A few weeks ago I was foolish enough to start a blog "series" and call one of my blogs "part one." So now I'm committed and have to write at least "part two!" So here goes.

What is the next most common marketing problem after "I'm new in practice and have a very small budget" that I wrote about in the last one? My opinion is that the next common problem is this..."I've never done marketing before, but now I really need to figure out how to fit this info my life. How do I do that?"

My response includes two parts. First, regular marketing activities must be built into your schedule. In other words, if you are new to this make appointments with yourself, write them in pen in your calendar or into your iPhone App and keep them no matter what. What will you do during those appointments?
1. Start with creating a description of your perfect patient (musicians, climbers, golfers, lawyers, mothers with babies, people who want facelifts, etc.).
2. Then think about where these people hang out, what publications they read, what clubs they join, what websites and blogs do they frequent, where do they volunteer?
3. Whatever the answers to those questions are should suggest the first steps in your marketing plan. If you can speak for those organizations, if you can write or blog for those website and publications, do that. If you like to play golf or play music or climb mountains or join volunteer groups with lots of participants from your chosen groups, do those things for and with the people who are your “perfect patients.”
4. Each appointment with yourself represents time to write those articles, participate in those clubs and volunteer activities, make phone calls to organizations needing speakers, or write a brochure about your specialty.

Don't break those appointments with yourself unless you get a brand new patient who wants that time slot!

Second, what are the absolute best things to do while you have figured out who those perfect patients might be? My favorite, longterm, most effective marketing ideas are those that imbed you into/within/amongst your chosen communities of people and demonstrate your participation and commitment to those communities: Be a soccer or little-league coach (every year for several years!); participate in the local holiday parade planning committee; organize a 10K fundraising walk/run event through your church; organize a graffiti paint-out event with local high school kids doing the painting and several stores donating the paint and get it on the five o'clock news. Got a kid on the football team or in the marching band? Get the families involved in building front-door ramps for anyone in your town who is in a wheelchair and does not have a ramp out to their driveway or sidewalk. You get the idea. Exactly this type of thing is real marketing, meaningful marketing, effective marketing.

And, who knows, at the same time as you are building credibility and a larger patient base, you could make many wonderful friends and make your own life more rich and meaningful at the same time!