I’m often asked by Doctors of Chiropractic if I think patient testimonials are a good idea. Done properly, I think they are a wonderful idea and one of the best ways to build social proof in the world of Chiropractic marketing. In this series of articles we’ll be discussing Chiropractic patient testimonials, video testimonials, social proof, and more. I’ll also be providing some handy tips along the way on how to best accomplish all of this. I’ll even end by providing FREE downloadable permission and release forms to allow you to legally and ethically use your patient testimonials. So enough introduction, let’s get started!
Patient testimonials fit right into an area of Chiropractic internet marketing that has become a hot topic of late: Social Proof. Social proof is nothing new. It’s simply a new buzz word and spin applied to an age old concept. On the most basic level, social proof is little more than providing reviews ,testimonials, and other evidence to prove that your product or service is effective, accepted, and well liked.
Patient testimonials are obviously an ideal technique to build social proof. While print or text testimonials are effective, the best idea is always video. If you can’t or won’t work with video testimonials than you should try and at least use photos along with your testimonial. Most people tend to dismiss plain text testimonials as simply being made up. A photo of the individual along with their testimonial is a better idea since it puts a face with the text and helps to establish a little more credibility. The king of all Chiropractic patient testimonials is without a doubt, the video testimonial.
We have become a very visual society. We tend to place more trust in something we can see and hear for ourselves rather than simply reading. Video testimonials are probably one of the best ways a Doctor of Chiropractic can build social proof. Although they require more work than other types of testimonials, it is well worth the extra effort. We’ll take a look at some of the benefits and disadvantages of video testimonials in our next post.