Other avenues for businesses and where to find patients are to use blogs. Did you know there are more than 200,000,000 blogs? People are more likely to visit blogs that align with their interests because blogs are non-selling environments! This should be good news for chiropractors who do not care to be "selling"! Think about it, you have completed several hours of education and attended many Continuing Education courses; do you think you could share helpful information about the body or how chiropractic care can help the body?

If your best friend was suffering from stress, inflammation, or other forms of pain, what advice would you share to help them? Does massage help any of these, how? Why? You could probably and easily explain in 500 words or less to your best friend how chiropractic care can help them. Try that mindset when you consider blogging. Topical blogs and article directories establish authority and credibility for you and your chiropractic practice. Wordpress is the most common website with a blog format; you can also use livejournal, Tumblr, or Travelpod.

The Big Boys

Over 800,000,000 monthly users of Facebook make this a very powerful part of the new Internet Marketing Machine. The fact that Facebook recently changed their strategy has created an even playing field for all businesses using this tool!

The new strategy for Facebook is to visually attract your patients, engage them, converse with them on a regular basis. No "drive by" postings, this means you shouldn't post something and walk away for a week! Set it up so your page responses are connected to your email so you can easily respond to anyone who makes a comment or likes your page when you are checking your emails. Allot yourself a specific time to invest on any social media sites and stick to them. You will be surprised how 10 minutes a day can increase your brand and value on Facebook.

One of the fastest growing social sites is Google+ and Google+ Pages, Google reported over 100,000,000 active users within the first year! Facebook took almost 18 months to reach their first 100,000,000 and Google seems to have picked up steam. They offer many features for businesses, you can create circles and your content is indexed quicker since it is owned by Google.

LinkedIn has over 100,000,000 users monthly; since this forum is mostly used by professionals the most powerful strategy is to be part of the discussions. Join groups where your knowledge and services can be applied. Look for discussions with business owners where you both could benefit. This is also a good way to stay connected with other professionals and organizations within your chiropractic community. We all need to be connected and sometimes it is best to do that with others that share an understanding of our struggles first hand.

One of the more "up and coming" social sites is Pinterest. This new social site is certainly visual engaging. A lot of doctors are asking, "how do I use this?" This isn't like an ad space, no promoting or advertising your practice, just sharing valuable information. Doctors and individuals pin interesting, photos, poems, inspirational quotes, recipes, patterns, and all kinds of information. So Pinterest and Facebook have a similar strategy, use visual engaging photo and share educational information. Although you can not mention your website, phone, or email, you can still share information that will increase other's view as an expert and trust you.

Think Like a Patient

With any social media sites one great strategy is always think like your patient. Anticipate their needs and what they will be searching for online. Maybe they are looking for a way to relieve neck and back pain, or a healthy alternative to getting a good night's sleep? Could chiropractic care benefit anyone struggling with pain? Of course, so be smart when it comes to sharing information. Think in terms of how your ideal patients will need help. What kind of answers are your patients and potential patients seeking and how your service meets those needs. Now pretend you are having a conversation with them, ask questions and share information about solutions without being a commercial about your practice. Use the 80/20 rule. 80% keep it educational, 20% promotional. Another way to look at it is at least once a week be sure to include a post specifically for a special, promotion, offer, coupon, or other reason for them to make a purchase now.

Marketing online isn't an option anymore, it's a requirement. It's where your patients and potential patients are searching to find businesses they can trust to buy services and get their problems solved. Marketing online is no longer just having a website where people can come to find your practice. It's about going where they are online and connecting with them in those locations. Internet search engines, directories and social media are fast fuel-burning engines.

If you're not delivering something new on a regular basis, you're going to get left on the side of the road by someone else who is. Once you get found, engage with your followers on their terms. Get them to follow you on Twitter, Fan you on Facebook, or subscribe to your YouTube channel. Offer more insightful information, expert perspective, recommendations and news. As you build relationships, you will earn their trust and more importantly earn their business. Continue to engage and follow up. Provide valuable information and make offers 20% of the time. Integrate all the elements of your marketing machine so they amplify each other and are working together to keep your practice going and growing.

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Stephanie Beck is the owner of SRB Solutions, an online and social media marketing business. Contact her with questions, comments, and for more information at .