It’s not about your competitors, it’s about YOU
A few weeks ago I did a marketing workshop for the Colorado Chiropractic Association. We discussed tried and true marketing strategies as well as some of the newer methods of connecting with people such as Facebook and SEO marketing. Many of the attendees shared what was working for them and what wasn’t in today’s market.
As a marketer, I am a firm believer that every business needs a clear understanding of their target market. Choosing a niche or specialty to market to is the foundation of any good marketing. We talked about this quite a bit in the workshop. I believe the right niche contains a group of people you are passionate about helping and you enjoy learning as much as you can about their problems and needs. Your niche should also be large enough to support you, has plenty of room for growth, and you thoroughly enjoy working in it. Your passion in serving this niche plays a huge role in your success and is the place I see many practitioners struggle.
Most practitioners just don’t have a niche – which makes their marketing ineffective and costly.
In lieu of choosing a niche I am seeing practitioners
- Put pressure on themselves and almost try too hard to make things happen
- Afraid to choose a niche because they are fearful they are turning away business that they could be earning
- Aren’t sure what they are passionate about and just keep floating from here to there without putting roots down and nurturing their practice.
After targeting a niche traditional marketing then takes several next steps including completing a competitive analysis, researching your competition, finding a “competitive advantage” and then differentiating yourself from these competitors you’ve identified.
In actuality this competitive analysis contradicts what I also teach – that you should just be you and not worry about what everyone else is doing. Concentrate on discovering and being your authentic self and serving the people you are meant to serve rather than looking at what everyone else is doing and comparing your practice to theirs.
Practitioners that have successfully specialized or chosen a niche will tell you their niche is filled with people that they naturally connect with – people that love them and tell everyone they know how great they are.
I wanted to share this today because one of the chiropractors at the workshop I did called me out on this during the workshop. She has a very successful practice and reiterated the fact that she built her business not based on what everyone else (her competitors) were doing, but on what was right for her. And it worked. She said I was contradicting myself when I brought up competitive information, which I had done several times.
What’s right and what’s wrong? Is it wise to look at your competition when you are choosing a niche, specializing, or marketing your practice? Should you not pay any attention to what everyone else is doing and just do what’s right for you?
If you ask naturopathic physician (ND) Catherine Darley that specializes in sleep disorders she’d tell you she’s always been fascinated with sleep. The naturopathic way of treating sleep disorders was a natural step in her growth.
She didn’t investigate who else specialized in sleep disorders or what practices around the country were doing this in a naturopathic way. She just did what felt right to her and MADE it successful. Her passion and enthusiasm for sleep disorders is contagious to everyone that comes in contact with her.
What’s slowing down the success of most practitioners?
The number one thing that was slowing down the success of the chiropractors that attended my marketing workshop was not having a clear idea of who their target market was and how to reach them.
If you think you are either not targeting the right group of people, would like to specialize but don’t know where to start, or already know your target market but aren’t sure why you’re not connecting with them, we can help.
We have a very simple Practice Specialization Package to help you. Give us a call at 303-460-0285.
About the author
Founder of A Marketing Connection and The Copywriting Institute, Kelly Robbins, MA, is an award winning author, copywriter and healthcare marketing coach/consultant. Kelly is a blogger for both ChiroEco and MassageMagazine and is the author of Marketing 101: Why Successful Alternative Healthcare Practitioners Specialize as well as co-author of The Practice Evolution Success Kit. She also publishes The Healthcare Marketing Connection, a free e-zine on healthcare marketing tips. Contact Kelly to receive her free report, “5 Critical Mistakes Healthcare Marketers Make that Lose Sales and Plummet Profits” at www.AMarketingConnection.com or 303-460-0285.
Posted in authentic marketing, General, marketing
