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Hi,
Just wondered if I could pick all your brains again!
I've been approached by several companies recently with great and new exciting opportunities for advertising with them - which I've been very circumspect about - but now I've been approached by a local NHS/Age Concern sponsered magazine offering a free editorial/article the same size as the advert I purchase which I am very tempted by as it will be sent out to many of my target audience.
So the first question is... has anyone else ever taken up these types of offers and if so how did it work out - did it create much new business?

and - on the same afternoon - Yell.com and 118 247 (but not yellow pages) approached me - and again I'm uncertain whether to invest in these - so again, has anyone used this service/using and how do you find it for generating business?

and, any tips of what advertising methods to use and what to avoid (so far i've found word of mouth is great - but not the fastest method!)

thanks

__________________
Cheers
Pod at Home

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Hi Pod at Home,
You really need to have a good look at who your target market is and make sure that's who will see your advertising.
Editorials can be very useful to help educate your target audience on what you can do for them as many people still don't know what we do.
I have used this type of advertising with mixed results. I found the best way is to advertise every now and then, not for several weeks in a row (which is what the magazines will tell you works the best.)
The most important thing is don't continue with advertising that isn't giving you a good return, so make sure you ask people in the patient info sheet how they got your number.
Meeting with doctors and physios is crucial. The best ad is when you send a very happy patient back to your GP to tell them how great you are, the doctor will refer for life.
Regards,
Footoomsh

All things take time , word of mouth and direct recommendation from other medical professions will win in the long run.

Have you spent time with all the local physios etc ?

The NHS magazine how many people read it ? is it sent home to people? If it sent home to people and you are after the older group for patient, it maybe a good option. If it´s just read in NHS waiting rooms maybe not.

what you need to do is look at how many patients need to come in extra to pay for the add, you want these in very quickly and decide what are my target patients. If your after the running community the NHS mag will not be a good option. But if it the older group and the mag is sent home to people, where they have time to read cover to cover and a lot of the retired folks will, it maybe a very good way to go. Depending on the money for the add.

__________________
Mike Weber.



Crazy Mary

Hi pod at home,

I have tried various methods of advertising and word of mouth is the best way, but of course you need the first ones to be able to recommend you. I found YELL.COM very good, but Thompsons online directory was very disappointing. My local Advertiser (free weekly newspaper) was the best when I got started, I advertised most weeks, (unless I was going to be away) for the first year and if I felt that business was slacking, I would advertise for a couple of months again. I found that advertising every week worked well, unlike one of the previous respondents, so you will just have to see how it goes for you in your particular area.

Suzanne

Dear Pod
Word of Mouth needs a proper programme set up with techniques to be used written up.
You will find on the whole advertising can be a problem.
Play the locality card strongly; join local clubs and societies ask for referals and network fully.
All the best
Practice Management Teacher

Hi Pod at Home
another place you may find useful to advertise is church newsletters/papers. this i've found to be especially useful for older clients as a lot of htem do attend church at least once weekly and the ad can provoke conversaton as people ask about who you are, and if any of them have been to see you and can recommend you, all the better!
all the best
magda66

Dear Magda
Excellent idea;adverts have to be focused and that sounds brilliant.
Brian

Hi Pod at Home
If you have a local horticultural club it is well worth your time advertising in their mag. You will probably get a phone call from someone saying "Im ringing from the GP surgery of Doctor XXXX and we are looking for a chiropodist to put on the appointment cards and the surgery booklet" BEWARE this is an advertising company who is offering the doctor cheap cards so long as they can sell the adverts. It will be over priced and the cost will be quoted without the VAT. They don't give a toss who is on the card as long as they make money.
Be very very sceptical about phone calls out of the blue I've had lots of these type and you have to untangle the verbal knots they use to make you think they are some thing else other than agencies.
Cheers

David

WOW! thanks for all the tips
I decided to use Yell (and so far have had a slight increase in calls - nothing huge) and still considering the magazine; but will definitely look at church/club/local news letters - great idea
Thanks Again

__________________
Cheers
Pod at Home

Be nice to your postman! mine will deliver a few leaflets and cards for me. Parish and church magazines work well as does our bi-monthly free paper. I agree that the doctors cards / magazines are an expensive waste of time (learned by painful experience). Most local newspapers will do a free advertorial for you if you are starting a business and have a special offer. Word of mouth is best but it can take a while for the effects to kick in. Good luck in your new practice.

Hi again,

My tip.

Like Edward I too have bought into expensive ads without return. Learning curve.

£400.00 + VAT! mistakes tend to leave a nasty taste. Especially when there's zero return!

Word of mouth. Takes time but people are in my clinic now for the right reason. However, I need to add. I still advertise locally. My existing ad' is only in the local magazine (as Edward advises). The bonus is though, my local mag' delivers the magazine to all the local GP surgeries & hospitals = Result.

I have been in private practice for 12 years now & make a good living. I choose my hours & although I do not have an in house receptionist I find my online reception team to be very good.

Good luck,

__________________
:)
twirly

Mandy Brooks
Brooks Podiatry
S64 0DE

Suffering a fondness for odd things.

“ Though the mills of God grind slowly;
Yet they grind exceeding small;
Though with patience he stands waiting,
With exactness grinds he all. ”