What's All The Twitter About

Micro-blogging, Twitter, is more popular every day and consequently it has become one of the biggest platforms on the web. This means there is a whole new emerging market of potential patients just waiting to be networked. A great opportunity indeed to build a naturopathic practice!

For those a bit unfamiliar with micro blogging and more importantly Twitter, let me explain a bit about how it works. Twitter is basically a service that allows you to update your status with short messages, of up to 140 characters. What makes it so special is that it allows users to befriend each other; in Twitter this is called “following.” Whenever you’re following somebody on Twitter you’ll be able to instantly receive their updates and keep up to date with their status. You can follow Naturopathic Economics on Twitter with our Naturoecon username.  Twitter also provides mobility allowing you to update your status via your web page, IM, mobile phone, blackberry or various other third party applications.

It’s been widely proven that Twitter can be easily used as a promotional tool, to pitch your content, services and products. This is done by broadcasting your message, although short, to your followers. Here are a few reasons why Twitter can become an essential tool to deliver your professional practice message to your patients and friends.

1. Practice Traffic. Although at first glance it might seem like twitter isn’t capable of directing any respectable amount of traffic, truth is, if used properly, it can provide your blog or webpage with quite a “few” new visitors. You can send traffic by entering your blog’s url in your Twitter profile or by twitting one of your post’s url.
2. Practice Branding. Just like any other social network, twitter can be used as a powerful tool to build your naturopathic brand and raise awareness. The thing about twitter branding is that it’s a lot more personal, probably thanks to it’s IM like environment, helping you to thin the line between you and your readers.
3. Promote  Your content. A lot of doctors realizing the huge potential Twitter possess leveraging their content, have begun to publicize and promote their blog posts or web pages on Twitter. This means they post their post url, along with a short description so that their followers can vote them. A nifty little twitter tool available is TwitterFeed, a great twitter application that automatically posts your latest blog titles, along with the respective url of course, without any interference from your behalf.
4. Latest News in Naturopathic Medicine. Because Twitter is so instant and spontaneous you can now find out about the latest naturopathic news in any particular field of activity you’re following, within minutes of the actual event. If you thought RSS feeds are a good way of keeping up with news and new content, wait till you try twitter.
5. Correct Misinformation About Naturopathic Medicine.   Your patients are keenly aware of changing trends and the never ending studies which purport to debunk naturopathic medicine.  Through Twitter you can head off misinformation directly to your patients and followers quickly and professionally referencing correct information you have posted on you blog or website.
6. Networking. Twitter is a great way to get to know new patients and like minded individuals, that share your same passions and area of expertise. Following them truly is a pleasure. This way you can see what your fellow peers are up to, open up to mutual promotional work and build future business relationships.
7. Practice Marketing. As it’s the case with most social media services, you can use Twitter to market and pitch your practice, services and products. However Twitter won’t directly help you market your content, but rather indirectly by helping build your brand name and authority. After you’ve established yourself as an authority to your audience, sales will follow as well.
8. It’s Viral. Anything that spreads quickly and easily across a community is a great social service.  Twitter works in a word of mouth kind of way. You as user may twit about something important, your followers will then take the story to their followers and so on.
9. New Video Feature. Twitter has now launched a new feature allowing you to post videos with your Twitter.  This is very exciting allowing you to provide a video message directly to your patients with your Twitter. You can highlight new treatments you are offering, special discounts on products, or general information in a much more personal manner.  All it takes is a Flip camera and a Twitter account.

There’s something special about Twitter that makes it fun. It’s that kind of fun you find in great social networking and Twitter has plenty of it.  If you are new to Twitter I recommend "Sams Teach Yourself Twitter in 10 Minutes."  It's a simple read and walks you through all of the steps to get started.

Domain Names - How to Get Them Inexpensively

As a naturopath beginning a new practice or wanting to expand your practice awareness, how do you jump on the internet highway.  Domains are where it all starts on the World Wide Web.  A unique name paired with domain name extensions like .COM, .NET., .ORG,.BIZ, and most recently .CO, is the first step to carving out a unique space in the virtual world.  These domains are a strong element in the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and brand awareness strategy for your practice.

How you choose your domain name extension and the concept for a unique yet identifiable domain name must be taken seriously.  Domain extensions offer alternatives for creating and protecting domain names.  For example the new extension .CO can represent; company, community, or collaboration.  Think carefully before launching your domain name or names.  That's right I said names.  I recommend acquiring more than one name extension when you purchase a domain name thus protecting your unique identity in several of the extension communities.  But how do you afford acquiring one inexpensive name or names.  I personally recommend 1&1 Domain Names .  Domains purchased from 1&1 are as inexpensive as 99 cents.  That's right 99 cents!

So if you are looking to for a new domain name, or want to expand your domain names I recommend clicking on this link 1&1 Domain Names to check out their rates.  They also offer very inexpensive web hosting should you want to transfer your domain name and save even more.

NEXT WEEK:  What's All The Twitter About

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Have a question send it to naturoeconomics@gmail.com we answer your question as quickly as we can, however due to the number of questions we ask you have patience as we answer all questions in the order they are received.

7 Tips to Merge Into the Social Networking Highway

Social networking is all the buzz. If you don't have a Blog and an account on  Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, or the latest social networking fad you're considered out of date.  For the naturopath launching a new practice, or the seasoned naturopath wanting to grow their practice, the prudent use of these tools can help build a practice.  Social networking tools help to share information with your patients about yourself, your practice, or general health care tips that can become viral on the internet spreading the good word about what you do.  One of the most powerfull tools a naturopath can use is the Blog.  That't right the Blog, not the web page.  Here are some simple tips from one of my favorite books "Crush It."  to help you get started blogging.

1.  What is your passion - what do you want to tell the world about on your blog?
2.  Make sure you have several ideas for posting ready to go - why you are writing the blog, tips on health care, new treatments, your personal philosophy, etc.
3.  Buy a user name .com, .net, .biz. (More on inexpensive - Cheaper than Go-Daddy domain purchase in the next blog)
4.  Begin blogging.  That's right.  You can begin blogging within 10 minutes of setting up your site.
4. Sign up for Twitter or Facebook if you haven't already.
5. Sign up for Ping.fm and select all of the platforms to which you want to distribute your message.
6. Be consistent in your blog posts, but don't overdo it. Posting every other week when you first start is fine, then once a week after you have built a following.
7. Ask patients for their email addresses so you can notify them when you post.  This is critical to growing your following.

These simple tips should get you started.  I recommend "Crush It". for a simple read on how these things interact to grow any business successfully. 

Previous Tips and Tricks
Save money and increase profits by purchasing ink and toner at up to 70% off of the shelf price http://www.econtonerandink.com/

1 comments:

Bill Bond said...

IMO, the number one indicator of how successful and ND will be is the return rate after an initial consultation, that is, the percentage of patients that return for a follow up visit after the initial consultation. Very successful NDs have a return rate of @75%-80% and those who cannot sustain a practice tend to have return rates of about 20%-30%. Most NDs fall somewhere in between. Factors such as bedside manner and you skill as a physician are obvious major factors, but the three overlooked factors I see are: 1. Always scheduling follow up visits after an initial consultation. Some NDs think patients will just magically know when they need a follow up. More often, they will just move on to trying something else, especially if what you prescribe is not working as recommended. 2. Have an office that looks like a medical office, not a chiropractors, an acupuncturists, a homeopaths or a massage therapists. 3. Wear a lab coat during initial consultations. I know this is not popular in the ND world but the reality is that people will judge your capabilities and skill level by your attire, especially during an initial consultation, when they are first getting to know you. A labcoat conveys physician while nice attire conveys non-physician and patients will treat you, trust you and pay you accordingly.

Maximizing Profits - Tip 1

Many Naturopaths have asked "How can I make more money in my practice?"  Aside from growing your practice patient base, one way is to reduce overhead.  In coming posts to this site I will share tips and tricks to reduce your overhead resulting in increased profits.

Here is one way to reduce your costs.  If you are like me the cost of toner is always troubling, but a vital part of doing business.  Now you can save up to 70% on the cost of toner and ink replacements for your laser or ink jet printers.  Just think about it.  Many toner cartridges cost as much as $100 or more, but you can get yours for as low as $30 and these are not the cheap "drill and fill" cartridges we see advertised.

We have all seen the ads or received emails offering "toner deals".  Naturopathic Economics researched this aspect of cost savings and found http://www.econtonerandink.com/  .  This online site offers virtually every toner or ink cartridge ever made.  Each cartridge comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. The company provides more the 80,000 cartridges each year to large businesses such as health insurance providers, and other major corporations.  You can now take advantage of these savings by simply going to http://www.econtonerandink.com/ selecting your toner cartridge and placing your order.

Let the savings begin and your profit margin increase.

Five SimpleTips to Market a New Practice

It is generally accepted that naturopaths graduating from accredited ND programs have little experience in business matters.  Don't feel you are alone. MD's, DO's, and DDS's struggle with the same issues.  This site was designed to guide naturopaths through the maze of health care business techniques in a simple informative process of useful tips, methods, and resources to help the naturopath achieve optimal financial success.  Toward that goal, responding to business questions is our first priority, so here we go and welcome to the journey.

Q: How do I market my practice?
Naturopathic Economics A: Marketing for any business is a relationship oriented process.  For the naturopath this is more so than any other business I can think of due to the passion of the profession and the close personal relationship naturopaths have with their patients.  I won't go into advertising in this blog as that is different from marketing and can be dealt with later.  I will be suggesting simple, low or no cost ways to jump start your practice. So let's start at the beginning with marketing for the new practice.  I will continue the piece on marketing for the existing practice on the next blog. 

The most important thing to remember when beginning your marketing is to be true to yourself .  What does this mean? Be honest with yourself, who you aspire to be, how you intend to get there, and understand what it takes to be a success.  If you put the following marketing principles to work for you, you will become a successful practicing naturopath.

1.  Target Your Patient Base - Be specific about who you want to see in your practice.  Is there a modality that you are drawn to as a primary source of patient care, homeopathy, acupuncture, physical medicine, etc.?  Is there an illness or disease process you want to focus upon, women's health, men's health, diabetes, etc.? Is there an age range you want to treat 25 year old to 45, or 65?  Answering some of these basic questions will set you on your course. One last note on this topic, if you try to target everybody, your not effectively targeting anybody.

2.  Set Practice Growth Goals - Oh no, you're saying not goals and objectives. I heard all of that in college, I just want to practice medicine.  But, let's think about this for a minute.  How do you grow your practice in a controlled sustainable growth model and not be subject to one good month followed by a month of how do I pay the bills.  The best way to determine exactly what your new patient growth goals will be each month and work diligently to achieve those goals. Will it be 5 or 10 new patients each month?  Be realistic, but remember just 5 new patients each month is equivalent to far more than 60 new patients when you consider the average patient my visit your office 3 to five times in the year.

3. Message Your Benefits - Not What You Do - How many times have you told someone you are a naturopathic doctor and they respond, "Oh what's that?"  Even if you focus on homeopathy let's say, and tell someone you're a homeopath, for a lot of people you would have more recognition telling them you're Buddhist.  Instead tell contacts and potential patients how you help them, now what you do.  For example: I am naturopathic doctor focused on the treatment of women's health, or arthritis, or diabetes.  You get the idea.  Talk about your benefit to them in terms of a medical topic they know, understand, and may be experiencing or know someone they know who is plagued by a health issue that is your area of concentration.

4. Begin Networking - Today all the buzz is about social media marketing (I will discuss this in detail in a future blog), but the fastest way to grow a practice is the very basic form of social marketing - networking.  It has a huge advantage to building your practice since you are meeting your potential patients one on one and have the opportunity to express who you are and how you help people with medical problems in a more personal way.  Some basic ways to get started are to: visit your local Chamber of Commerce, go to a mixer or business networking meeting; visit your local Rotary Club . The Phoenix Rotary 100 just started a morning networking breakfast for example. Check in with your local Kiwanis Club, as well as relationships like your church affiliation.  Last but not least, consider volunteering your services. This unique opportunity gets you into the community where often other business owners and potential patients are working side by side where you can tell them your story. And let's don't forget that helping others is what your profession is about. Volunteering is a rewarding experience in multiple ways.

5.  Get Referrals - Referrals are a fantastic way to generate new patients. Don't be passive about seeking referrals. Proactively seek referrals from existing patients, acquaintances, family and friends.  Never forget the personal nature of what you do and always graciously thank anybody who refers a new patient to your practice.

That's it for this post.  Next post 5 Ways to Market and Grow Your Practice

Have a question?  Email your questions to naturoeconomics@gmail.com . Every question will be answered by a professional in the business area that you are seeking advice.

How to Get Your Questions Answered

Regardless of the school a naturopath attended to attain their medical training, countless numbers of highly trained professional seem to struggle with the art and science of business, unless they were specifically trained in this area.  As I stated in a previous post my personal experiences include, practice start-ups, purchase and sale of medical practices from coast to coast, practice management, marketing and development of medical practices, new partner negotiations and buy-ins, as well as owning a contract staffing agency specializing in medical staff. Coupled with this background, professionals from every field; legal, accounting, marketing, insurance, staffing, billing, etc. have graciously offered to respond to your business questions to create one of the finest FREE resources for naturopaths to acquire quality business information.

If you have a specific question you would like answered; legal, accounting, leasing, medical billing, marketing, staffing, etc., just email your question to: naturoeconomics@gmail.com . 

Your question will be forwarded to one of our professionals specific to your inquiry and the answer will appear on the blog post once we have a responce.  You will receive an email confirmation that your question has been answered when it appears on the blog post.

NOTE: All posts at this site are for information purposes only and are not designed to be construed as legal opinions or professional advice to be acted upon without the reader consulting with their own professional advisors including but not limited to: attorneys, accountants, banking contacts, insurance agents, real estate agents, marketing and public relations consultants, and staffing specialists.

Posting Policy

All posts at this site are for information purposes only and are not designed to be construed as legal opinions or professional advice to be acted upon without the reader consulting with their own professional advisors including but not limited to: attorneys, accountants, banking contacts, insurance agents, real estate agents, marketing and public relations consultants, and staffing specialists.

Why a Business Blog for Naturopaths?

As the Vice President of Advancment at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona, I have been asked repeatedly to create a blog providing resources for doctors to acquire quality business skills in order to establish and grow their practices.  Each naturopath that I meet, regardless of the school they attained their medical training, seems to struggle with the art and science of business, unless they were specifically trained in this area.

My personal experiences include, practice start-ups, purchase and sale of medical practices from coast to coast, practice management, marketing and development of medical practices, new partner negotiations and buy-ins, as well as owning a contract staffing agency specializing in medical staff.   Coupled with this background, I intend to call on professionals from every field; legal, accounting, marketing, insurance, staffing, billing, etc. to create one of the finest FREE resources for naturopaths to acquire quality information.

Having written articles published in Medical Economics, Chiropractic Economics, the Arizona Osteopathic Journal, the Florida Osteopathic Journal, and several other smaller publications, articles and submitted posts will be edited to reflect the best in business practices.  The information provided each week at this blog site will be; easy to read, informative, and provide useful health care business resources.