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Print or Web: What is Your Most Important Marketing Tool
and why?
with so many ways to go as one starts off their practice, and with limited funds to do so, it got me wondering which is more important print materials (ie. business cards, postcards, brochures, etc) or online materials (ie a website)
with so many ways to go as one starts off their practice, and with limited funds to do so, it got me wondering which is more important print materials (ie. business cards, postcards, brochures, etc) or online materials (ie a website)
Views: 9
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Hinkle on -
The web because it reaches so many more people.
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Permalink Reply by Lisa on -
ok...just to play devil's advocate here...
i agree that the web reaches so many more people. BUT don't those people have to be looking for you? Print allows you to take material and mail to targeted audience as well as leave at partnering locations (i.e a chiro office or gym)
thoughts?
Mike Hinkle said:The web because it reaches so many more people.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Hinkle on
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My target audience is massage therapists. With The Festival, magazine and all my efforts, I try to help massage therapists. I simply live inside this world. It is created completely around massage. I have over 115,000 emails of therapists, schools, teachers and thousands of friends, most all massage related. Therapists send me stories everyday, they go in the magazine. I have concentrated on this effort for six years now. Then this site began. Now this becomes the avenue to help therapists even more. So yeah, for me the web is the best way to contact and trade information with my target audience.
Lisa said:ok...just to play devil's advocate here...
i agree that the web reaches so many more people. BUT don't those people have to be looking for you? Print allows you to take material and mail to targeted audience as well as leave at partnering locations (i.e a chiro office or gym)
thoughts?
Mike Hinkle said:The web because it reaches so many more people.
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Permalink Reply by Laura Allen on -
I tracked every single client until the fifth anniversary of my business. 92% are from word of mouth. I don't get squat out of print ads and never have. I do give out business cards, as do all my therapists, and we have brochures in the office that we take to events and insert in gift certificates. The other 8% comes from the website and the Yellow Pages.
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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Our research indicates that even if clients find you through word of mouth, most will look you up online now anyway. If they don't find you online, they are less likely to come to you. Being online doesn't require that you spend tons of money on a website though. You can have an online presence with an online directory. If offers all that a website does and usually better search engine presence than you could achieve on your own.
FIndHealthPros is offering a 6 month FREE trial...absolutely no strings attached. Just go to the website and click on the List Practice link on the top menu bar. Then click on the "Sign Up Today" button. To receive your free listing, use this coupon code when you register: E0954184
Add photos, use the calendar to add office hours, add additional pages to describe techniques, special offers, workshops, etc. Questions? Feel free to give us a call, M - F 866-450-3463.
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Permalink Reply by Marissa on -
At this point I have to agree with Laura. Although, I just recently created my website and have been busy linking it up to other sites as well as joining MerchantCircle.com. So, we'll see what happens. I do have to say though, that I always have the ABMP custom brochures in the local coffee house. I am always restocking them.
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Permalink Reply by Trevor on -
You have to have business cards, you'll give them to everyone you treat and meet, that's just good practice.
Print ads in the media in my opinion are a waste of money, whenever I gave printed flyers and leaflets and done drops it has brought clients in but they don't stay for very long. All my regular returning clients either came through word of mouth or searched for a therapist with specific skills and found me.
A good 75% of my clients each month now are returns.
A website is essential, it is your 24 hr brochure available to all, as mentioned above, even those who hear about you through word of mouth will then look you up online to check you out, check your location and times etc. 10% of search traffic to my site is specifically for my name indicating people either have seen me before and are trying to reconnect with me as they have lost my number or they have heard my name and are looking to find out more and hopefully book.
My business wouldn't be the success it is without my website and Googles help (thanks Google)!
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Permalink Reply by Michael McAleese on -
I have been in Private practice for 18 plus years now so alot is word of Mouth, and being visible in the area/community. As the Massage school goes it is 100% web site.mine and Naturalhealers.com...
MIke McAleese
www.sohmar.com
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Permalink Reply by Jody C. Hutchinson on -
I have found that the web is the best way to go. I have had more people find me on-line than in the phone book or other print media. So, what I have done is to work the web by optimizing search opportunities. I have business cards and like them to leave with MDs and PTs. I don't think spending $ on the phone book or any print advertising is worthwhile. My small ad in the Yellow Pages costs me $12.50/month. My Google ad words bill is usually less than $2.00. It has been some time since someone called from the phone book, in the last month I've had four people find me on the web. Nuff said.
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Permalink Reply by Gloria Coppola on -
For a practice, word of mouth was always my best means. Getting my face and hands out to events , meeting people, spreading the word and educating my community. People like to talk!
As for website, I feel that is probably more applicable for trainings and not necessarily a private practice.
Most of my private clientele does not even use a computer.
Most of my students use the web and word of mouth!
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