Blogs

How is your practice viewed by your community?

Have you ever taken a minute to ponder how your practice is viewed by your community? If you answered yes to this question, then you are not alone. Many practices are realizing the benefits of community involvement. 

Running a successful practice can be a challenge at times, but one of the best ways to make an impact in your practice is to start by making an impact in your community. If you have been hesitant about getting involved you are missing out on some great opportunities.

With all of the "stuff" out there, it may be hard to filter through it to determine what your practice would like to focus in on. You can start small by joining your convention and visitors bureau or signing up to serve on your community's board. Both options are great opportunities to network and can help steer you in the right direction.

Look to social media to find out about upcoming local events and/or festivals. Contact the director of the event to see about how you can get involved. Maybe you and your team want to volunteer or maybe you want to set up a table to promote your practice. Whichever path you choose…make sure that you and your team are recognizable. Having shirts with your practice name and logo will help set you apart from the crowd.

Make sure you have plenty of useful and relevant promotion products on hand to give out. One of my favorite giveaways is the OraBrite 15 m waxed nylon credit card floss.

I recommend printing your full color logo and information on them. Many practices have used these in place of business cards. The floss and mirrored back offer a functional product that fits nicely into a purse or wallet, while your information is constantly being "viewed" while the product is being used.

Remember to advertise your involvement in the upcoming event. In many cases you should be able to have a hot link added to the event webpage or Facebook page that will direct traffic back to your site. You will also want to cross promote by sharing a hot link to the event site on your social media outlets. Remember to continuously update! Post pictures and information leading up to and during your event to keep the enthusiasm going and create "buzz".

At the conclusion of your event, take to social media once more to thank all involved and those that participated. Be sure to remind them of any specials or promotions that you are running. Remember that community involvement is a fun way to promote your practice and build a rapport within your community.