become cost prohibitive. A more practical medium would be to use online technologies. But before jumping the gun thinking you know what is being talked about, stop! You might think you know, but maybe not, at least not yet.

Most chiropractors turning to the Internet look to broadcast health information to existing patients via an e-Newsletter. Since this approach connects mostly to established patients, family members and friends, this strategy offers little in expanding ones circle of influence. The challenge lies in finding ways to communicate and educate those in our community we don’t know. Most importantly, can the Internet be used to establish mutually beneficial relationships not only with thousands of local residents, but with local healthcare professionals, businesses and organizations? The answer is “yes”.

Introducing an entirely new concept: Online community health and news magazines…

To learn what you need to know about e-Magazines consider participating in one of Healthy Practices daily online tours. Although tours take 30 minutes, you will know in 5 minutes if it’s a good fit. During the tour, we take a close look at the e-Magazine, view a sample e-broadcast, discuss pricing and set-up, and finish off with Q & A. To get scheduled for a tour, send an email or call. You can also visit www.healthypractices.com for more information.

In summary, Healthy Practices Inc., co-founded by Sigmund Miller, DC is in the business of launching local online health and news magazines, nationally. As a free community service, many hundreds of community e-Magazines are in place throughout the United States and Canada reaching more than one million local residents, twice monthly. Magazines are also being launched in Australia and New Zealand.

Companies and organizations endorsing Healthy Practices e-Magazines include:

Each e-Magazine is defined by the local community it serves. In Maui the e-Magazine is called "Maui Health & Home". In Green Bay it’s "Green Bay Health & Home".

Many local newspapers and magazines have already featured chiropractors’ e-Magazines. Several were interviewed on radio, others by ABC and CBS TV news affiliates.

As editor, you get to do as much or as little as you want. Strategies are in place to grow your e-mail list to many thousands. Weekly teleconference training and one-on-one support are included. All training materials can be downloaded.

One of the e-Magazine's goals is to improve quality of life for many living in that chiropractor’s community. Providing this type of health information also empowers local residents when making every day healthcare decisions.

Main stream and alternative healthcare information e-broadcasted twice monthly is customized and hyperlinked back to that doctor’s community e-Magazine. Information is current, useful, and easy-to-understand.

Most importantly, each e-Magazine is designed to establish mutually beneficial relationships with other local healthcare professionals, local organizations and civic activity groups, and local businesses by offering something they perceive as valuable. Remember establishing mutually beneficial relationships are most important.

Other features of the e-Magazine include a local community calendar and health-related questions-of-the-month. Local residents can access late-breaking national and international health news with the click of their mouse. And there is a Community Partners section designed to promote local businesses.

Under the headings of 30 healthcare specialties, more than 1300 articles are catalogued ranging from family medicine to dermatology, pediatrics to women’s health, personal growth to exercise and fitness, chiropractic to dentistry, and acupuncture to herbal medicine.

What’s the cost? Consider our recommendations and it could cost you nothing!

Bottom line, you have nothing to lose except a great opportunity. Just give us the opportunity, and we will show you how this all works. For more information or to participate in an upcoming e-tour, just email sig@healthypractices.com or call 908.237.2727.

All the best,

Sigmund Miller, DC