Back in July of 2009 I wrote a blog post about how social media marketing for acupuncturists was a waste of time. I still believe it was back then, but 3 ½ years have passed, and today social media has matured into a viable branding and referral opportunity for acupuncturists – IF you know how to do it right!
But even if you know how to do it right, there’s still a major problem with social media…
It’s VERY time consuming!
It’s very time consuming because you have to find the right content to post, you have to make sure the source of the content is reputable and you have to make sure the content is on websites that provide a good user experience.
Today I want to tell you to a social media marketing service for acupuncturists I developed in 2012 and have been testing for the last 3 months with positive feedback.
Here’s what it is…
We post on your behalf 2 posts per day – 5 days a week on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ (and we can also post on LinkedIn if you like.)
We post relevant content having to do with alternative medicine, acupuncture, medical news, fitness, yoga, nutrition, exercise, and an occasional light post that appeals to the population in general. The first post of the day is scheduled at around 1:00 PM EST and the second post at around 8:00PM EST.
Here are some screen shots of what it looks like on my daughter’s Facebook page, Christina Prieto who is an acupuncturist in Orlando, FL.
Most of the postings – about 90% of them – are from my social media marketing service for acupuncturists and the others are hers.
We don’t just post a link by itself… Every posting gets an intro comment because this helps engage users…
Every posting is accompanied by an image which is even more important than the intro comment…
The content is also posted on Google+…
…and posted on Twitter too… By the way, speaking of Twitter, we also increase your Twitter followers at not extra cost. This is an unadvertised bonus that’s really nice.
When someone leaves a comment on a post, you receive a Facebook e-mail notification so you can reply or add to the comment.
We don’t comment or reply on your behalf. Our job is to find, schedule and post relevant content with a brief intro on your social media profiles 5 days a week (Monday through Friday).
That gives you 10 fresh postings on Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn every week – plus 10 other different articles posted on Twitter every week for a total of 40 fresh postings every week.
How much time would it take you to find 4 pieces of relevant content on the internet every day, and post one at noon and the second one in the evening on Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn – and post the 3rd one on Twitter at noon and the 4th on Twitter again in the evening?
This would be a painstaking and time consuming task if you tried to do it yourself every single day, Monday through Friday – week in and week out.
Here are some interesting results from a survey performed by Vertical Response, an online marketing firm in October of 2012 of 500 small businesses.
Small businesses:
• Are spending more time doing social media and investing more money into it at a faster rate.
• But the extra work is leading to time management issues, especially for the small business owner who’s handling social media on top of all the other responsibilities of running their business.
• 43% spend 6 or more hours per week while 25% spend from 6 to 10 hours a week on social media.
• My favorite and the reason I created this service for acupuncturists… Respondents reported that finding and posting content to their social networks is the most time-consuming, while answering questions posted on social media is the least time-consuming.
I showed you how you can put your social media marketing on auto-pilot and free yourself from the time-sucking task of posting good, relevant content on a daily basis. Now let me give you the details of a special offer I have for you – and please pay close attention because I’m doing something I’ve never done before…
If you hired one of the many companies that manage social media marketing for small businesses you can expect to pay from as little as $300 per month to as much as $600 or even $1,200 per month or more…
Here are actual prices social media marketing companies charge so you can see for yourself…
There is Social Media Babe who’s prices start a $400 a month and that’s for posting on just 2 networks. They do respond to interaction, but they only make 5 posts per week. They’re next plan is $600 per month.
Community Elf’s entry package starts at $200 and that’s for a maximum of 2 posts per week. Their 2nd tier package starts at $500 per month for daily postings.
Fan Pilot has prices starting at $299 per month, and that’s posting 3 times per week to Facebook alone…
And finally here’s My Social Partner that gives you 2 updates per day (on 2 networks) but here’s the kicker… they charge $399 per month and you have to provide the content.
Ironically, the survey respondents said that finding and posting the content is the most time consuming.
Why is this offer tied to TryAcupuncture.org membership?
Recently I noticed that Elie Goldschmidt from TryAcupuncture.org was on a mission to see that the general public is made aware that not all acupuncturists are created equal. That there is a difference between a licensed, qualified acupuncturist who has accrued more than 2,000 hours of education in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and a non-licensed acupuncturists, who can obtain a certification in acupuncture by undergoing abbreviated training of 300 hours or less.
I called Elie and commended him for this worthy cause because nobody else is doing anything like this to help the profession. I also confessed to him that acupuncture is close to my heart because my daughter is an acupuncturist – and that more than half of my business comes from acupuncturists. So I told Elie I wanted to join him in his crusade and I was willing to do something I’ve never done before… I told him I would make my new social media marketing service for acupuncturists exclusive to members of TryAcupuncture.org at a discount of 57% OFF the regular price.
Why?
Because supporting TryAcupuncture.org helps Elie in his quest to educate consumers that not all acupuncturists are created equal. Every licensed acupuncturist who is concerned about the future of acupuncture should care about this.
So here’s the deal…
The regular price for my social media marketing service for acupuncturists is $297 per month, but if you help support TryAcupuncture.org by becoming a member, you won’t have to pay $297 or even $197…
Your price to put social media marketing on auto-pilot is only $128 per month.
So if you want to dramatically increase your exposure on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn – and at the same time help protect the future of your profession, click here to lock-in this special price before this offer expires.
There are no contracts or gimmicks – and you can cancel at any time.
So what are you waiting for?
Join TryAcupuncture.org today and get 57% OFF my social media marketing service for acupuncturists. It’s the only way you can lock-in 57% OFF the regular price.
TryAcupuncture.org members only pay $128 per month, while everybody else pays $297 a month. As soon as you join TryAcupuncture.org, Elie will send you a private link to get this special pricing.
Become a member and get back thousands of dollars in real benefits every year – and protect and promote the future of acupuncture at the same time. But do it today because this offer is about to end.
Q – How can I trust the content you are posting on my behalf will represent me and my practice in a professional manner?
A – We have been doing acupuncture marketing for over 8 years and understand the demographics of your target audience and how to market to them. We’ve been testing the system since January with some picky acupuncturists and they love it because the content is relevant, engaging, and keeps them active in the social media sites – without having to spend endless hours doing the work.
Q – Can I approve the content before it gets posted on the social media sites?
A – Yes, but that option is only available by upgrading to the next level at $297/month. Frankly, we don’t encourage it because the postings get delayed until you have time to approve them because you are busy treating patients.
Q – Can I cancel at any time?
A – Yes… Just send us an e-mail before the next billing date and we’ll cancel your subscription and stop billing your credit card immediately.
Q – Can I get a refund if I’m not happy with the service?
A – You can cancel ANY time and we will stop billing your credit card immediately, but we don’t issue refunds because all the work is done and scheduled in advance. This ensures we have enough time to curate the right content and have it posted on schedule.
Q – Can I select what time of the day I want the content posted?
A –The first posting of the day takes place at mid day and the second in the evening (Eastern Standard Time.) We chose these times because they provide the highest user engagement. If you want special posting hours you’ll need to upgrade to the next level at $297/month, but in reality the mid day and evening times are fine.
Q – Do you need the passwords to my social media sites to set this up?
A – Not for Facebook or Google+. You just need to make us an admin of your Facebook and Google + business pages so we can post to them. If you don’t have a Facebook or Google + page we’ll show you how to create one. It’s very easy. We do need however your passwords to set up Twitter and LinkedIn. Once we’re done setting up those two profiles you can reset the passwords.
Q – Do you answer questions or reply to my audiences’ questions or comments on the social media sites?
A – No, we post the relevant and engaging content on your behalf so you can interact with your audience by answering questions and replying to comments.
Q – Do I really need to do all this social media stuff?
A – In today’s environment you need to do it if you want to grow your practice. Social media is not going to solve all your marketing problems, but there is no question it has become an important factor in the mix. While SEO (search engine optimization) and PPC Advertising (Google Adwords) are still the most effective ways to generate new patients, social media has taken over in building referrals, patient retention and reputation management.
Q – Can I pause the service for a week or two while I’m on vacation?
A – Yes, but the billing will continue as usual and there is no credit for that time period due to the nature of the process. Sorry.
Q – If I cancel and then sign up again, will I pay the same price as before?
A – No, once you cancel the introductory price is lost and you’ll have to pay the regular going rate at the time you sign up again.
TryAcupuncture.org members click here to request your private link.