I have a challenge for you. And this should be an easy one. Sometime in the next week or 2, do something different to market your practice.

The chiropractic profession received a great marketing boost this past July and August, when the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress placed an advertisement in the publications Newsweek, US News and World Report, USA Today, and Sports Illustrated. The ads featured Ms Fitness USA, Sarah Harding, and publicized how chiropractic care helped her recover from a low back injury.

But while the good news is that more and more people are seeking alternatives to drugs and surgery to address their health care needs, chiropractors are also facing increased competition from other alternative health care practitioners, such as physical therapists. To compete, make it a point to increase your marketing activities and consider increasing your marketing budget or adding one for next year.

I know that money and time are tight for many of you. Let me help by showing you some low-cost marketing ideas that you can start implementing right now.

October is a great month to start marketing to schools. Contact them to give health screenings to students or to find out if there are opportunites for you to join the medical staff on a school sports team. Anything you do to increase your contact with the public will help keep you in the minds of potential patients when they need health care.

In our August issue, we featured Lynne Sullivan, DC, who hired a chiropractic marketing company to set up health and wellness speaking engagements for her in her community. So another way to meet my challenge would be to contact a practice-management or marketing company for help in positioning you as the expert doctor in your community.

In August, I attended the Florida Chiropractic Association’s National Convention & Expo. I saw many products on the expo floor that could help in your marketing strategies. For example, you could become the only chiropractor in your community to offer a massage chair in the waiting area. Chiropractic conferences are a great place to start when you are considering a product for your office, because you can see all of the great marketing opportunities under one roof. Several state associations are hosting conferences between now and the end of the year. Meet my challenge by contacting your state association and signing up to attend a conference.

Or you can think about participating in some of the monthly events taking place this month in chiropractic. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has initiated a new national health care observance, and has proclaimed October as National Chiropractic Month. During this month, the ACA and chiropractors nationwide will educate consumers about chiropractic. The ACA is offering educational materials to help you spread the chiropractic message in your communities.

I’m confident that many of you will accept my challenge and implement some of these ideas. Or, you might come up with ideas of your own. Let me know how you respond to my challenge. I’ll share some of your responses at www.chiropub.com.